How to Use Smelling Salts Safely

Part of our series: Smelling Salts — The Complete Guide.

Read this part first

Some people should not use ammonia inhalants at all. This is not a formality and it is not the same list as a supplement label's.

Do not use an ammonia inhalant if you:

• are pregnant
• have a respiratory condition, including asthma
• are allergic to any listed ingredient — the Spinto bottle contains nutmeg, lavender and lemon oils as well as ammonia
• are treating or assessing a head injury, a suspected concussion, fainting or any other medical event

That last one carries the most weight. Ammonia inhalants are not a medical product and must not be used on someone who has collapsed or taken a blow to the head. A person in that situation needs medical attention. Using an inhalant on them risks obscuring the picture at exactly the moment that picture matters — the reasoning the NFL gave in 2025 when it stopped clubs supplying ammonia to players, discussed in Smelling Salts in Powerlifting and Strength Sports.

If you have any medical concern at all, speak to a physician before use.

Correct technique

Four steps. The distance step is the one that does the work.

1. Check the seal. An unopened bottle should have an intact tamper-evident band and, under the cap, an unbroken inner liner. If either is already broken on a bottle you have not opened, do not use it.

2. Keep the bottle six inches from your nose. This is the distance printed on the Spinto label, and it is the whole safety margin. The gas travels; the bottle does not need to be close. Never hold an ammonia inhalant against or under the nostrils.

3. Break the seal and inhale briefly. One short inhale through the nose. Not a deep breath, not a sustained one, and not repeated in quick succession.

4. Recap immediately. Screw the cap back down as soon as you are done. This is not tidiness — ammonia preparations are air-sensitive and an open bottle loses ammonia to the air continuously.

What not to do

• Do not put the bottle against your nose or in a nostril. Direct contact with the opening risks liquid contact with skin and mucous membrane.
• Do not let the liquid touch skin, eyes or mouth. The preparation causes serious eye irritation (GHS hazard statement H319). If it reaches the eyes, rinse with water and seek medical advice.
• Do not swallow it. It is harmful if swallowed (H302). This is a hazard statement, not a caution.
• Do not use it on someone else, particularly someone who is unconscious, unsteady, or has been hit.
• Do not use it repeatedly in a session. Repeated exposure is repeated irritant exposure.
• Do not keep it near fire or flame. This is printed on the label.
• Do not leave it uncapped, in a bag, in a car, or anywhere else.
• Do not decant, dilute, mix or refill. Whatever you would make is not the product and its hazards are unknown.

Storage

Keep the bottle capped, upright, in a dry, well-ventilated place, out of direct heat and away from flame. Keep it out of reach of children — printed on the label and worth repeating.

A gym bag in a hot car is the worst common case: heat and an imperfectly seated cap together. Storage and Shelf Life covers what actually happens to an ageing bottle and when to replace one.

Disposal

Dispose of a spent or unwanted bottle responsibly, capped, with household chemical waste rather than loose in general refuse. Do not pour the contents out, and do not rinse them down a drain into a confined space. Check your municipality's household hazardous waste guidance — requirements differ by state and county.

The full safety information

This is the mandatory block. It appears on every Spinto salts product page and is reproduced here in full.

• Keep out of reach of children.
• For external inhalation only. Do not ingest. Avoid contact with eyes, skin and mouth.
• Do not use during pregnancy.
• Not for use by anyone with a respiratory condition, including asthma.
• Not for use to treat or assess a head injury, concussion, fainting or any medical event.
• Consult a physician before use if you have any medical concern.
• Correct use: hold away from the face, brief inhale, recap immediately.
• Store capped, upright, dry and away from heat and flame. Dispose of responsibly.

As printed on the Spinto label: keep away from children; keep away from fire or flame; always keep the bottle six inches from the nose; do not use if allergic to any ingredients or pregnant.

What the FDA has said

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a consumer alert on 6 August 2024 advising against the purchase or use of unapproved inhalant products marketed for alertness and energy, and listed adverse events reported to it: shortness of breath, seizures, migraines, vomiting, diarrhoea and fainting.

We think you should read that alert rather than take our summary of it. It is covered in full, with the enforcement record behind it, in Are Smelling Salts Bad for You? What the FDA Actually Says.

FAQ

How far should I hold smelling salts from my nose? Six inches, as printed on the Spinto label. Closer is not better and direct contact should never happen.

How long should the inhale be? One brief inhale. Not a deep breath and not a sustained one.

Can I use smelling salts on someone who has fainted or been hit? No. Ammonia inhalants must not be used to treat or assess fainting, a head injury or a suspected concussion. That situation needs medical attention.

Can I use them if I have asthma? No. Ammonia is a respiratory irritant and ammonia inhalants are not for use by anyone with a respiratory condition.

What if the liquid gets in my eye? The preparation causes serious eye irritation. Rinse with water and seek medical advice.

What if I am allergic to nutmeg? The Spinto bottle contains nutmeg, lavender and lemon oils. Do not use it if you are allergic to any listed ingredient.