Can a CBD Tincture Be Applied To Your Skin?

CBD is becoming known as a “miracle cure-all” for a variety of common ailments. However, this overzealous claim should be taken with a grain of salt. This is because not all CBD products will work in the same way.  Although it might not seem like it, there is a huge difference in ingredients and effects between CBD tinctures and CBD topicals. Which makes you wonder, can you add a drop or two of CBD tincture on your skin? Will it provide any benefits? Read on to learn more about how to use a CBD tincture versus a CBD topical.

What Is In a CBD Tincture?

A good place to start is by noting the differences and similarities in ingredients between a CBD tincture and a CBD topical. Both products will start with a base of a CBD extract. This extract is usually derived from hemp plants in the U.S. due to the legalization of hemp cultivation passed in the 2018 Farm Bill. This industrially grown hemp is put through one of two methods to extract CBD molecules or cannabidiol.

The extraction process can produce three different types of CBD extract. These include full-spectrum extract, broad-spectrum extract, and CBD isolates. The two extracts on a spectrum will include other natural plant compounds found in hemp plants, including terpenes. However, a CBD isolate is created by extracting the CBD from all other plant compounds. Products made with a CBD isolate will provide 100 percent pure CBD, but they can lack the potential benefits of whole-plant medicine.

No matter what form of CBD extract is being used by a manufacturer though, it is a base used to create a variety of CBD products. One of these products is CBD tinctures, which tend to mix the CBD extract with a limited number of other ingredients. Most CBD tinctures are made with either an alcohol or oil base and CBD extract. However, the ingredients included past that are limited. Sometimes brands will mix in a bit of peppermint extract or other natural plant terpenes to enhance the effects of the tincture.

What Is In a CBD Topical?

Another type of product that is made with the base of a CBD extract is CBD topicals. Topicals also have a limited number of ingredients, however, these ingredients cater to the needs of your skin. CBD topicals like balms and salves can include all-natural ingredients, like shea butter or coconut oil. They also have a thick consistency and are meant to be applied on a concentrated area of skin. There are other types of topicals, including CBD lotion and CBD body oil, which offer a thinner consistency than balms or salves though. These spread easily across large areas of your body, allowing CBD to be absorbed by the skin with the aid of other ingredients.

All topicals are made with a base of CBD extract, however, a lot of topicals are made with CBD isolates over a full-spectrum or broad-spectrum extract. They will also contain a variety of other ingredients that can be potentially beneficial for your skin. Sometimes these include fragrances, however, they tend to be derived from natural plant oils over being lab-created. You’ll want to take a careful look at the label of any CBD product though, to be certain about what is acting alongside the main ingredient of CBD.

What’s The Difference?

So, both CBD tinctures and CBD topicals are made with a form of CBD extract and a limited number of other ingredients. However, they do not interact with your body in the same way if they are taken as directed. CBD tinctures should be taken sublingually and are normally consumed orally. However, CBD topicals are designed to be applied to your skin and taken topically. But can you use a CBD tincture as a topical in a pinch? The answer is no.

The long answer, however, includes the explanation that CBD tinctures are simply not intended to be taken topically. They do not contain the ingredients needed to soak into your skin and provide the potential benefits you are seeking. Although a CBD tincture can contain the same type of CBD extract as a topical, the topical’s other ingredients will allow the CBD to sink in and interact with the endocannabinoid receptors in your skin. A CBD tincture, however, is designed to be swallowed, digested, and processed by the liver. If you apply a CBD tincture to your skin, it may not sink in properly and provide the effects you are seeking. Most people use CBD topicals to assist with moisturizing the skin or calming any skin-level irritation. However, an alcohol-based CBD tincture may actually dry out the skin or irritate the skin further due to the base of alcohol.

It’s best to follow the directions on any CBD product carefully, to achieve the expected results. It’s like eating a stick of chapstick and expecting it to moisturize your lips. Or rubbing antacids on your stomach and expecting it to reduce your acid reflux. It might be technically safe for your body, but it won’t provide you much benefit because the product is not being used as intended. We suggest sticking to dropping tinctures under your tongue or checking out some of our suggestions of drinks that mix well with CBD tinctures instead.

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