Knowing how hard it can be, Izzat Ishak has created “WooS”, an aromatherapy inhaler that he says can help people quit smoking or vaping.

Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, the 36-year-old shared that he had been a smoker for 20 years. “In fact, I was a heavy chain-smoker and could finish up to three cigarette packs a day.”

His then girlfriend – now wife – persuaded him to attend a quit clinic, where he had been prescribed nicotine patches and chewing gum. However, the stress and pressure of his engineering job at the time pushed him back into the habit.

Izzat finally quit for good after having to undergo knee surgery. “I was in the same ward with a bone cancer patient, and he was telling me how painful the treatments were for him. That was a wake-up call for me.”

At first glance, the inhaler is rather unassuming, just slightly bigger than your regular cigarette and smaller than a vaping device. Basically, it contains 100% essential oils that you inhale through your mouth – a principle similar to vaping.

The inhaler itself is reusable; you just need to replace the cotton wicks inside that hold the essential oils. “One pack contains five wicks, and each will last you about three days.”

The wicks come in six flavours: Blue Mint, Berry Cool, Sweet Mint, Citrus Mint, Sweet & Spicy, and Honey Light.

With no nicotine, Izzat said, WooS offers a more natural way to wean off the habit, and the essential-oil flavour bases make the product more appealing.

Asked how he had come up with the idea, he explained that it hones in on the psychology of smokers by mimicking their hand-to-mouth motion.

“The trick was to find the right blend of essential oils for the cotton wicks to simulate the ‘throat heat’ or ‘kick’ you get while smoking,” he said.

As he and his wife had already dabbled with essential oils while looking for ways to help their children sleep better, they carried out plenty of research and experiments to get the blends just right.

It took them close to two years to come up with the first two flavours in 2022, before expanding to six currently.

Izzat added that it typically takes users between one and four months to stop smoking or vaping, though this depends on the individual.

“So far, to my knowledge, there have been no studies that show aromatherapy inhalers are harmful, unless you’re allergic or sensitive to the essential oils used,” he noted.

Naturally, the concept of WooS was initially met with scepticism. But after live demonstrations were conducted on social media, people began to warm to the idea and business slowly picked up from there.

Izzat said he has come across customers who told him they no longer feel the strong urge to smoke after trying WooS. “Some have even said they now feel repulsed by the smell of smoke,” he added.

Still, he stressed that WooS is not made for long-term use, and that you should stop using it “once you no longer feel the urge to smoke anymore”.

And ultimately, Izzat pointed out that one must have the will or reason to quit; otherwise, no matter how good a product is, it won’t work.

“This is why our packaging says willpower is not included,” he concluded.

Follow WooS on Facebook and Instagram, or head to its website for more information.