What Should I Look for in a CBD Topical?

In 2022, the CBD industry hit nearly $2 billion in product sales. That total represents not only a high volume of sales, but a lotof different CBD products to choose from. If you feel overwhelmed with all the options on the market, that’s totally understandable. Even distinct topical categories—like lotions, creams and salves—have a wide range of options in terms of quality, strength, formulation and ingredients. 

If you’re wondering what to look for in a CBD topical, here’s how you can narrow it down:

What Should I Look For in a CBD Topical?

When deciding what kind of cannabidiol (CBD) product is right for you, the first thing to consider is your wellness goal: Are you hoping to speed up workout recovery, address discomfort from an old injury, moisturize your skin or simply relax at the end of a long day while staying mentally and emotionally present? 

All of those examples are valid reasons to try CBD. Your end goal might shape whether you choose a consumption format like vaping or edibles versus a topical applied to the skin. Ultimately, narrowing down why you’re using CBD will help you choose the best CBD cream for your needs.

Quality

To find the best CBD topicals, look beyond shiny packaging and claims that sound too good to be true. A top-quality CBD topical won’t have anything to hide. Instead, you can see for yourself, right on the label, if a product is:

• Full-spectrum CBD, not broad-spectrum or isolate. Look for a product that features Full-spectrum CBD, which contains not only cannabidiol but also other cannabinoids and compounds such as terpenes and flavonoids that support and enhance CBD.
• Inclusive of terpenes. Look for CBD topicals that will provide “the entourage effect”—that’s the synergy between plant compounds like cannabinoids and terpenes. What are terpenes? They’re part of a distinctive category of aromatic chemical compounds that give different strains of cannabis and hemp distinctive scents, flavors and effects.
• Formulated with extracts from vertically integrated farms. Vertical integration is common at bigger cannabis companies, but it’s still relatively rare in the hemp and CBD sectors. Vertical integration means that one company oversees the production of CBD from “seed to sale, helping to ensure consistency in plant genetics and quality of the final extract.”
• Independently lab tested. One of the most important things you should look for in a CBD topical is a certificate of analysis (COA). A COA indicates that a CBD product has undergone rigorous in-house and third-party testing. These tests will show whether the base biomass is free of pesticides, mold and heavy metals, and how closely the tested product matches the listed amount of CBD on the label amongst other metrics. 

Strength

In addition to quality, many CBD consumers are looking for strength. Understanding what makes a CBD topical more or less effective, however, is key to understanding what “strength” really means. For example, you could go by the amount of CBD, looking at that certificate of analysis (COA) for how much CBD the product contains by weight or concentration. 

But going strictly by the amount of cannabidiol alone won’t tell you exactly how strong a CBD product will feel. Other factors that can influence the perceived strength of a CBD product include whether the CBD is working with other cannabinoids and compounds in a full-spectrum formula, especially if the product has been infused with additional terpenes.

Formulation 

The non-CBD ingredients in a skincare product will also have a big impact on product efficacy. Different topical formulas absorb into the skin differently. 

A cream or lotion with waxy ceramides, for example, might make skin look instantly smoother and softer by adding lipids—a key building block for skin cells—to your epidermis, the body’s natural barrier. But a thicker salve or balm designed for deep penetration might be better at carrying active ingredients like CBD farther into your epidermis, and the cannabinoid receptors layered throughout your skin.

In fact, one of the major differences between creams, lotions, salves and ointments—terms that are often used interchangeably in casual conversation—is the ratio of water, oils and waxes those formulas contain. 

Oils tend to help active ingredients penetrate deeper into the skin than water-based topicals. That’s why ointments, balms and salves tend to have a medicinal connotation that lotions and creams do not. Just look at the etymology of these terms—these words all come from ancient linguistic roots that evoke anointing wounds with butter and medicinal spices.

Ingredients

In addition to keeping the overall quality, strength and product formulation of a CBD topical in mind, the individual ingredients make a big difference, too. Not only does it matter where and how the hemp was grown to produce that full-spectrum CBD, ingredients such as oils, waxes, fragrances, binders and other substances matter, too. 

Many CBD topicals will include menthol or camphor on the ingredient list. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. After all, these ingredients have shown potential efficacy for several applications, from easing symptoms of upper respiratory congestion to pain. Until the FDA expands its regulatory framework for CBD, topical analgesics like menthol and camphor are added to many CBD brands to suggest that their products can also help relieve pain.

However, ingredients like menthol and camphor are added because they produce a familiar physical sensation that many consumers associate with efficacy. If your skin is tingling from a topical analgesic like menthol, it’s easier to believe that the product is doing something. 

The entourage effect and associated synergy between CBD, minor cannabinoids and terpenes provides the greatest overall impact, and shouldn’t be overlooked. In fact, it’s easier to gauge how effective a CBD topical really is, by feeling the relief of symptoms and letting those active ingredients speak for themselves.