Your Guide to Choosing the Best CBD Cream
Countless people are looking for the best CBD cream to help combat pains and aches. CBD creams are hemp-based topicals that you rub on the skin; they are designed to penetrate a layer of the surface and focus on a specific part of the body.
There are dozens of topicals on the market, so getting confused by the terminology is extremely easy. For example, you may see CBD cream, salve, lotion, and ointment. Are all of them just different names for what is effectively the same thing?
The short answer is ‘no.’ There are differences between these products, though they mainly relate to their consistency. Some products are thick and oily, while others are water-based. They may have a different feel but serve the same purpose.
In this article, I will outline the difference between these topical options. I also help you find out how to choose the best CBD cream on the market. Straight away, I can tell you that research is key. If you’re going to put something into your body, make sure it isn’t filled with chemicals and toxins!
CBD Creams, Ointments, Lotions & Salves – What’s the Difference?
Before choosing the best CBD cream (or ointment, lotion, or salve), it helps to know what it consists of.
Cream
The process of creating a creamy consistency involves mixing oil & water with an emulsifying agent. Common options include beeswax or emulsifying wax. In general, creams have a higher oil concentration than lotions. You can expect the following ingredient breakdown:
45% oil
45% water
5-10% emulsifying agent
The result is a product with a thicker consistency than a lotion. As creams contain water, they must also have a preserving agent. Otherwise, you have to store them in the fridge.
Ointment
This is a semisolid product that consists of 20% water and 80% oil. The water acts as a barrier on the skin to prevent loss of moisture. Ointments permit the slower delivery of active ingredients such as CBD. They also have a soft texture and work well when dealing with skin issues such as a rash.
Lotions
You create a lotion by combining oil and water with an emulsifying agent. Then you blend it. Though the ingredients are the same as with a CBD cream, a lotion uses more water. Here is the breakdown:
70% water
20% oil
10% emulsifying agent
Once again, lotions require the addition of preservatives, or else you have to store it at a cool temperature. Otherwise, bacteria and yeast will grow and ruin the product.
Salves
Also known as a balm, a salve is a combination of oil and beeswax. You melt the wax with the oil. When the mixture cools, it hardens into your preferred consistency. Manufacturers often add other ingredients such as nut and fruit butter, essential oils, and vitamin E. Salves don’t contain water, which means it has a stable shelf life without the need for added preservatives.
Why Should You Consider Buying CBD Cream?
Before you look for the best CBD cream, you need to determine why you are looking for this product in the first place. Primarily, consumers buy CBD topicals to help reduce pain and inflammation. These products are designed to support healthy skin and joints.
When you apply a topical to the skin, they could have various benefits for the skin’s surface. However, the CBD penetrates the dermal and subdermal layers. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates mood, pain, appetite, pleasure, and other sensations in the human body.
Cannabinoids such as CBD and THC help activate the ECS by binding to cell receptors in the skin. This process could help modulate pain and inflammation.
There is also a growing body of scientific evidence to support this theory. A study published in Pain in 2017 involved giving CBD to rats with osteoarthritis. The researchers found that local CBD treatment helped to reduce the rate of acute joint inflammation.
A case report published in the Journal of Pain Management in 2017 looked at the use of medical cannabis in the treatment of malignant wounds. It found that topically applied CBD and THC could prove effective in pain and symptom management.
Research is ongoing. However, thus far, it seems to indicate that CBD has a genuine ability to module pain, inflammation, and the histamine response when used topically.
Now that you know the product's potential, how do you choose the best CBD cream?
Things to Analyze When Seeking the Best CBD Cream
Ultimately, you, the consumer, must take the necessary steps to gain the information you need. Arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible before making a purchasing decision. Here are a few questions to ask before parting with your cash:
- Where did the brand source the hemp from? Is the hemp organic?
- What extraction process did the company use to take the CBD from hemp? CO2 supercritical extraction is regarded as the best option. Many brands use ethanol extraction, but it could leave some residual solvent.
- What is the standard of the production facilities? Does the brand closely monitor the quality from seed to bottle? Does the company perform its own manufacturing or outsource it?
- What added ingredients are there in each CBD cream product? They may have to add preservatives to extend the shelf life of the product. However, they should include no nasty chemicals or toxins.
- Does the brand offer third-party lab reports with each batch of CBD cream?
- How strong is the CBD cream? By that, I mean, how much CBD is in every mg of the product?
- How well known is the brand?
- What do customer reviews say? Are there a lot of consumer comments or surprisingly few? It is essential that you know as much as possible about any given brand in an unregulated industry.
- Does the brand provide a full list of product ingredients to go along with its lab reports?
About the Author
Jeff Yauck is an entrepreneur who is also an expert in the CBD field. He has successfully established a few top brands in the CBD space, and is well known throughout the CBD industry for creating top quality products that work. He believes that there is still too much misinformation surrounding CBD and wants to set the record straight. This is why he spends much of his free time researching hemp and CBD and writing informative articles to help readers. Jeff contributes his knowledge throughout the industry and often appears as a guest writer on WayofLeaf.