You must make an informed decision when buying CBD topicals. The best way to buy the right product every time is by having a list of things to look out for. The following are some general factors to consider when making the purchase.
- Potency: – this refers to the amount of CBD available in the CBD topicals you want to buy. Having high cannabinoid content in the topical product makes it more likely to be effective for pain relief and other related purposes. The skin, which is the barrier that topicals have to penetrate to get to the endocannabinoid system, is probably the least porous media through which CBD has to pass to be useful.
This means that bioavailability is much lower in topicals than in other formulations. As a result, topicals should have a much higher CBD content than other formulations of CBD products to be effective in the management of arthritis and other diseases. This is why you will rarely find a topical product with less than 200 mg CBD. Concentrations may go up to 3000mg. - Cannabinoids in the product: – Hemp products usually come in different forms. Some of them are isolates. Others are broad-spectrum, while still others are full-spectrum products. Hemp contains CBD and many other cannabinoids alongside organic compounds such as terpenes the quantity and variety of cannabinoids available in the product can make it a more or less effective pain reliever.
If your CBD topical is made from isolates, all other cannabinoids have been stripped away, and only CBD remains. This option is mostly preferred by people who have to go through drug tests from time to time. Removal of all other cannabinoids ensures there is virtually no chance of THC appearing in your drug test sample. When broad-spectrum hemp extract is used in a topical, it contains all cannabinoids found in the hemp plant except for THC. This gives you the benefit of the entourage effect and reduces the possibility of you returning a positive drug test. Your topical can also be made from a full-spectrum hemp extract which contains all cannabinoids. A full spectrum product may be advantageous as THC has some pain relieving attributes and it can therefore enhance the effectiveness of a product in this regard.
The hemp extract is used in the formulation of the product as it is extracted from the plant. It has terpenes, all the cannabinoids, chlorophyll, and everything else. The best CBD products are usually full-spectrum. A full-spectrum product may expose you to the possibility of returning a false positive in a drug test, but it has immense benefits. The benefits come from the ‘entourage effect’ and also the combination of CBD and THC, which often yields excellent results. You ought to consider this information and make a decision on what to buy depending on your needs.
- Quality Control Measures: – Quality control is a challenge that cuts across the CBD industry. This is because there are no laws on the regulation of CBD products. In this environment, industry players have to put in place measures to assure customers of the quality of the products. One way you can be assured that the product you buy is among the best CBD creams is by ensuring it was made from organically grown hemp.
Hemp is a bio-accumulator. This means that it absorbs toxins from the soil, and the toxins end up finding their way into the plant and ultimately to the product. The vast majority of toxins, in this case, are those that come from agro-chemicals, and this is why organically pundits prefer organic farming.
Organic farming standards aren’t strictly enforced in many jurisdictions. This means you can have a product that is said to be organically grown but still contain some toxins. The U.S is the one jurisdiction where governments strictly enforce organic farming standards and THC content thus, the best CBD topicals are made from American hemp. As much as possible, therefore, you should buy brands manufactured from American hemp.
After extraction, manufacturers who would like to be transparent take their products for independent testing by reputable labs. The findings should be made available to customers, and this enables them to see the THC content in the as well as other cannabinoids. You should go for a product that has been tested by a third-party lab and the results made available on demand.
- Additional Ingredients: – Manufacturers usually fortify CBD topicals with other ingredients besides hemp extract. Additional components may be intended to enhance the product’s ability to condition the skin, provide relieve the ailing parts such as joints, of pain etc. There are still other ingredients that manufacturers may add to make the skin better able to absorb the CBD and other beneficial compounds from the topical. Look out for products with helpful additional compounds. You should also ensure that, as much as possible, product ingredients are natural.
