If you’ve paid any attention to consumer shopping trends over the past couple of years, you know that cannabidiol (CBD) is probably the most popular supplement on the market right now. Derived from industrial hemp flowers, CBD has shown itself to be an extremely useful compound that millions of people are now taking daily for a wide variety of different reasons.
Buying CBD for the first time can be a somewhat confusing and overwhelming experience, though, because of the sheer variety of different products that are available. There are so many different types of CBD products – and so many different ways of taking CBD – that it can be hard to know what’s the right fit for you.
In this article, we’ll attempt to shine some light on the topic of how to buy CBD by explaining some of the most common types of CBD products and describing the reasons why you might want to choose each type. Let’s dig in!
CBD Oil
CBD oil was the first type of CBD product that became available to the public, and it’s still one of the most popular forms of CBD today. Out of the various CBD products that are available, CBD oil tends to be the least expensive for the amount of CBD that you receive because it’s relatively easy for CBD producers to create. Like all CBD products, CBD oil begins its life as a raw distillate that’s extracted directly from industrial hemp flowers. Hemp processors take the raw distillate and perform some filtering and refinement to improve the flavor. To make the final product, they’ll dilute the raw hemp distillate with a carrier such as MCT oil. In some cases, additional natural or artificial flavors may also be added.
To use CBD oil, you’ll take a dropper of the oil and place it under your tongue. You’ll hold the oil there for several seconds, and then you’ll swallow it. Aside from the relatively low cost of CBD oil, the other main benefit is that it’s fairly fast acting compared to many other types of CBD products. That’s because you absorb part of the CBD sublingually before swallowing the oil, and sublingual absorption is much faster than absorption through the digestive system.
Oral CBD Products
After CBD oil, the next most popular types of CBD products are oral products such as CBDMD gummies. Along with gummies – which you eat and swallow like any other gummy supplement – you can also find CBD capsules containing either oil-based CBD or powdered CBD isolate. When you take those, you’ll simply swallow them without chewing them.
As we explained above, taking any supplement via the oral route is somewhat slower than sublingual administration in that the CBD won’t begin to enter your bloodstream until it is processed by your digestive system – and that may take an hour or more. However, oral CBD products also have two compelling benefits. The first benefit is that eating a CBD gummy – or swallowing CBD in capsule form – is a more pleasurable way of taking CBD if you don’t like the flavor of CBD oil. The second benefit is that oral CBD products are pre-measured for you – you get exactly the same dosage of CBD with every gummy you eat or capsule you swallow. It’s much harder to get a consistent dose of CBD when you measure it with a dropper.
Topical CBD Products
One of the exciting features of CBD is that it has the ability to absorb through your skin. Therefore, it’s easy to apply CBD to a specific area of your skin – or to the muscles and bones under the skin – by putting it directly on the affected area. Companies have created a wide variety of topical CBD products for that purpose such as lotions, balms and rollers. All that you need to do is rub the product over the affected area and wait for it to absorb.
Many companies add synergistic ingredients to their topical CBD products to help support certain uses. For instance, a CBD roller for pain may include ingredients like menthol and camphor to help soothe and loosen sore muscles and joints. Some companies also make CBD beauty products with moisturizing and firming ingredients that help to improve skin tone. Topical CBD products make it possible to target a specific area with CBD rather than waiting for the CBD to reach that area – in a diluted state – via your circulatory system.
CBD Vaping Products
Did you know that you can actually inhale CBD? Some of the most popular CBD products these days are CBD e-liquids and vape oils, and you can use those products by adding them directly to the tank or pod of any vaping device. You’ll then vape the CBD by puffing on the vaping device and holding the vapor in your lungs for several seconds before exhaling it.
The reason why CBD vaping products are so popular is because vaping CBD is a faster way to get the CBD into your system than any other method of administering it. The lungs are essentially a direct route into your bloodstream, and that’s why so many prescription medications are available as inhalers. Vaping may not be for everyone, but it’s ideal if you take CBD frequently throughout the day and want it to be active in your bloodstream as quickly as possible.
CBD Isolate
The final type of CBD product that you’re likely to see when shopping online is powdered CBD isolate. CBD isolate is what’s left after raw hemp distillate goes through a variety of filtering and purification steps until CBD is the only ingredient remaining. CBD isolate dissolves easily in oil, so it’s the form of CBD that companies usually use when making products like CBD gummies and topical CBD products.
CBD isolate is a very fun form of CBD because it allows you to make your own CBD products at home by adding the powder to just about anything. With CBD isolate, you can make your own CBD-infused smoothies and salad dressings. The powder has no flavor, so you can also sprinkle it directly over finished dishes. If you can’t get enough CBD in your life, CBD isolate is a product that you really need to try because there’s no limit to what you can do with it.