Do Topical Lotions Work as Well as CBD Oil?
Using cannabis for medical purposes such as for pain relief, especially chronic pain, and arthritis, sore muscles, and general pain and inflammation is trending massively all around the world right now and not just among the alternative health nuts. CBD oil has already penetrated the mainstream market and last year saw the industry progress in leaps and bounds. While the most common form of experiencing the therapeutic benefits of the marijuana plant is taking CBD oil orally, more people suffering from aches, pains, and skin conditions are using CBD-infused topical creams.
CBD salve is convenient to keep to hand when you need relief from localized pain like achy joints and muscles quickly and you can use as much or as little as you like. The wonderful thing about using a homemade healing lotion is that you can play around with different strengths and scents to ensure pain relief and you won’t have to worry about running out and waiting for your next order to be delivered. Many people have had great success following the recipe that I will be sharing with you—it is very effective, easy to make, and, most importantly, cost effective.
Do Topical Lotions Work as Well as CBD Oil?
CBD-rich salves, balms, and even in cream form aren’t absorbed into the bloodstream, but rather into subcutaneous tissue via pores in the skin. From the balm or topical cream form, the powerful cannabinoids are then able to interact with the relevant receptors found in the skin’s nerve fibers as a great pain management system that will help combat muscle soreness. While the majority of people who use CBD to treat issues like anxiety and insomnia find that oral ingestion is the most effective method, a topical salve is proven to provide fast relief for localized pain and it works almost instantaneously. CBD lotion is known to offer relief from problems like:
Joint pain
Muscle aches
Inflammation
Eczema
Blotchy skin
Back pain
And, thanks to all of the rich proteins, vitamins, and fatty acid found present in CBD oil, our skin will be eternally grateful for this added nourishment and you could notice an improvement in wrinkles and stretch marks too!
How Much CBD Oil Should You Put in Your Homemade Lotion?
Due to lacking research on specific dosage, a general rule of thumb is to use your intuition to decide how much CBD you need to add into your recipe mixture. After doing some research on commercial high-quality pain relievers products that can be found online, it seems that the typical amount of CBD oil found present in topical creams is approximately 100 mg CBD for every 30 ml of finished product. It is worth noting that you cannot overdo it, so feel free to use as much CBD oil as you like—or simply play around with measures until you create a formula that works for your particular needs. If you suffer from a severe skin ailment or pain, then you can increase the amount of CBD oil you put into your balm to as much as 500 mg per 30 ml.
A word of advice before you get started:
You should really endeavor to make sure that the CBD oil you will use for making a homemade lotion is of the highest quality. Trying to cut corners by saving a few bucks on purchasing a reputable product will likely result in your time being wasted and while your skin might still improve, the chances are your pain will not. Concentration is key, so always look for the purest organic oil you can find.
Selecting a Good Carrier Oil for Your Salve
The liberating thing about DIY remedies is that you can tailor them to be just how you like them to rid those achy muscles. What’s more, you will have a whole load of freedom with regards to selecting a carrier oil for your homemade lotion, as you can pretty much use whatever you have on hand at home. Many people like to use hemp seed oil to reap the maximum benefits of the plant’s goodness, but others find the smell too pungent and earthy and use organic coconut oil, or avocado oil instead. You can also add vitamin E oil into your concoction as it is rich in antioxidants and also increases the shelf life of your product, should you prefer not to keep it refrigerated.
Don’t feel that you need to conform, however—a lot of people use plain old olive oil for simplicity, but this can result in quite a runny finished product. If you wanted a lotion that was “meatier” then you could consider adding in some beeswax to firm it up a bit.
Creating Your Homemade CBD Lotion
This process literally couldn’t be easier, so just follow the steps and make sure that you cook it on a low heat. This is possibly THE most important thing you need to worry about, in order to produce an effective topical ointment.
Once you have measured out how much lotion you want to make, melt your coconut oil (or carrier oil of choice) on a low heat slowly.
Stir in the desired amount of CBD oil.
If you want a firmer salve, then melt a couple of inches (or a handful of pellets) of beeswax in a separate pot and allow it to become fluid.
When the wax has melted completely, slowly add in your oil mixture, making sure to stir to avoid any clumps.
Allow the mixture to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container (preferably glass as it doesn’t have the nasty toxins found in plastic) and pop in the fridge.
Now, here’s the only slightly complex part of the whole thing. As your mixture cools, it will solidify somewhat (especially if you have used coconut oil.) However, if your gut tells you that it will still end up being too runny, then you can add more beeswax until you obtain the consistency that you desire.
Adding Scent to Your Lotion
Personally, I tend to like the natural earthy smell given off by the combination of coconut oil and CBD oil. However, there are many others who prefer to add essential oils to their lotion mixture to make it even dreamier. For example, lavender oil could be a great choice if you want to relax and it is also known to have a soothing effect on the skin. Alternatively, you could add in some eucalyptus to pack an extra punch and clear your sinuses. To be perfectly honest, you can use any kind of chemical-free scent that appeals to you. There is no wrong or right here—your lotion, your choice! Just make sure you stir in any scents or essential oils once your concoction has fully cooled, to ensure its full potency.