Topical CBD products have become incredibly popular over the past few years. CBD creams, balms, and bath products deliver a number of benefits, including pain relief, skin care, and gentle relaxation. In this article, we’ll look at two of the most popular forms of CBD topicals: CBD creams and CBD balms. We’ll explore the differences between these types of products, as well as their many benefits. And we’ll learn how to shop for the best CBD topicals, so you won’t waste your money.
Let’s get started!
CBD Topical Cream vs. CBD Balm: What’s the Difference?
Before we proceed any further, we’ll need to cover one key point: What’s the difference between CBD hemp cream and CBD balm? Both product formulations have their advantages and disadvantages, and learning the differences between these options will help you find out which CBD topical is right for you.
CBD Creams
In most topical industry contexts, a “cream” is a topical that’s made with a water base. Using water as a base for a topical has a number of advantages: Water-based topicals absorb better into the skin, meaning they can take advantage of transdermal absorption, which is a mainstream application method for active ingredients, including CBD and other substances.
Topicals that have been formulated with water bases absorb into your skin rapidly, which may or may not be what you’re looking for, depending on your circumstances. Rapid absorption times ensure that you won’t end up with any residue on your skin, but if your goal is to have a CBD product that remains on your skin’s surface for a longer period of time, you’ll want to choose an oil-based CBD topical, such as a balm, instead.
We carry two popular CBC creams:
- CBD Muscle and Joint Cream: Cooling Formula (500–3000mg): As the original water-based CBDfx topical, our CBD muscle cream shines as the crown jewel of our topical lineup. With simple ingredients and strengths up to 3000mg CBD per bottle, this topical goes on smoothly and leaves only a light, refreshingly minty scent behind.
- CBD Muscle and Joint Cream: Heating Formula (500–3000mg) adds camphor to the mix, to warm and loosen sore or tight muscles. This powerful cream is perfect for pre-workout stretches and post-workout aches and pains.
CBD Balms
Typically, “balm” is used to describe topicals that are oil-based, and CBDfx balms are no different. Oil-based topicals offer a variety of unique advantages, because these types of topical products don’t necessarily absorb into your skin so much as they stay on the surface of your dermis and leave behind a protective barrier on your skin.
In the winter, for instance, balms can protect your skin from getting dry and chapped while water-based topicals won’t offer this advantage. Plus, smoothing a dab of balm onto your skin just feels good. There’s nothing more relaxing than applying your favourite balm before bed or after a workout.
- CBD Balm Stick for Muscle and Joint (750mg): We designed this CBD balm specifically with physical recovery in mind. Whether you just spent all day helping your friend move, or yesterday’s bike ride is still taking a toll, count on ingredients like camphor, wintergreen and peppermint oils—plus pure broad spectrum CBD—to get you through.
What Are the Best CBD Lotions?
With increased competition comes increased variety, and since the CBD industry is still largely unregulated, you could end up choosing a bad CBD topical if you aren’t careful. If you check for a few simple criteria as you make a purchase, however, you’ll find that picking out the best CBD cream or balm is easier than you think:
1. Check for Lab Testing
All reputable companies test their consumer products for safety. Third-party laboratory testing helps consumers know they’re choosing safe products, and testing also helps regulators ensure that companies are toeing the line and creating their products in good faith.
Reputable, third-party lab testing is especially important in the CBD industry for one crucial reason: verifying the CBD concentration in the final product. Some bad actors within the CBD producer community have been caught selling CBD products that only contain a fraction of the CBD listed on the ingredients label, and others have been busted for selling “cannabidiol” products that don’t contain any CBD whatsoever.
Especially when it comes to topicals, lab tests of the final product are necessary to make sure you get what you’re paying for. Go ahead and take a moment to check out our lab reports; you’ll find that here at CBDfx, we always meet the standards that we set out for ourselves.
2. Study the Ingredients
Topicals often contain more ingredients than other types of CBD products to help facilitate absorption and increase shelf life.
For many people wanting to buy CBD topicals, their main complaint is discomfort. Some toxic ingredients commonly used in low-quality topicals actually make certain discomforts worse, which completely flies in the face of what many users are trying to accomplish. We guarantee that our products only contain natural ingredients, formulated for maximum positive results. As you review the ingredients present in our CBD topicals, please feel free to give us a shout if you have any questions about how they might affect you.
3. Take a Look at the Reviews
As with any other type of product, CBD customer reviews are a mixed bag. Too many people write reviews based on first impressions that rapidly fade, and an equal number of misguided folks complain about products without understanding how to use them. When taken as an aggregate, however, customer reviews can be helpful in ways that extend beyond their mere star ratings.
As you check out available reviews for CBD products, keep the following two factors in mind:
- Are there any repeated complaints? It’s easy to discount a single negative customer review as biased or uninformed. If you see the same complaint over and over again, however, it’s possible that there’s a serious issue with the product that you shouldn’t overlook.
- Are there any common points of praise? No matter what a company says about its products, you can ferret out the truth by poring over enough customer reviews. If you look hard enough, you might even find some high points of the product that the marketing copy didn’t express properly.
4. Learn About the Brand’s Reputation
It’s no stretch to say that the CBD industry is currently inundated with new brands. As CBD becomes ever-more popular, it’s too easy for people who don’t have your best interests in mind to get into the industry.
Established companies, however, have had to fight tooth and nail for years to get to their current positions of prominence. Unlike no-name CBD brands that just sprang up last week, veterans of the industry put their names on the line with every product they sell and ship. In addition to being more experienced, bigger brands also have more at stake and perform better as a result.
What Is the Best CBD Cream for Discomfort?
That’s a bit of a tough question, as the best CBD balm for discomfort is going to be the one with the highest-quality supporting ingredients, as these items are going to be the ones providing the highest level of satisfaction. CBD topicals—and CBD creams, in particular—are rapidly growing in popularity, and the products that are being sought after the most are those that possess the best collective cast of ingredients, whether those ingredients be essential oils, extracts or herbal essences. Once you’ve found the CBD topical with your own “dream team” of ingredients, follow these simple steps to get used to applying your new CBD cream:
1. Start Taking Your CBD Cream With a “Drop Test”
Whenever you’re trying a new topical for the first time, it’s always a good idea to start with a “drop test.” Pick a particular spot on your skin that you can regularly observe over the next 24 hours, and apply a modest drop of your new CBD topical to that area. Performing a drop test will help you make sure that you aren’t allergic to any of the ingredients in your CBD cream or CBD balm, and as always, you can consult with a physician before you start using a new topical product.
2. Keep Your CBD Topical With You at All Times
There’s nothing worse than getting used to the effects of your topical only to accidentally leave it behind when you would like to have it most. Remember to take your new CBD topical with you wherever you go so you can apply it at a moment’s notice. Here at CBDfx, all our CBD topical products feature convenient packaging that makes it easy to slip your CBD cream or CBD balm into your backpack, purse, gym bag, or glove compartment before you head out for the day.
3. Try Both CBD Balms and Water-Based CBD Topicals
When you’re searching for a reliable, natural means of addressing your specific needs and concerns, it only makes sense to consider as many options as possible. Instead of limiting yourself to either CBD balms or CBD creams, you might want to consider giving both oil-based and water-based CBD formulas a shot.
Water-based and oil-based CBD topical formulas work differently, and metabolism and skin attributes vary from person to person. Therefore, one type of formula might not deliver the results you expect, but another option might utterly exceed your expectations.
Plus, you might find that oil-based and water-based CBD topical formulas complement each other. As we mentioned earlier, water-based topicals absorb quickly, which has both benefits and drawbacks. By complementing this increased absorption time with an oil-based CBD topical that stays on your skin, you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
4. Experiment With Different CBD Topicals
There’s no CBD application method that’s right for everyone. For many CBD users, finding the perfect administration method and serving size requires a process of trial and error, so don’t be afraid to experiment to your heart’s content as you get used to using CBD topicals.
Topicals With CBD Oil: What Makes a Good CBD Product?
We’ve covered how to pick the right CBD topical brand, but how do you determine the quality of a specific topical product that also contains CBD? While the right choice is different for everyone, there are some simple criteria you should keep an eye out for as you move forward:
1. Your CBD Topical Brand Keeps Things Simple
When it comes to CBD topical products, there’s no need to overdo it. You should be able to recognise each of the ingredients on your topical’s product label, or learn everything you need to know with a quick Google search. Topicals that are overly complicated are usually trying to cover for something, but simple CBD topicals harness the power of natural ingredients to deliver excellent results that also feel great on your skin.
2. Your CBD Topical Won’t Harm Your Skin With Nasty Preservatives and Other Toxins
All too often, environmental stresses and toxins make skin age faster than it would normally. Exposing your skin to more toxins is the last thing you’d want to do, but unfortunately, tons of CBD skin-care products on the market contain nasty ingredients that have no business coming anywhere near your face.
As you search for a topical you like, keep an eye out for these common offenders that frequently sneak their way into such products:
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- Artificial colouring agents
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Triclosan
- Formaldehyde
What’s the Best CBD Oil for Tension Headaches?
“Tension headache CBD” is a commonly searched term on Google, which shows how many people are interested in using CBD topical products to address it. These types of headaches are different from migraines; they occur due to tension, not because of a neurological imbalance. At the same time, however, tension headaches can be incredibly debilitating, which makes it worthwhile to have a detailed discussion regarding how to take advantage of the supporting ingredients in CBD topical products for tension headaches.
CBD Balm for Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are generally caused by tense muscles in your face, forehead and scalp. Therefore, a balm, which doesn’t absorb very far into your skin, might take you in the right direction when you’re in need. The massaging sensation as you rub it on your body or temples can feel especially relieving.
CBD Cream for Tension Headaches
Water-based topicals absorb deep into your skin, which might make these types of topical products more capable of soothing discomfort. Once again, being able to massage this product into an area of interest will be soothing and pleasant.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re shopping for CBD creams or balms (or even CBD Bath Bombs!), just make sure to purchase your product from a reputable company that uses pure and effective ingredients. We wish you all the best on your CBD journey!
