Often overlooked, but deceptively effective, CBD topicals, like creams and balms, are a powerful and soothing way to deliver direct CBD relief to sore, inflamed, itchy, and dry parts of the body.
While famous CBD products, like CBD gummies, CBD tinctures, and CBD capsules, typically steal the limelight, topical CBD products are the best-kept secret of athletes, fitness enthusiasts, massage therapists, and home self-care aficionados. These CBD balms, lotions and ointments are efficient and quick in relieving muscle and joint soreness and stiffness, and in addressing problem skin.
So, what are all these CBD creams and CBD balms, and how do they work? How do you know which products to choose? You’ve come to the right place, because not only do we know the ins and outs of CBD, but we love CBD topicals.
How CBD Topicals Work
We’ll start with a super-quick rundown of what CBD is and how CBD works, because knowing this is important to understanding how CBD balms and creams work with your body. This is especially important when learning to shop for a topical of any sort, because CBD topicals interact with our bodies in a different way than products that we ingest, whether that’s by eating or drinking them, holding them under our tongues, or inhaling them.
Part 1: Understanding CBD Creams & CBD Balms: How Does CBD Work?
CBD is short for cannabidiol, which is a kind of molecular compound, called a cannabinoid, found in the cannabis plant. There are a multitude of different cannabinoids in cannabis in addition to CBD, including CBG, CBC, CBN, and, of course, THC.
It’s important to distinguish, when talking about CBD products such as creams and balms, that we are talking about CBD derived from the type of cannabis plant called hemp. The hemp plant (unlike marijuana) contains almost no THC (less than 0.3%, which is the legally allowed trace amount).
Unlike THC, other cannabinoids (CBD, CBG, etc.) don’t get you high. Instead, they work on their own and in concert with each other to impart a host of other therapeutic benefits. How?
CBD and other cannabinoids interact with our bodies through the endocannabinoid system. This system is closely integrated with our central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and systems that regulate sleep, mood, digestion, immune response, and more. Receptors in the endocannabinoid system interact with the cannabinoids we ingest, and pass along benefits to the system they’re integrated with.
Part 2: How CBD Topicals Work Differently From Other Products
When we ingest a CBD edible, our bodies must first digest and metabolize the CBD product before the CBD itself can take effect. When we hold a CBD tincture under our tongues, the sublingual membrane absorbs CBD and the other cannabinoids, and they enter the bloodstream much more quickly. When we inhale a CBD product, it enters the bloodstream very quickly through our lungs.
What about CBD balms and creams? What’s the difference between applying CBD to our skin versus ingesting CBD?
CBD Topicals and the Endocannabinoid System
The difference between applying CBD topically and ingesting it is pretty big. Discover Magazine recently published an article with the bold title of “Yes, CBD Creams Relieve Pain” where they discussed how CBD creams and CBD balms work. (Note that because scientific studies of CBD are promising but still ongoing, the FDA prohibits us from claiming that CBD treats any specific conditions or illnesses.)
The most interesting thing that the article pointed out is that CBD balms and creams actually skip the endocannabinoid receptors that ingested CBD interacts with and instead go directly to the neurotransmitter that “blocks signals for pain and itch by working through agents called anandamide and 2-AG.”
Anandamide and 2-AG are endocannabinoids produced by our bodies. In fact, they were key to the discovery of the endocannabinoid system.
In short, the first way a CBD balm or cream differs from other products is within the endocannabinoid system itself.
CBD Topicals and Our Skin
Secondly, it’s vital, when shopping for a CBD balm or cream, to remember that our skin is an organ and it’s a porous one. What does that mean when it comes to using CBD creams and balms?
Our skin absorbs a lot of stuff. That’s great when it comes to therapeutic ingredients, like CBD, that are absorbed by the skin and tissues to directly target problem areas. But, our skin also absorbs a lot of the other things in that product.
While some studies state that our skin absorbs up to 60–70% of what we put on it, those numbers are hard to really pin down. It’s a convenient blanket statement, but the truth is that it depends on exactly what things we’re talking about. Every chemical has a different rate of absorption, and our skin, while porous, is also brilliant at filtering what passes through it, both from the outside and the inside.
However, our skin definitely absorbs what we put on it. One study showed that skin can absorb an average of 64% of the contaminants found in drinking water.
Keeping skin absorption and ingredients in mind, you should:
- Shop for a product that is as pure as possible and clear of harmful chemicals.
- Look for additional beneficial ingredients that are natural pain relievers and anti-inflammatories.
Understanding CBD Topicals: CBD and the Entourage Effect
When multiple cannabinoids (including CBD) are used together, they actually work in harmony to achieve what’s known as the Entourage Effect, which is a synergistic effect where each element enhances both the overall effect and the individual effects of other elements. That is to say, when you take CBD with another cannabinoid, like CBG, each one works harder than if you had taken them separately. In short, when you take multiple cannabinoids together, you get more out of your CBD.
Two other common compounds that are abundant in cannabis also work in tandem with cannabinoids. They’re called terpenes and flavonoids. Terpenes are the compounds that give plants their scent, and flavonoids are compounds that give plants their color. Each of these compounds carries a cornucopia of healthful benefits on its own, and even more so when combined for synergy.
How to Find the Best CBD Creams, Balms & Topicals
CBD products are practically everywhere, from neighborhood dispensaries to the racks on the convenience store counter. How can you find the best CBD topicals?
Quality of CBD
A quality product always begins with quality ingredients, and this is absolutely true for CBD topicals and any CBD products.
Hemp is known as a phytoremediator. That means it’s incredibly good at removing toxins, like heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals, from the soil it grows in, restoring that soil to health. Those chemicals are then stored in the plant itself.
That’s why you want to make sure the CBD you use comes from organic, pesticide-free, non-GMO farms. You also want to make sure the CBD in your cream or balm was extracted from the hemp plant using CO2 extraction. The CO2 extraction method doesn’t leave behind potentially harmful residues in the CBD like some solvents do.
The next quality indicator to look for in your CBD topical is the presence of a lab report from a third-party analysis. This will tell you exactly what is and isn’t in your product, including the presence of any pesticides or toxins that you do not want your skin to absorb.
CBD Topicals: Broad Spectrum CBD and Other Types of CBD Oil
Once you know your CBD cream, balm, ointment or lotion comes from a quality source, you want to know what kind of CBD you’re ingesting. There are three types of CBD oil commonly used in CBD products: full spectrum CBD, broad spectrum CBD, and CBD isolate.
Full spectrum CBD contains all the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids present in the hemp plant, including legally allowed trace amounts (0.3%) of THC.
Broad spectrum CBD filters out the remaining amounts of THC, leaving you with a robust mix of non-psychoactive cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. This is the type of CBD we use in our creams and balms.
CBD isolate filters all remaining plant compounds out of the oil except for the CBD itself. This means CBD products made with isolate CBD are incapable of giving the user the Entourage Effect. We use this form in our CBD Bath Bombs, in order to allow the scents of the other ingredients, in particular, to be the star of the show.
Both full spectrum CBD and broad spectrum CBD products are capable of achieving the Entourage Effect. But for those who want to avoid ingesting any THC, broad spectrum CBD is the way to go. We use broad spectrum CBD in our creams and balms.
The Purpose of Your CBD Topical and Additional Ingredients
Finally, you want to know if the CBD balm or cream you’re enjoying is formulated for a specific purpose, and what other active ingredients the product might contain.
People choose CBD skin balm and cream for a few very specific reasons, namely to relieve muscle and joint soreness and stiffness or to soothe dry or irritated skin.
These products are typically made with additional ingredients to boost CBD’s effects and add their own unique touch. Cream or balm designed to address pain will usually include extra ingredients, like white willow bark, while CBD products for dry or problem skin will also include shea butter, tea tree oil, and popular natural skin relief ingredients.
CBD Products: Our Favorite CBD Creams, Balms & More
Okay! Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get to the fun stuff! What are some of our favorite CBD products designed for topical relief?
We’re going to look at CBDfx products, because we know the CBD comes from organic farms and all CBDfx CBD products are accompanied by lab reports. Also, we use them and trust them.
Note that all of our creams and balms are made with broad spectrum CBD.
CBD Muscle & Joint Cream
This fantastic cooling formula topical is perfect for a soothing and rejuvenating massage. Formulated with CBD as well as white willow bark, caffeine and menthol, this CBD cream attacks pain and stiffness with natural anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving power. It’s available in 500mg, 1,000mg and 3,000mg CBD concentrations, giving you a choice of regular, extra and ultra strength attack plans for those sore spots.
CBD Muscle & Joint Balm Stick
This handy balm stick is a great addition to the gym bag and an ideal way to target sore muscles and joints with the cooling-then-warming power of menthol, camphor oil, wintergreen, peppermint and black pepper oil, as well as a healthy dose of powerfully therapeutic CBD. Our Muscle & Joint CBD Balm Stick is available in 750mg and 3,000mg CBD concentrations.
CBD Calming & Moisturizing Balm Stick
When it comes to dry and irritated skin, this balm stick delivers a robust soothing formula of CBD, shea butter, Roman chamomile oil, and active botanicals, like lavender, chamomile and tea tree oil. This luxurious balm soothes the skin and calms your senses like a massage and aromatherapy session in one! Our Calming & Moisturizing CBD Balm Stick is also available in 750mg and 3,000mg CBD concentrations.
For Your Pet! Calming and Moisturizing Pet CBD Balm
One very cool CBD fact is that all mammals have an endocannabinoid system. That includes our dogs! This CBD Balm for Pets is made with CBD, odorless Alaskan salmon oil, shea butter, and pet-safe essential oils to help those cracked paw pads and noses, as well as itchy, irritated skin.
CBD Bath Bombs
While not a topical that you apply directly to the skin, CBD bath bombs are fun topical-adjacent product made with CBD isolate and select ingredients to enhance your home self-care, whether you’re looking to chill out or recharge.
How to Buy CBD Cream & CBD Skin Balm: The Final Word
We hope this guide helps you better understand how CBD topical products work and what to look for in a quality CBD cream, balm, or any other topical. Always look for provable purity in a lab report, and make sure you enjoy the process — working with a CBD topical is essentially an excuse for a massage.
Looking for the ideal multi-purpose CBD topical? Try our CBD Muscle & Joint Cream!
