What to Look for in CBD Oil?

Since CBD became legal in the UK, it has enjoyed massive success. There are numerous CBD brands in the market and new CBD products sprouting every year. Although this is good for CBD and CBD lovers, it has presented unique challenges, among them substandard CBD products that don't work as advertised or are tainted with artificial ingredients.

As the CBD market expands, it's becoming harder for CBD buyers to find quality CBD products unless they know what to look for. Here are some of the things you should look out for in the best CBD oil.

The Source of CBD Oil

The very first thing you should check when buying CBD oil is the origin of the plants used to make the products. Although most CBD products trace their source back to hemp plants, there are different types of hemp plants, and only a handful have been approved for the production of hemp products.

Ensure you buy CBD products whose source trace back to approved hemp varieties and farmers who are licensed to grow industrial hemp in Europe. You can find most of this information on the brand’s website.

You can also check the label on the product because some CBD companies include the source of the hemp on the packaging. If the information is not available, call the manufacturer to enquire.

The processing method

There are various methods of extracting CBD. Not all of them yield the same results, and some are questionable. Most cheap CBD products don't use the best extraction methods. The CBD is often laced with toxic solvents that have adverse side effects on your health.

The best CBD brands use tried and proven CBD extraction methods like whole plant infusion and CO2 extraction. These methods preserve the purity of CBD without the risk of consuming any harsh chemicals.

These methods also retain all the plant's terpenes, flavonoids, and other cannabinoids, perfect for CBD lovers who want to enjoy the full spectrum of broad-spectrum CBD products.

The MG count

One of the biggest mistakes CBD lovers make when buying CBD oil is going for quantity. Buying a lot of CBD oil with low CBD concentration doesn't get the job done. The CBD is highly diluted and what you're getting is a lot of carrier oil and very little CBD oil.

It is better to invest in a 30ml tincture that has 900mgs of CBD. The high CBD concentrations mean you only need to take a little CBD oil to experience the full effects. Lower CBD concentrations require that you take more of the products without the guarantee of experiencing the right results.

The ingredients

You will be surprised by what you can learn from the ingredients list on your CBD products. You just need to know what to look for.

Most low-quality CBD products don’t have an ingredients list. Good CBD oil brands only have the CBD extract and carrier oil. Preservatives are not necessary. Some brands might add other ingredients like turmeric to add specific benefits to the tincture.

If you come across CBD products with hard to pronounce, chemical-sounding names on the ingredients list, it's a good sign that you should move on to another brand.

You should also check the carrier oil used. MCT and hemp seed oils are the best options. If the ingredients list contains propylene glycol as a career oil, it’s best to avoid that and opt for ones that have more health benefits and work better as carrier oils.

Look for lab results

Almost all reputable CBD brands have third-party lab results for their CBD products. If you can't find the lab results of particular CBD products, it's best to stay away from the product and the brand altogether. 

Some of the lab reports will vary in terms of accuracy but only slightly. Regardless, you can only trust reports that come from independent third-party labs.

A comprehensive lab report should also provide information on the terpenes present in a CBD product. The report should also highlight other ingredients in the product and the concentration of each of the products. Although the lab report is not available in every product, most brands will have the lab reports on their websites makes them easier to access before you purchase the product.

Consistency

Quality CBD oil should have a consistency similar to that of olive oil. If the CBD tincture you have has a thicker consistency, it’s a sign that it has thickeners or other dangerous artificial additives.

CBD should have a gel-like syrup consistency whatsoever. You can check for reviews of the product online to determine its consistency.  If you're suspicious of the consistency of the product, it best to get in touch with the manufacturer directly for answers.

Shelf life

The shelf life of CBD products depends on the quality of the ingredients used to make the products. On average, CBD has a shelf life of about a year under ideal conditions.

Adding unnecessary flavours or fillers reduces the shelf life, particularly with tinctures. With CBD, natural ingredients and simple bases work best.

You can also reduce the shelf life of CBD by putting it in the wrong bottle and packaging. This is why leading CBD brands pay keen attention to the packaging of their products.

Calculate the price per milligram

It’s not just the poor-quality CBD brands that are looking to short-change you. Some top brands are also capitalising on the demand for quality CBD products to overprice their products.

Regardless, the price is another factor you should check when buying CBD oil. Low prices indicate the product might not be of the best quality.

You can also calculate the cost per milligram of the CBD to determine if you’re getting your money’s worth.

Read customer reviews

Finding customer reviews on CBD products and brands isn't difficult. A quick search online can yield mountains of helpful information. Reviews allow you to know the previous experience customers had with the brand you're thinking of purchasing. If there are too many negative reviews, it's best to leave that brand and consider another option.

Final Thoughts

The diversity of CBD products and brands in the market is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's an opportunity for CBD lovers to use from a vast range of CBD products. On the other hand, some brands are using diversity to sell sub-standard CBD products or overcharge for quality CBD products. Using this checklist, you know what to look for in CBD before making the purchase.