The CBD golden age is in full swing, and there are more CBD products on the market than you could try in a lifetime. CBD oil tinctures are perhaps the most well-known and most popular CBD products, but how do you choose from the multitude of CBD tinctures flooding the market?
We’re going to take a look at how to shop for CBD tincture products, including what they are, how they work, and what to look for in a quality tincture product. And we’ll start with what may be your most pressing question: What the heck is a CBD oil tincture?
What Is a CBD Oil Tincture?
The word “tincture” conjures up images of old-timey apothecaries and traveling medicine shows, hawking little brown bottles of mysterious medicines. For our purposes, a tincture is simply an herbal extract in a solution.
Often, tinctures are made by soaking an herb or plant in alcohol, vinegar, or oil to extract the medicinal properties of the herb. At CBDfx, our tinctures are made a little differently.
We use CBD oil, extracted from the cannabis hemp plant through CO2 extraction, which doesn’t leave behind potentially harmful residues in the CBD like some solvents do. We then mix this with coconut-derived MCT oil to improve absorption and bioavailability — so you can enjoy quicker and potentially stronger CBD effects from your hemp oil.
How CBD Tinctures Work
Part 1: What Is CBD and How Does Cannabis Hemp Oil 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.
When we talk about CBD oil tinctures, it’s important to note 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, CBD and the other cannabis compounds work on their own and in concert with each other to impart a host of other therapeutic benefits. How?
Part 2: How Does an Oil Tincture Made With CBD Oil Work?
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, bypassing the liver and digestive system.
In comparison, CBD edibles, like cookies, require longer to take effect because they have to be digested first. Inhaled CBD products hit the bloodstream almost immediately, but their effects also don’t last as long as those of a CBD oil tincture or edible.
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.
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 (as with full-spectrum CBD tincture), 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 Oil Tinctures
Look for Quality CBD Tincture Ingredients
A quality product always begins with quality ingredients, and this is absolutely true for CBD oil tinctures.
Cannabis 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. Where do those chemicals end up? In the plant.
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 oil in your CBD oil tincture was extracted from the hemp plant using the clean CO2 extraction we mentioned above.
The next quality indicator to look for in your CBD oil tincture is the presence of a lab report from a third-party analysis. This will tell you exactly what is and isn’t in your oil product.
Also, look for additional ingredients included in the CBD tincture formula to address specific needs. For instance, a CBD tincture for sleep will often include melatonin, chamomile, and other rest-enhancing cannabinoids. Similarly, CBD oil tinctures designed to support wellness will include superfoods, like turmeric.
Be sure to do your homework on additional ingredients, so you get the most out of your CBD oil.
Full Spectrum CBD and Other CBD Oils
Once you know your CBD oil tincture 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 is oil that contains all the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids present in the hemp plant, including legally allowed trace amounts (0.3%) of THC.
Broad spectrum CBD is oil that filters out the remaining amounts of THC, leaving your oil with a robust mix of non-psychoactive cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.
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.
At CBDfx, we use full spectrum CBD oil and broad spectrum oil in our CBD tinctures. Both full spectrum CBD and broad spectrum CBD products are capable of achieving the Entourage Effect.
CBD Products: Our Favorite CBD Oil Tinctures
Okay! Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get to the shopping guide! What are some of our favorite CBD oil tinctures?
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 (and based on all the positive reviews, other people do too!).
A High Potency CBD Tincture for Wellness: CBD + CBG Oil Wellness Tincture
We love this product so much that we dedicated a whole blog post to it. The 2:1 ratio of broad spectrum CBD and CBG is formulated specifically for a synergistic effect that people describe as focusing and energizing. We also incorporate wellness boosters curcumin (found in turmeric) and coenzyme Q10 for powerful and natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Chill With a Full-Spectrum CBD Tincture: CBD + CBN Oil Calming Tincture
The combination of CBD and CBN (aka, “ultimate relaxation cannabinoid”) is widely loved for its rest-enhancing properties. We make the most of it in this CBD tincture, and support it more with a proprietary terpene complex formulated to induce deep calm. This high potency CBD tincture is available in a wide range of strengths, from 500mg to 6000mg of full spectrum CBD. Many of us here at CBDfx swear by this tincture oil when we need to chill.
A Powerful and Effective Sleep CBD Tincture: CBD Oil Sleep Tincture
This is the ultimate CBD oil tincture for sleep. We make our sleep CBD tincture with full spectrum CBD, CBN, and our special blend of sleep terpenes, and then we boost it further with our favorite natural sleep supplement — melatonin. This powerful tincture is available in three strengths: regular strength (1000mg of CBD and 150mg of CBN), extra strength (2000mg CBD, 300mg CBN) and maximum strength (4000mg CBD, 600mg CBN).
The Last Word on CBD Oil Tinctures
We hope the world of CBD oil tinctures is a little easier to navigate now. Once you know what to look for and understand how CBD works, the rest is simple! Try some of the CBD oil tinctures we’ve recommended here and see what oil works best for you. And any time you’re on the lookout for a new CBD product (CBD oils or otherwise), swing by our blog for the latest in CBD products and knowledge!
Looking for a deeply relaxing CBD experience? Try our CBD + CBN Oil Calming Tincture today!
