We are living in the boom era for Cannabidiol (CBD) products and applications. As more and more studies come in, connecting CBD with various health benefits and relief for many medical conditions, the market for high-quality CBD products has exploded. It seems that every week a new brand of CBD products pops up.
The CBD boom’s clear effect is the sheer number and variety of CBD products available on the market. Companies are on a mission to market CBD-related products to fit every budget, need, and preference. From CBD oil to topicals and edibles, you can find thousands of CBD products on the market, fueled with creative copy and marketing campaigns.
Unfortunately, this array is quite confusing for most people just starting out with CBD. Read on for a short guide to help answer the always-relevant question; “which cbd product is right for me?”
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Full-Spectrum Vs. CBD Isolate
One of the first things to consider when choosing a CBD product is whether you want a full-spectrum CBD product or a CBD isolate. To better understand the difference between the two and the benefits they carry, let’s define both.
The cannabis plant has over 80 active ingredients called cannabinoids, and cannabidiol (or CBD) is just one of them. Full-spectrum CBD products include many other cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant besides CBD. Because of this, full-spectrum CBD products can produce an “entourage effect.” Which is an occurrence when a combination of ingredients shows more improved health benefits than the individual components do alone.
CBD isolates do not contain any other cannabinoids since the manufacturers remove them during the CBD extraction process from the plant. As such, CBD isolates are perfect for those that might have adverse reactions or even allergies to other ingredients, such as TCH. CBD isolates are also easier to dose since the product’s actual CBD concentrations are always accurate. Finally, CBD isolates are tasteless compared to full-spectrum products and might be an easier mix with food or drinks.
Ultimately, the choice between full-spectrum and CBD isolates will come down to your needs and applications. Those who seek a more holistic approach and would like that extra push in terms of health benefits usually go for full-spectrum products. CBD isolates remain the choice for those who would like to avoid the side effects of other cannabinoids that might be present in a full-spectrum product.
Potency / Strength
Choosing the right potency or strength of CBD products for your needs can be challenging. Most of the people come to find their ideal potency and dosing through trial and error, as they try out several products and manipulate the dosage. Not to worry, though—CBD remains perfectly safe to consume, as it has no negative side effects to your health and causes no addiction.
That being said, higher than optimal doses of CBD can cause mild, temporary symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, or diarrhea. These symptoms are more common in those just starting with CBD products, as their bodies get used to CBD and they look for the right dosage. Simultaneously, taking sub-optimal doses might not produce side-effects, but the medicinal benefits will take a hit.
The best practice is closely following how your body reacts to different CBD doses and adjusting the future dosage accordingly. All CBD products have the CBD concentration clearly stated on the packaging, making it easy to adjust the dosage according to your needs.
Oils / Capsules / Topicals / Gummies
Picking the right consumption method for CBD is probably the issue that creates the most significant confusion among CBD beginners. There are literally hundreds of CBD products on the market, and all of them have something unique about them, usually connected to consumption, dosage, or medicinal applications. Below, we picked the four most popular categories of CBD products and try to explain what makes them ideal for some people.
CBD Oils
CBD oils are by far the most popular and most flexible CBD products available on the market. You can consume them in several ways: as an addition to your food or drinks, vaping, placing a small amount below your tongue, or even by rubbing the oil into your skin.
Still, CBD oils might not be the best choice for everyone. If you would like to keep your CBD use private, oils are obviously not the choice for you. Additionally, CBD oils have a strong taste/flavor that some people cannot get past.
CBD Capsules
On the other hand, CBD capsules offer all the privacy you want as well as convenient storage and use. All you have to do is swallow one or more capsules and then wait for them to take effect. The only major downside of CBD capsules is that they come only in a few concentrations. This makes determining the ideal dosage more difficult or even unattainable. Make sure that the CBD capsules in which you are interested have the correct CBD concentration for your needs.
CBD Topicals
CBD topicals are products applied directly to your skin. Their main advantage, compared to other CBD products, is the localized application. By using CBD on your skin, you can get pain relief or reduce swelling and inflammation. Unfortunately, CBD topicals suffer from low absorption rate and low bioavailability.
CBD Gummies
CBD gummies are a convenient and fun way to consume CBD for those with a sweet tooth. They come in various colors and tastes, and finding the right dose for you is straightforward. Perhaps the most significant advantage of CBD gummies is that they are very discreet and can keep your CBD use private.
Absorption Rate / Bioavailability
Bioavailability or absorption rate is extremely important when choosing the right CBD product for you. To put it in simple terms, bioavailability is the amount of CBD that your body can use after consuming a CBD product. Due to different consumption methods and products, bioavailability can vary significantly. Some of the CBD will break down before it enters the bloodstream.
Therefore, CBD products with the highest bioavailability are those that reach the bloodstream the quickest. For example, vaping CBD products and CBD oils have exceptionally high bioavailability, and the CBD reaches the bloodstream almost instantly. On the other hand, anything you ingest that needs to be digested in the stomach will inherently take longer to reach the bloodstream and, therefore, have lower bioavailability.
Taste / Flavor
Flavor or taste is another factor to consider when choosing the right CBD product. By default, CBD extracted from the cannabis plant in full-spectrum products will come with an “earthy” taste. Some people do not mind the taste, but many others find it repulsive and especially difficult to ingest. One way to bypass this issue is by adding artificial flavors and sweeteners to the CBD products, making them tastier to the consumer.
CBD isolates are flavorless and ideal for adding to food and drinks. They also take artificial flavors and sweeteners very well, making them ideal for custom CBD products for pickier consumers. For example, CBD capsules are tasteless and easy to consume. On the other hand, full-spectrum CBD oils tend to have an especially strong green, earthy taste.
Price
Price is always a factor. If you checked out the prices for CBD products, you probably noticed that they vary from extremely affordable to very, very expensive. Some general rules are:
- The higher the CBD concentration in the product, the higher the price.
- The more processing and ingredients a CBD product has, the higher the price.
- Reputable CBD product manufacturers tend to have higher prices.
The ultimate goal is to find a high-quality CBD product with the right CBD concentration for your needs that’s safe to use and that you can afford. It seems complicated, but it really is not.
Always start with researching the manufacturers of CBD products. You want a company or brand that has been in the CBD sector for a while, has plenty of satisfied customers, and uses lab testing to guarantee the purity of its products.
Once you narrow down your list of potential CBD manufacturers using the mentioned criteria, the choice comes down to a matter of preference and consumption method. Also, bear in mind that if you choose a CBD product that you do not like, you can easily switch to a different one without any consequences. The CBD market is extremely competitive, and that drives the prices of CBD products down, which is always good for the consumers.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this short guide will help you better understand the available CBD products on the market as you choose the one that will provide you with the best health benefits. Factors such as concentration, full-spectrum vs. CBD isolates, price, bioavailability, or consumption method all play an essential role in your CBD experience, so make sure that you investigate them carefully.
Finally, the CBD market is growing exponentially, and newer and better CBD products are just around the corner. If you have a condition for which CBD can provide relief and health benefits, then chances are that you are in this for the long haul. Choosing the right CBD product for yourself is a journey that might take you to several different destinations until you find the perfect one.
