CBD Cream

CBD is a natural compound in cannabis plants, except that it’s slightly different from THC. CBD is not a psychoactive compound as THC is, and that’s why CBD is the best choice for various therapeutic effects in the body.

This explains its increased popularity in recent years, no wonder the different product categories contain CBD oil as the main ingredient. One of these products is CBD cream, which has been used for years as a moisturiser, although many people believe it is an anti-ageing cream.

Being a non-invasive natural option, CBD cream has many other benefits, most of which need more research to verify them. However, there’s a lot more to learn about CBD cream. Read on to learn about its composition, how different it is from other creams, how to use it and much other important information about the product.

What is CBD cream?

CBD cream is a topical formulated skincare product that contains cannabidiol (CBD) as its main ingredient. The cream is manufactured by blending proper ratios of CBD oil with a base cream that contains other ingredients such as carrier oils, emulsifiers, and preservatives.

However, the ingredients used in every CBD cream depend on the manufacturer. This means the manufacturers can infuse many more ingredients with CBD cream based on their aim for the product. You’ll, however, note that most of them are formulated to be non-greasy, easily absorbed creams that achieve the different target functions on the skin.

Some common ingredients you are most likely to find in CBD cream include carrier oils such as shea butter, jojoba, or coconut oil that help moisturise the skin and increase the absorption rate of CBD cream to the skin.

Other ingredients are emulsifiers, such as beeswax and lecithin, that help ensure that oil and water-based ingredients blend seamlessly. You will also notice CBD cream contains preservatives such as grapefruit seeds or vitamin E that help prolong the product's shelf life.

CBD cream also comes with other essential oils that are significant for their soothing properties. These oils include chamomile and lavender, among many others. Although, generally, CBD cream varies, you can also find it in various CBD concentrates that all depend on the different uses for the product.

How different is CBD cream from other creams?

There are many topical creams for your skin on the market today, but all these have huge differences from CBD creams. Here are some essential differences that draw the line between any cream and a CBD cream:

Main active ingredient

The primary active ingredient in CBD cream is the cannabidiol compound derived from cannabis plants. However, other topical creams may contain different primary ingredients. For example, it could be salicylic acid for acne prevention, benzoyl peroxide to curb inflammation or retinoids for anti-ageing. Comparing CBD compounds with these ingredients, the CBD in the scream acts like a one-in-all for multiple benefits.

Operation mechanism

Once absorbed into the skin, CBD creams interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which regulates various body functions. This is why CBD creams can achieve several potential benefits at once. Other creams, however, work on specific issues; they either reduce oil production in the skin or exfoliate dead skin cells.

Non-psychoactive effects

The CBD cream doesn’t contain THC compound, a psychoactive element from cannabis plants. However, non-CBD creams may feature any artificial active ingredients that can contain psychoactive effects, such as opioids.

How to use CBD cream?

CBD cream manufacturers often have different preferences for how to apply the cream. Some will always attach a guide for applying CBD cream to the product's packaging. However, in case your choice of CBD cream has no labelled instructions, here is a general guide you may want to follow:

Clean and remove oil from your face

First, wipe off any oils or makeup and then rinse your skin with warm water. You should use a gentle cleanser that can help clean off oily layers.

Patch test the cream

Test the CBD cream on a small area of your face to confirm you have no allergies. Once applied, you need to check your skin for possible reactions within 24 hours. You can then apply the cream after that if you experience no effects.

Apply the cream

Apply a small amount of the cream on your skin and gently massage it in a circular motion ensuring every desired part of the skin is in contact with it.

Allow some little time for the skin to absorb the cream, then gently rub the applied for the skin to absorb the cream fully.

Reapply the cream as needed

This depends on your reasons for using the cream. For example, some people may need to use the cream more than once daily based on their expected results. First, however, you must ensure that the cream doesn’t contact any wounds or sensitive areas, such as the eyes, where it may irritate during your application.

Advisably, it is best to speak to a healthcare provider before applying the cream.  This will get you checked for any conditions that may react with the cream and delay its effectiveness or bring about any side effects.

How to choose the right CBD cream?

With the different CBD cream manufacturers in the market today, here are some key points you need to consider when choosing the best CBD cream.

Look for quality

The best quality CBD cream is one that’s sourced from pure CBD extract. And the cannabis plant needs to have been grown organically with every necessary, safe method. But the only way you can tell this is to look for third-party test results from an independent laboratory.

This testing is a compulsory process demanded by the regulatory board, so it should be somewhere labelled on the product or on the manufacturers' website. Otherwise, CBD cream is not worth your value without it.

CBD concentration

Depending on your expected results, you need to think about the right CBD concentration. At this point, consulting a medical practitioner helps, more so if it’s your first time handling CBD products. Without a guide from a caregiver, you may need to buy smaller quantities of the cream and experiment for your expected results.

If it works as you wish, you can then get a considerable quantity of CBD cream for you.

Check through the ingredients list

There are different categories of CBD creams based on the ingredients used in their manufacturing. Some of these ingredients may be allergic to your skin, while others may be nourishing or have no effect.

So you need to check through the ingredients list and ensure you are comfortable with each ingredient listed on the product. Remember, you will also be looking for harmful ingredients free from artificial preservatives, harmful chemicals, and synthetic fragrances.

Think about the purpose for the CBD cream

What do you need? You must know every CBD cream is formulated for a specific condition. There are those meant for dry skin, sensitive skin, and oily skin. You should be ready to identify what’s best for your purpose.

Read through the customer reviews

The only way you can tell the difference between specific CBD cream manufacturers is to check out their reputation. This is evident in what past customers have to say about the product. You can filter the reviews to those that match specific conditions similar to yours; this way, you can be more sure of what you are settling for when buying CBD cream.

Compare prices

CBD cream manufacturers often price their formulations differently depending on the costs they incur from extraction to the lab tests for the product. This means before settling for any choice, you need to compare the prices of different brands and decide on what’s best for you.

Advisably it wouldn’t be good to settle for the lowest price automatically; instead, you may want to look into why a manufacturer would price their products relatively higher than the rest in the market. So, it is all about comparing the prices and the respective features.

Possible Side effects and precautions of CBD cream

CBD cream is generally a safe formulation for most people. However, you must be aware of different side effects that you can be exposed to.

These include:

Skin irritation

Some people may experience skin irritation resulting from the cream's allergic ingredients. This is why you must do a test patch and allow some time to see any possible reaction before using the cream entirely on your skin.

However, skin irritation is not a common side effect for everyone using CBD cream. This is because there are different reasons for this. Firstly, it could be because you chose a poor-quality or too-concentrated CBD cream.

It could also result from your application method or a possible underlying problem with your skin. Either way, you need to check and ensure none of these issues bring up skin irritation when using CBD cream.

Medicine reactions

The CBD compound in the cream may react with certain medications, delaying their effectiveness or exposing you to danger. This is why consulting with a medical practitioner helps counter-check for any possible reactions before you start using the cream.

Most commonly, the cream is likely to react with other medicine administered as topical or any drug metabolised in the liver.

Positive drug test

Some CBD creams could contain traces of THC that may make you fail a drug test. If this is an area of concern, you need to check for products labelled as THC-free. You also have to consider the fact that some products may be mislabeled.

This means you may have to contact the manufacturer and confirm that the cream is free from THC. This also means you need to talk to the drug test administrator in advance and let them know you are using this product. However, this, too, is possible to avoid if guided by a medical provider.

A key precaution of using CBD cream is that it is not best for pregnant ladies or breastfeeding women. However, there is limited research on this issue, but pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid CBD products altogether.

There is some concern that it could negatively affect the growing foetus or infant. This is if it gets to your bloodstream and crosses the placenta into the fetus or the infant suckles it from your breast milk.

There may be many other possible side effects not mentioned here, because CBD cream reacts differently on different users. So, this calls for utmost care when managing the cream.

To avoid any possible dangers, a doctor can best advise you on what to do in this case. CBD affects the brain of the fetus or infant's growth and probably results in long-term behavioural changes. With a doctor’s advice, you may know how best to administer the cream or get a non-reactive alternative.

Dosage recommendations for CBD cream

The correct dosage for CBD cream varies depending on the user and many other factors. For example, it could be the age, purpose of the cream, CBD concentration and many other things. So if you are unsure how to go about this, you should start with a low dosage and increase gradually once you are sure of the results.

In conclusion, CBD cream has various benefits, from moisturising and anti-ageing benefits to its non–addictive feature. The non-addictive benefit is that CBD compound is not psychoactive because it has no THC. So you can use CBD cream for an extended period without feeling high or experiencing any side effects.

However, you must be cautious about where you source your CBD cream since this determines the quality of the product you get as well as its effectiveness. Always put in mind, that CBD products are said to have a number of benefits that are yet to be confirmed. So you want to be careful and cautious when using CBD cream. This will help you achieve your goals for the cream while also avoiding any possible side effects.