Ana Weaver
Over the last decade, cannabidiol (CBD) has been legalized as a health supplement, with numerous trials and scientific research outlining the benefits of CBD for health and wellness. Due to its properties, it can help with issues such as chronic pain, insomnia, acne, and even more serious conditions like epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and cancer.
CBD accomplishes this by interacting with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is an important part of our nervous system. This system is responsible for regulating the production of certain neurotransmitters that indicate feelings of pain, hunger, sleepiness, happiness, sadness, and more. When CBD interacts with our ECS, it has been found to alter the production of some of these neurotransmitters in a way that is often beneficial for our overall health and well-being.
If you want to try CBD, you should know about the different kinds of products that are available. Here’s a quick guide to what you can find when you shop around:
1. CBD Oil and Tinctures
CBD oil is the basic product you can find. It takes the CBD and adds it to a carrier oil, to help your body absorb it more efficiently. You can also get it in a tincture, which uses alcohol as the carrier instead of oil. Both will come in small dropper bottles, so you can accurately control the dose you take. You will typically find it in different concentrations, between 500 mg and 5000 mg — just make sure you adjust how much of the oil you take depending on the concentration, to properly control your dose.
If you’re new to taking CBD, it’s best to start small, at about 500 mg dose, and work your way up as needed. With tincture, you get a variety of flavours and secondary effects. One common mixture is tincture with melatonin to help you with sleep.
2. CBD Capsules
The benefit of taking CBD in capsules as opposed to oil drops is familiarity and ease of use. If you already take pills, you can simply add a CBD capsule to your routine. They are also very discreet, as they look like other pills.
3. CBD Oral Spray
CBD oral spray takes the CBD oil (or tincture), and puts it in a spray bottle instead of a dropper bottle. Similar to pills, the main benefit of a spray compared to oil drops is discretion.
4. CBD Vape Oil
You can use CBD vape oil with a vape device. Vapes are small, portable electronic devices that use a battery to heat a coil, which can turn liquid (such as CBD oil) into vapor. That vapor can then be inhaled like when you smoke a cigarette. However, vapor is less harmful to your mouth, throat and lungs compared to cigarette smoke, making it a safer alternative. There are a variety of vape styles and designs that range in size, functionality and price, such as a d8 vape from this website, which can also be customized in several ways. Vaping can be a fun or relaxing hobby, similar to why many people start smoking, but with the benefit of a reduced health risk.
5. CBD Topicals
CBD comes loaded with antioxidants and omega fatty acids. These are both highly in-demand ingredients for many skincare products, especially from natural and sustainable sources like hemp. It helps improve the health of your skin, has anti-aging properties, can reduce inflammation, and more. It can even be used to help treat the inflammation and redness associated with acne.
6. CBD Skin Patch
Another skin-based product is transdermal patches. They mix CBD with other pain relief ingredients, so you can apply it to an area of your skin where you are feeling localized pain. This product is specifically beneficial for easing pain and inflammation near the surface of your skin. The drawback is that it won’t help as much with other issues, compared to the other forms of CBD. It will only help with pain in a smaller area.
7. CBD Pain Roller
CBD pain rollers work similar to the skin patches. They apply the same type of surface-level pain and inflammation relief as the patches, but work slightly differently. The benefit is that the effects come quicker, as the patches have a slower release. The drawback is that the effects will not last as long.
8. CBD Hair Products
The antioxidants and omega fatty acids in CBD hair products help promote the production of new and healthy cells to help your hair look healthier and stronger. It can also help with the health of the skin on your scalp. However, it’s best when combined with other common ingredients used in hair products.
9. CBD Edibles
There is a large variety of edible products you can find that have been infused with CBD. When you eat edibles, you absorb the CBD through your digestive system. The drawback is that the effects will kick in a lot slower than using CBD oil. The benefit is that it is more discreet, and you can infuse CBD into almost any kind of food, including:
- Candy like gummies and chocolate
- Potato chips
- Nuts, trail mix and granola bars
- Cheese and butter
- Honey and maple syrup
- Brownies and other pastries or baked goods
- Protein powder
- Salad dressing and cooking oil
Gummies and candy are the most common, because they are small, sweet, and available in individual sized pieces. If you want a healthier alternative to candy, there’s a wide variety of edibles available. You can also get drinkables, where the CBD is infused with common beverages like tea, coffee, soda, juice, and various kinds of alcohol.
These are by no means the only kinds of products that you can find with CBD. As the industry continues to grow, companies are devising new applications for this versatile compound. That gives you a lot of flexibility and choice, so you can buy the types of CBD products that suit your needs, health issues, and tastes the best.