An alternative to vitamin A nasal drops to make at home

Using vitamin A nose drops could help to recover the sense of smell, but the products currently available over the counter – like Coldastop and Coldistop – are not easily available. As an alternative you might like to try making your own vitamin A nasal rinse.

It’s really important to note that vitamin A for oral consumption that is meant to be swallowed shouldn’t be dropped directly into the nose. The formula is too strong and it is not recommended. Neither should you split vitamin A capsules to apply directly to the nose. Again, the formula is too strong. However, you can add regular vitamin A drops in a nasal rinse solution and safely use it in this diluted form.

What you will need:

A nasal rinse bottle. For example, NeilMed sinus rinse.

Saline mixture. Use premixed or make your own: mix a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into a pint of boiled water that’s been left to cool to around body temperature.

Vitamin A drops meant for oral use.

1. Fill your rinse bottle with the saline mixture. 
2. Add a single daily dose of vitamin A to the saline solution. Follow the directions on the label for dosage. This might be one or two drops, depending on the formula.
3. Attach the nozzle to the bottle. Tilt the bottle as you do so to avoid getting the vitamin A oil directly into the nozzle. Tilting the bottle will draw the oil away from where you insert the tube.
4. Shake the bottle vigorously for at least 10 seconds to mix well.
5. Standing over a sink, squeeze half the bottle into one nostril, letting the liquid drain through the opposite nostril. 
6. Shake the bottle vigorously again for another ten seconds. Deliver the rest of the bottle (or as much as you can) into the other nostril. 
7. Clean your rinse bottle carefully. You can use a drop of baby shampoo and hot water to wash away oily residue from the vitamin A. Leave to dry in a rack. 

You can use this nasal rinse twice a day. Because most of the solution will rinse out of the nose, there is no risk of getting too much but a small amount of vitamin A will cling to the surface of the mucosa in the nose. Vitamin A can build up in your system, so it’s best to stop after a month, take a break for a month, and then continue if you feel you need it. 

This method has been approved by a member of AbScent’s advisory board. Please note that this technique has not been tried in a laboratory research setting and it hasn’t been published as a medical study. Please follow instructions carefully.

For information about vitamin A nasal drops, check out our information sheet here.

December 22, 2021