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My otolaryngologist (a.k.a. - ENT) uses a mint infused nasal spray to lubricate my nose. I once asked him to show me the spray bottle and the ingredients includes peppermint. Similarly, one of my regular nasal sprays I use home contains rosewater as one of its ingredients.

If I enjpy the smell of the mint or rose water while I'm using the spray, do I need to make a bracha (borei minei bsamim)? The primary purpose is not for smelling the spice in there; the smelling is secondary to my use of the spray.

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I'm no posek, but my guess would be that no bracha should be made.

The Shulchan Aruch (217:2-3) writes, based on the Gemara (Brachos 51b), that one only makes a bracha on something that were made for the purpose of smelling nice, and not for smells that were added to something that has a primary purpose other than mere smelling. Even something meant to be inhaled through the nose, but not as a smell, does not require a bracha (Aruch Hashulchan 217:13)

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  • Here, though, the ingredient was added for the purpose of smelling nice (I assume), and the thing you're smelling is that added ingredient. Perhaps then you do say a b'racha.
    – msh210
    Jan 21, 2015 at 19:42
  • @msh210 I don't think so. I started writing here how I thought this is miduyak in the above-quoted sourced but it got too long; look there though and hopefully you'll see. The Mishnah Berurah discusses cases of ingredients added for smell Jan 22, 2015 at 4:54

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