Essential Features of Effective CBD Creams: A Shopper’s Checklist

CBD cream is a type of skin cream to which CBD and other oils are added. Skin cream with CBD and other cannabinoids has anti-inflammatory properties that can help alleviate many symptoms associated with skin conditions as well as manage the pain associated with joint conditions or muscle pain.

Several studies have reviewed the effectiveness of CBD creams as it apply to conditions such as:

• Eczema
• Acne
• Arthritis
• Psoriasis
• Inflammatory conditions
• Pruritus
• Peripheral neuropathy 
• Pain 
• Autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Not only can CBD creams help with skin conditions, but there’s clinical evidence to suggest that CBD creams are highly effective at managing pain, particularly things like muscle and joint pain, where a topical application provides faster and more targeted relief compared to things like tinctures or oils. Choosing the right CBD cream for your individual needs is essential.

CBD creams have several topical benefits. CBD creams are anti-inflammatory; they work as analgesics and promote wound healing. There are several common uses for CBD cream as a result:

• Some people use them to help with recovery, particularly because of the wound-healing applications.
• Some people use them to relieve dry, itchy skin that can be the result of inflammation, changes in weather, environmental pollution, or skin conditions.
• Some people use effective CBD creams for dual effects, like relieving itchy skin and reducing pain.

When you are looking into high-quality CBD creams, you want to consider the concentration, whether it’s full spectrum or broad spectrum, the ingredients, and any third-party lab testing.

CBD concentration

Concentration is very important. This information should be readily listed on the packaging and on the website if you are purchasing online. You should be able to see how much CBD and any other ingredients exist in the total cream, usually displayed as a percentage or listed in milligrams. You should see it listed as a total size and a serving size.

The higher the concentration, the higher the efficacy. With a higher efficacy, you don’t necessarily need to use as much to achieve the same result.

Source of CBD

It’s always important to find a company that is open and honest about the hemp source they have. The sources are one facet of quality assurance. Knowing that hemp was sourced organically or locally can make a difference in your buying decision.

Full-spectrum vs. isolate vs. broad-spectrum

CBD creams can come in three forms:

1.  Full spectrum (THC within legal limits)
2.  Broad spectrum (no THC)
3.  Isolate (only CBD) 

Most CBD skin creams are broad-spectrum CBD, so there is no THC in them. However, there are some products that contain THC.

Third-party lab testing

Look for third-party lab testing. A certificate of analysis means that all of the products and ingredients were tested by a third-party laboratory to make sure they were free from harmful or toxic compounds like herbicides and pesticides. This is crucial for verifying the absence of contaminants, potency, and purity.

Ingredients

Check the ingredients and be sure that even the additional ingredients aside from CBD support skin health or provide additional benefits. 

With Green Revolution CBD, we provide the best CBD cream: Solace. This cream is best for:

1. Local pain
2. Inflammation 
3. Recovery

It has a 15-minute onset with a duration of up to 5 hours. This particular product is not only 100% organic hemp and 100% vegan, but it was the recipient of the 2023 Emerald Cup for its effectiveness and quality.

It offers soothing relief by way of CBD, which promotes relaxation and anti-inflammation; CBN, which reduces inflammation and discomfort; and CBG, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Solace contains many other natural, beneficial ingredients, including the following:

1. Aloe vera leaf juice which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and soothing properties that help reduce inflammation along the skin and calm irritation.
2. Eucalyptus oil is known for its ability to provide a cooling sensation on the skin.
3. Lemon balm extract is a powerful antioxidant that can protect the skin against environmental toxins and stress.
4. Shea Butter is rich in vitamins and fatty acids and is known for its moisturizing effects.
5. Sunflower seed oil which is rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that can help protect your skin from damage and prevent moisture loss.
6. Vitamin E has moisturizing and healing benefits that help strengthen the skin barrier.

Before you purchase any CBD topical cream, there are a few factors to consider, like how you intend to use it, what the potency is, product reviews, price, and quality.

Intended use

Before you start using CBD cream, consider your needs and what you want to achieve by using it. 

• Are you looking to treat a skin condition?
• Do you want topical pain relief?
• Is general skincare your primary focus?

The reason you want to consider your intended use before purchasing CBD cream is that different products might fit those needs in a unique way. 

If, for example, you are looking to manage pain with a topical cream, you might be looking for a full spectrum topical cream that not only includes CBD but complementary cannabinoids like CBN or CBG, as well as THC. 

If, instead, you are looking for something that you can incorporate into your everyday general skincare routine, then the additional ingredients might be more important to you, particularly the oils and natural additives that can help restore nutrition to your skin or improve elasticity.

Similarly, you want to consider how you plan to use it because that might influence the type of cream you buy, in particular, the way in which the product is designed. Most people apply CBD creams directly to the skin in order to get relief along the surface of the skin and the immediate muscle layers below. But some creams work better when they are applied regularly, in small amounts rather than every so often in large amounts, and in these cases, a cream that has an easy dispensation method could be best.

Potency requirements

When you set out to choose the best CBD cream, you need to be aware of the potency. The appropriate potency for an individual is based on the severity of the condition or the desired effect.

Someone trying to manage chronic pain might have a different potency requirement contingent upon whether the symptoms range from mild to moderate to severe. Lotions and creams for chronic pain like neuropathic pain usually start with 50mg at a time, up to 500mg. 

Product reviews and testimonials

Before buying a product, look into user reviews and testimonials. By reviewing testimonials and reviews from other customers, you can assess the product’s effectiveness and how satisfied their customers have been over the course of their usage. This is very good if you are trying to track the effectiveness of a product when applied to treat a skin condition or manage chronic pain.

Price vs. quality

Pay particular attention to the relationship between price and quality. This is not an inverse relationship. The higher quality a product is, the higher the price will be to reflect the extra effort, time, and money that goes into manufacturing a higher quality product.

With the best CBD creams, you will get things like:

1. A certificate of analysis
2. Professional looking packaging
3. High potency 
4. Sustainable farming practices

All of these things, however, come at an additional cost to the company and a slightly higher cost to you. But it’s well worth it to pay a little bit extra to get things like a certificate of analysis, which can confirm that your CBD cream doesn’t have any pesticides or herbicides in it. You might also prefer a product with high potency that is derived from sustainable farming practices, confirmed by a reputable company. It’s up to you to strike the right balance between affordability and the quality of the CBD cream you choose.

Before you choose any CBD topical cream, make sure you know what the red flags are. Any red flag is indicative of a potentially serious issue with the company or its product and something you should stay away from.

Lack of transparency

All companies should be transparent about things like potency, product reviews, quality and price, and what other ingredients you might find. If they use third-party testing, they should openly admit to that and provide a certificate of analysis with each of the products they provide.

If you are considering a dispensary or an online store that doesn’t have good transparency when it comes to things like ingredients or quality, farming practices, or similar manufacturing questions, it might be a good idea to look elsewhere.

Unrealistic claims

Before you start using any type of CBD topical cream, be wary of any company that has unrealistic claims. Research has shown that CBD products can be very effective at managing certain skin conditions, but if a company claims that it will cure or fix your issue, steer clear.

The types of unrealistic claims might be different depending on how you intend to use your CBD cream. For example, if you are looking for something to manage pain, then an unrealistic claim might be that the product will make your pain go away completely or that it’s long-lasting and doesn’t have to be reapplied more than once per day.

Take time to investigate the claims and determine whether or not they are legitimate.

Unclear CBD content

The best CBD cream will be absolutely clear about the CBD content contained therein. No product should be without a label that includes information on the milligrams of CBD contained in the entire lotion or cream, as well as the percentage per serving, with clear-cut information on how to measure a serving.

If you don’t see that information printed directly on the label or list it alongside the product when you are viewing it online, this is not something that you should consider using. Unclear CBD content information can lead to a misunderstanding of how much potency you have within a CBD cream, how effective it might be for treating your condition, and what other cannabinoids or terpenes are included.

High levels of THC

Look out for high levels of THC. Even in areas where THC infusions are legal for CBD cream, any CBD topical cream that claims to have more than .3% THC is not something you want to buy. This is the limit of the FDA-approved amount, and it’s not worth risking anything beyond that.

Poor packaging

Poor packaging is a sign that the company is not reputable. Good companies invest in high-quality packaging as it offers vital information to the user and represents the brand.

If you see that the packaging isn’t very clear, it’s not well organized, and it doesn’t have very clear information like whether the product is broad spectrum or full spectrum and how much CBD is in the cream, consider going elsewhere.

Vague or missing contact information

All companies should be providing very specific contact information. Contact information includes things like:

• The manufacturer
• The batch or order number
• Whether it was third-party tested and by whom
• How to reach the company 

When you are looking for the best CBD cream, you only want to focus on a company that provides comprehensive contact information not just for themselves but for any other related professionals or Industries, like a third-party testing center or a factory where the products are made.

When you are looking into CBD topical creams, the CBD concentration, whether it’s full spectrum or broad spectrum, the ingredients, and the source of the CBD can all play an important role in the effectiveness of the cream. Use the provided checklist as a guide when shopping for CBD creams so that you avoid red flags and know what factors are most important in your decision-making process.