Enovid nasal spray, sold in North America as NOWONDER™, is a saline-based nasal spray that releases a small amount of nitric oxide at the moment you spray. Nitric oxide is a molecule your nose already produces. The bottle keeps two solutions apart and combines them only when you press the pump — which is why nitric oxide itself is not on the ingredient list.
This page explains the three things people ask most: what nitric oxide is doing in the nose in the first place, how the spray releases it, and what that means compared with plain saline. It is written for daily users, not for scientists, and it stays inside what we can say about a cosmetic nasal care product.
By Udi Damari, BuyEnov · Last updated September 2026
Nitric oxide: a molecule your nose already makes
Nitric oxide (NO) is a small gas molecule produced throughout the human body. In the nose, much of it comes from the paranasal sinuses — the air-filled spaces behind the cheeks and forehead — and it is released continuously into the nasal passages and the air you breathe in.
Its importance was recognised in 1998, when Robert Furchgott, Louis Ignarro and Ferid Murad received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning nitric oxide as a signalling molecule. Before their work, nobody expected a gas to carry messages between cells.
One simple illustration of how much nitric oxide the nose produces: a 2002 study measured nasal nitric oxide levels while volunteers hummed, and found that humming increased the amount of nitric oxide released from the sinuses many times over compared with quiet breathing. It is a physiology finding, not a product claim — but it shows this is a molecule the nose makes and moves around all day.
Enovid nasal spray (NOWONDER™) is built around that same molecule. It does not introduce something foreign; it adds, briefly, a small amount of something already there.
→ More on the physiology: Nitric oxide in the nose: humming and nasal spray
How the spray releases nitric oxide
Nitric oxide is a gas, and it doesn't keep in a bottle. So the spray is built to make it at the moment of use rather than store it.
Two chambers, kept apart. The bottle holds two liquids in separate compartments. One contains sodium nitrite, the source of the nitric oxide. The other contains citric acid, which lowers the pH. Both sit in a saline base, thickened with hypromellose so the liquid spreads across the nasal lining rather than running straight out.
They meet in the pump. When you press down, the sprayer draws from both chambers at once and mixes them on the way out. The acid and the nitrite react and nitric oxide is released — in the liquid, and on the surfaces of the nasal passages where it lands.
A brief, local release. The reaction is quick and the amount is small. Because nitric oxide is a gas, it is present only briefly before dissipating naturally. It does not build up or linger, and it is not absorbed the way a drug would be — the spray works on the surface of the nasal lining, in the space just inside the nose.
Why "nitric oxide" isn't on the label. Ingredient lists show what's in the bottle, not what's produced when the contents react. You'll see the six ingredients — purified water, sodium chloride, citric acid, hypromellose, sodium nitrite and benzalkonium chloride — but not nitric oxide itself. That is expected and correct. There are no steroids, antihistamines or decongestants in the formula.
This two-part system is NORS™ (Nitric Oxide Releasing Solution), a patented technology developed by SaNOtize, the manufacturer; NORS™ is a SaNOtize trademark. Enovid nasal spray and NOWONDER™ nasal spray use the same NORS™ formulation.
→ Full ingredient list and what each one does: Enovid nasal spray ingredients
Enovid nasal spray vs. saline: what's actually different
Saline nasal spray is salt water at roughly the body's own concentration. It moistens the nasal passages, helps loosen and cleanse what has settled there — dust, pollen, other airborne particles — and refreshes. It's a good, simple habit, and Enovid nasal spray (NOWONDER™) is saline-based, so it does the same job.
The difference is what happens after the spray lands. Saline cleanses and stops there. Enovid nasal spray cleanses and also releases a small amount of nitric oxide — the molecule your nose already produces — into the nasal passages for a short time.
That is the whole difference, stated plainly: same cleansing base, plus nitric oxide. Whether that addition is worth it to you is a judgement about your own daily nasal care routine, and we'd rather explain the mechanism clearly than oversell it.
→ Side-by-side: NOWONDER™ vs saline nasal spray
Using it day to day
Use 2 sprays in each nostril before or after visiting crowded places. Per the label, NoWonder™ may be applied 3 to 4 times daily, or up to 6 times daily as needed.
Before first use. The dual-chamber pump needs priming: hold the bottle upright and press 10–12 times until a steady stream appears. This fills both channels so every spray afterwards delivers a consistent mix.
It's a liquid, not a mist. The output is closer to a rinse than an aerosol — somewhere between droplets and a jet. That is by design: it helps the solution spread across the nasal lining. Hold the bottle vertically when spraying; tilting it can stop one chamber drawing correctly.
How long a bottle lasts. Each 25 ml bottle holds about 200 sprays. At 2 sprays per nostril, that is roughly 50 uses. How many days that covers depends entirely on how often you use it — we don't quote a "supply" figure because it would be wrong for most people.
After opening. Discard the bottle 6 months after first use, even if liquid remains. Store at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, with the cap on.
What to expect. A mild, temporary tingling is normal and varies with nasal hydration and individual sensitivity. A little run-off from the nose or towards the back of the throat is also normal; aiming slightly away from the centre of the nose reduces it. Do not swallow the solution. The label advises stopping use if you feel significant burning or irritation, or if a burning sensation persists for more than 5 minutes after use.
→ Step-by-step with pictures: How to use Enovid nasal spray
Enovid and NOWONDER™: same spray, two names
Enovid is the name the product carries in international markets. NOWONDER™ is the name used in the United States and Canada. They are the same product from the same manufacturer, SaNOtize, with the same formulation and the same 25 ml bottle. BuyEnov has sold it since June 2021, and we use "Enovid" first on this site because it's the name most of our customers still search for.
→ The full story of the name change: Enovid vs NOWONDER™
Frequently asked questions
Does Enovid nasal spray contain nitric oxide?
Not as an ingredient. Nitric oxide is a gas and can't be stored in a bottle. The spray holds two solutions in separate chambers; when you press the pump they mix and release nitric oxide at the moment of use. That's why the ingredient list shows the components that generate it rather than nitric oxide itself.
What is nitric oxide and why is it in a nasal spray?
Nitric oxide is a small signalling molecule the body produces naturally, including in the nose and sinuses. Its discovery as a signalling molecule was recognised with the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Enovid nasal spray (NOWONDER™) adds a small, brief release of this same molecule to a saline-based cleansing spray.
What is NORS™?
NORS™ stands for Nitric Oxide Releasing Solution. It is the patented technology and trademark of SaNOtize, the manufacturer of Enovid and NOWONDER™ nasal spray: a two-part formulation in which two separate solutions combine at the moment of spraying to release nitric oxide.
Is Enovid nasal spray the same as NOWONDER™?
Yes. Enovid is the international name and NOWONDER™ is the North American name for the same product, same manufacturer, same formulation and bottle.
How is Enovid nasal spray different from saline nasal spray?
Both are saline-based and both cleanse and refresh the nasal passages. Enovid nasal spray (NOWONDER™) additionally releases a small amount of nitric oxide when sprayed. Saline does not.
How often can I use Enovid nasal spray?
Per the label, 2 sprays in each nostril, 3 to 4 times daily, or up to 6 times daily as needed.
How many sprays are in a bottle?
About 200 sprays per 25 ml bottle — roughly 50 uses at 2 sprays per nostril.
How long can I use a bottle after opening?
Discard 6 months after first opening, even if some liquid remains.
Is Enovid nasal spray a drug?
No. In the United States, Enovid / NOWONDER™ nasal spray is sold as a cosmetic for daily nasal care. It cleanses and refreshes. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sources
- The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet. Press release: The 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. nobelprize.org
- Lundberg JO, et al. High nitric oxide production in human paranasal sinuses. Nature Medicine. 1995;1(4):370–373.
- Weitzberg E, Lundberg JO. Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2002;166(2):144–145.
- Product label and user guide, NOWONDER™ nasal spray (SaNOtize Research & Development Corp.). Read the user guide.
Enovid / NOWONDER™ nasal spray is a cosmetic for daily nasal care. It cleanses and refreshes. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. NORS™ is a technology and trademark of SaNOtize Research & Development Corp. NOWONDER™ is a trademark of its owner. BuyEnov is an independent authorized retailer.
