What is the Difference Between Synthetic and Plant-Derived Nicotine?

Synthetic nicotine is made in a lab without using tobacco, generally using chemical reactions. Meanwhile, producers of plant-derived nicotine extract nicotine from the tobacco plant. They generally have different chemical structures, but most people can’t notice the difference, and both processes result in tobacco-free products.

What Plant is Nicotine Derived From?

Nicotine comes from the tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum).

Is There a Natural Form of Nicotine?

The tobacco plant itself is natural. Many other plants also contain small amounts of nicotine, such as tomatoes and potatoes. Naturally, they contain far less than tobacco plants!

What is the Purest Form of Nicotine?

Generally, when people talk about “pure” nicotine, they are referring to lab-made nicotine since it goes through intensive filtering. However, no nicotine is 100% pure.

Which Nicotine Pouches Are Plant-Derived?

Some nicotine pouch brands offering plant-derived products include ZYN, Rogue, VELO, and On!

What is the Healthiest Form of Nicotine?

Ultimately, regardless of the source of nicotine, there is no real evidence that the two types of nicotine have a different impact on the body. The two have the same potential side effects as all nicotine products, such as nausea and increased heart rate.

Plant derived nicotine

Keep things classic with plant-derived nicotine products. Prilla offers a comprehensive selection, including nicotine pouches, gum, lozenges, and tablets. Market leaders like ZYN and Rogue opt for plant-derived over synthetic nicotine, with options in all strengths and flavors (including flavorless).

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Popular Plant-Derived Nicotine Brands

Most of the biggest players in the nicotine pouch market still opt for plant-derived nicotine, even as synthetic alternatives are on the rise.

ZYN

ZYN nicotine pouches are the absolute lead in the USA, and they contain plant-derived nicotine rather than anything synthetic. Anyone who wants to stick with tradition is in good company!

For most pouch users, ZYN is a brand that needs no introduction. But for those who are still unfamiliar (or want a recap), its most popular flavors include:

Wintergreen
Citrus
Peppermint
Coffee

Rogue

Rogue stands out for producing pouches that are 100% US-made, and it uses plant-derived nicotine as part of the process. To be more specific, factories use steam extraction technology to harvest the leaves.

Rogue Wintergreen 6mg is one of the brand’s bestsellers thanks to its combination of creamy wintergreen, moist contents, and a standard strength of 6mg per pouch.

VELO

Considering some of the first products featured here are from VELO, it would be easy to assume that all VELO products are plant-derived. In reality, it’s a little more complex.

While the brand originally opted for plant-derived nicotine for all its products, it has recently introduced the VELO Plus line, which uses the synthetic form. However, many of the old classics can be found on this page, such as VELO Max Peppermint 7mg.

We explain the differences between the various VELO products further in our guide to VELO in the US vs Europe.

Types of Plant-Derived Nicotine Products

In the nicotine world, pouches are all the rage right now. But while these are by far the most popular product types, here at Prilla, we have options. After all, not everyone is the “average” consumer”

Nicotine Pouches

Naturally, the bulk of products in this section are nicotine pouches. It’s a wide-ranging selection, with:

Flavors that include mint, flavorless, fruity, coffee, cinnamon, and more
Mini, slim, and regular sizes
Dry and moist pouches
Strengths from 2mg to 8mg per pouch

Nicotine Gum

Some don’t like the sensation of placing a pouch in their mouth, or want to stick to a product form they’re more familiar with. In this case, nicotine gum ticks all the boxes! Another advantage of gum is that users control the release of nicotine since they activate it by chewing.

Rogue offers various options here, with fruity and minty options that have either 2mg or 4mg per piece of gum. Rogue Gum Wintergreen 4mg is a solid option for those who want a flavor and nicotine content similar to pouches.

Nicotine Tablets

Nicotine tablets might not win the popularity contest when it comes to nicotine products, it’s hard to imagine a more convenient way to consume nicotine than simply placing a tiny tablet in your mouth and letting the mouth absorb it (no chewing involved).

Once again, Rogue enters the picture here with its tablet selection. Rogue Tablet Peppermint 4mg boasts a sharp peppermint flavor, and the tablets are also sugar-free and dissolve quickly in the mouth.

Nicotine Lozenges

Nicotine lozenges are small discs the user places in their mouth against the gum, then leave there as they release nicotine and flavor. Essentially, they look a bit like tablets. but the way they’re used is more similar to a pouch.

Rogue and VELO both offer a few lozenges. For instance, VELO Lozenges Berry 4mg boasts a refreshing yet tart berry taste with a mild strength.

Synthetic vs Plant-Derived Nicotine: Which is Right for Me?

Once people realize there are two types of nicotine sources, they all have the same question: Which one should they choose?

The synthetic crowd will try to tell everyone that synthetic nicotine is the “purest” option, while the plant-derived producers will claim it’s the form with the longest history and the most established research behind it.

Plant-derived nicotine can also be more affordable, although this varies between brands.

Realistically, most people can’t tell the difference between the two kinds of nicotine anyway, and decide on their product of choice based on more easily perceptible factors, like nicotine strength or taste profile.

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