Once upon a time, you could scour the internet for tips on “how to take CBD” and come up empty.
Now, CBD is pretty much everywhere. On the back of two farm bills, one in 2014, and another in 2018, CBD has risen to the mainstream and shows no signs of going anywhere. And with that comes one of the most honest human responses…
Decision anxiety.
There are so many ways to enjoy CBD. You’ve got your topicals, face creams, body scrubs, bath bombs, and ointments. Then, of course, you have ingestible CBD like tinctures and gel caps—and don’t forget about classic vape juice.
How do you tell what’s going to work best for you?
Let’s break down the benefits of each method and how to get the best results.
How to Take CBD Oil
Any good CBD product starts with good CBD oil. It’s the soul of every product you’re going to try, so make sure whichever brand you go with is crafted using organic hemp oil, preferably grown in the U.S.
Not only does the country have stricter growing guidelines than others, if you’re ordering in the contiguous United States, but you’ll also likely receive free shipping. Also, the carbon footprint of your order will be relatively small.
The clearest way to get in touch with a solid CBD oil is with a tincture. If you go with a good one (which, duh, why else would you be doing your research?) it’ll have really simple ingredients. Tinctures are all about letting the natural power of CBD truly shine.
To aid this process, you need what’s called a carrier oil. We use medium-chain triglycerides, or MCT oil, derived from coconuts in ours. This increases CBD oil’s bioavailability.
Another thing to keep in mind when you’re using a CBD oil—whether it’s in tincture form or a gel cap—is what you’re taking along with it. Think of it this way: when taking fish oil and other oil-based substances, food helps the oil bond and stay in the stomach rather than get flushed out. This ultimately helps the body absorb more of the oil.
How to Use a CBD Vape
When it comes to vaporizing CBD, it’s hard to go wrong—as long as you follow a couple of important guidelines. You may have heard some stories over the past couple of years about cannabis vaporizers causing some pretty bad side effects.
This was caused for the most part by an additive called Vitamin E acetate, which a lot of knockoff brands used to manufacture their vape cartridges. While this occurred in marijuana vaping, it’s still important for CBD lovers to make sure they’re working with an established company.
We use propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin in ours, which is currently the safest, most reliable solution on the market. It’s our recommendation you only vape solutions crafted with this additive.
Now, to the fun part. Vaping has become one of the most popular delivery methods because it offers a super high bioavailability and is, frankly, delicious. While, yes, vaporizing CBD is all about delivering the buoyant calm and relaxation the compound brings, it’s also all about the flavors.
The flavor in natural hemp comes from a couple of compounds: terpenes and flavonoids. This Pineapple Express Disposable CBD Vape Pen uses a broad-spectrum CBD oil along with a proprietary blend of terpenes and flavonoids. These are crafted to mimic the flavor of this popular cannabis strain.
If you’re more into mixing your own solution, we use an organic CBD isolate in our Strawberry Kiwi Vape Juice because the isolate clears out the earthy flavor that a full spectrum oil generally brings. This allows the natural flavors of juicy strawberry and vibrant kiwi to shine with every puff.
Want to Know a Pro Tip?
The efficacy and flavor of CBD oil have a lot to do with the temperature it’s vaporized at. A lot of companies spin off their CBD vape lines from nicotine-based manufacture, and these often use heating elements that are too hot.
When you’re selecting a vape kit, make sure you purchase one that is specifically designed for CBD solutions. You’ll not only note a clearer, brighter flavor—but all of a sudden your juice is more potent, too.
How to Consume CBD Edibles
Now, it may seem that your bases are covered with vapes and oils, but let’s take a step back. The whole point of integrating CBD into our lives is to improve overall wellness. It’s not just about taking as much CBD as we can. It’s about combining it with things that are going to make our bodies and minds feel better overall.
When you’re working with edibles, you want to find a product crafted with ingredients that collaborate well with CBD. Think of it this way. You can drop a tincture under your tongue. You can absorb the CBD, and sometimes curcumin, or COQ10, but you can’t absorb as many antioxidants here as you can with your gastrointestinal tract.
This is one reason why gummies have become so popular. It’s not good enough for companies to wrap CBD in high-fructose corn syrup and send them on their way. Nowadays, they need to taste amazing and provide additional health benefits.
Earlier this year, we came out with a line of multivitamin gummies. Alongside 100% organic broad-spectrum CBD, each gummy contains pantothenic acid, biotin, and Vitamins A & C.
This isn’t to say that gummies have to be all about health.
There’s nothing wrong with having a delicious little CBD snack. However, rest assured that if you’re just looking for a regular CBD gummy, you’ll never find any corn syrup, artificial colors, sweeteners, or animal-based ingredients with ours (shameless plug).
How to Take CBD Topicals
Topicals act a lot differently on the body than ingestible forms of CBD because of how the body metabolizes it. Rather than interact with your gastrointestinal tract, like an edible, or the arterial bloodstream, like with sublingual tinctures, topicals work with your epidermis at the site of application.
Other than the positive vibes you get from alleviating your muscle and joint pain, you won’t experience the same psychological effects from a topical as you would a vape or tincture. With that said, topicals have an incredible bioavailability. This is because the epidermis is great at absorbing CBD and all the ingredients come along with it.
Take this Rejuvidiol™ CBD Massage Oil.
This dry oil formula allows you to treat yourself to a natural, nourishing massage without the oily, sticky feeling associated with regular massage oils. With premium ingredients like jojoba oil, evening primrose oil, and 150mg of organically grown CBD hemp oil, your skin will get a boost of helpful botanical extracts.
Closing Thoughts
When you’re starting out with CBD, it helps to have in mind what precisely you’re hoping to get out of it. Once you’ve figured that out, have fun with it! There are a ton of great products out there, and as long as you’re prioritizing your wellness and doing your own research you’re well on your way to more positive CBD experiences.