Most users of CBD products feel chronic muscle pain. Whether it be aches in the shoulders from working all day in front of a computer or calf muscles from walking, hemp brands are producing CBD lotion products to target these very customers.
Customers simply have to take a cursory look through their local dispensary’s shelves to know that there are several dozen kinds of muscle pain lotions available. What makes CBD lotion different from topical pain and inflammation products?
CBD Lotion vs CBD Salve
Users that search for topical cannabidiol products will encounter two main different kinds: CBD lotions and CBD salves. Although both these hemp products have possible pain-relieving components, they are not exactly the same.
Brands create lotions by blending oil, water, and an emulsifying wax together. Within this mixture, the concentration of water is higher than that of oil. On average, most lotions have a ratio of 70% water, 20% oil, and 10% emulsifying agent.
The high water content in lotions means that these products have a shorter shelf life. Companies sometimes add preservatives to lengthen their product’s shelf life or opt to use aloe vera as their main base.
By contrast, salves do not contain any water. Brands create salves through a combination of oil and a wax element, like beeswax. The first step is to melt the beeswax is with the oil. Next, the wax and oil mixture is cooled to allow it to solidify. When the substance forms completely, the salve is ready for sale.
The lack of water in salves means that they have a longer shelf life even without any preservatives added. Some brands use a high percentage of beeswax in their salve formations to act as a kind of preservative.
Which product is better?
Both lotions and salves carry the effects of CBD. Comparing these two products can be done only if the customer’s preference is taken into account.
Lotions have a looser consistency that allows for an easier spread. This may be preferable if the areas that users need to apply the cannabidiol lotion on are large. However, cannabinoids generally bind together better in oil than water so the cannabidiol concentration in this type of product is usually low.
Salves have a thicker consistency that often requires body heat or friction to heat before spreading on the body. However, the high fat content in salves means that the cannabinoids within the product are strongly bound together.
Does CBD Lotion Work
Like all wellness products, the effectiveness of the product is subjective. However, the chances of the positive side effects increase when a customer chooses to use a high-quality product.
Trusted retailers make their hemp lotions by blending hemp extract with other therapeutic herbs to benefit the skin. Ingredients like peppermint oil and coconut oil that boost moisture and prevent bacteria from forming organic and beneficial.
How the cannabidiol within hemp lotion functions is not a complicated process. As a compound, CBD’s effects have mostly been studied in connection with the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
Including the skin, ECS receptors can be found throughout the body. When the ECS was first discovered, it was thought that these receptors could be found only at certain places in the body. However, recent research has debunked this statement.
The pores in the skin absorb the cannabidiol extract in lotions. Once the compound has been absorbed, it can then interact with the receptors likewise located in the skin. Studies have found that cannabidiol’s peripheral interaction with ECS receptors may lead users to feel a decrease in inflammatory pain.
CBD Lotion Benefits
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a unique compound in a sense that it works best with organic ingredients.
Full-spectrum CBD lotions contain all the compounds of the cannabis plant, including THC. This combination activates the entourage effect within the product and brings out cannabidiol’s best qualities. The trace amounts of THC in the product will not cause psychoactive effects.
For customers that still want to benefit from the entourage effect, broad-spectrum lotions also contain other components of the hemp plant but have excluded THC. Even without the presence of THC, the entourage effect will still be activated as other hemp compounds are present. Customers who are sensitive to the compound can still enjoy the benefits of CBD.
As cannabidiol lotions are mostly made up of organic ingredients, this type of lotion is a great alternative to harmful, chemically-filled over-the-counter lotions. Many of the chemicals found in common cosmetic products can cause deteriorating effects on the skin.
One of the most common ingredients listed in lotions and creams are parabens. This compound prevents bacteria and fungus from growing within cosmetic bottles. However, studies have linked parabens with hormone disruption and breast cancer.
Another example of a common but harmful ingredient in cosmetic products is butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). This is a food preservative and stabilizer that is also commonly found in cosmetic products. The National Toxicology Program has labeled this substance as a possible human carcinogen.
CBD Lotion for Pain
The most common use for cannabidiol is to address issues of chronic pain.
The most commonly quoted study with regards to CBD and pain is an article from the 2016 edition of the Journal of Pain. Scientists applied cannabidiol cream on rats with arthritis to see if this would yield any promising results. The study found that continued use of cannabidiol led to a reduction of pain.
Cannabidiol may not only be effective with users who have arthritis. Customers with regular pain in the muscles and joints can also benefit from this product as these aches are also the result of inflammation.
However, Dr. Ricardo Colberg of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center has advised that topical hemp creams only treat anatomical structures within 1cm of the skin. If users are experiencing pain stemming from their muscles and joints, a more penetrative approach is necessary. Cannabidiol lotions may only serve as a kind of bandaid to the issue rather than as actual medicine.
It is important, then, for customers to use cannabidiol alongside prescribed medication from their doctors and as advised by their doctors.
Best CBD Lotion
To avoid the risk of causing any painful skin conditions, customers should aim to purchase hemp products that are formulated with mainly only organic ingredients. Harmful and artificial chemicals can lead to a slew of diseases if left on the skin for long durations of time.
Since the boom of the hemp industry, trying to find only the best products within the market has been an uphill battle for most users. There are oceans of brands and products that all tout claims of their being the “best.” It can be very confusing to navigate this crowded community.
Currently, the only FDA-approved cannabidiol product is a drug to combat childhood epilepsy. As such, the lack of regulation from the FDA has led to a persistent problem of mislabeling and cross-contamination in hemp products.
The responsibility of choosing only well-produced products lies largely on the shoulders of customers. It is worth reminding customers thinking of purchasing their CBD products that the buying from brands that pay attention to every detail of the manufacturing process is the smart choice.
Is CBD Legal? Hemp-derived CBD products (with less than 0.3 percent THC) are legal on the federal level. Moreover, these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease and products that have not been FDA approved. Likewise, you must be at least 21 years old to purchase these products. Talk to your physician or medical doctor for additional information.