A woman's hands cup a container of cream with a green leaf on top of it

How to Correctly Apply CBD Cream: A Step-by-Step Guide

Along with the skyrocketing popularity of CBD, the industry has also enjoyed a growth and innovation in the types of CBD products that are available for consumers to use. Now, instead of only being able to purchase CBD oils, consumers can also buy salves, creams, gummies, capsules, and CBD in other forms. While oils are popular with people who wish to take CBD internally, CBD topicals are favored among those who wish to use creams, lotions, and salves as a means of targeted attention to specific muscles and joints. 

In fact, topicals have become popular with those who are active in their daily lives, athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and others. Many avid users feel that CBD topicals can address specific areas in a way that CBD oil, gummies, and other types of products cannot. The skincare industry has also jumped on the CBD cream bandwagon. If you’re new to topicals, then you might be left wondering how useful CBD can be in a cream, salve, or lotion form.

What is CBD Cream?

A cannabis leaf resting on top of creamy white lotion in a container

CBD cream is a product that’s made by infusing CBD into a topical cream. The CBD extracts for the cream are obtained in the same way that the extracts for other types of CBD products are. Reputable brands use the industry preferred CO2 extraction process to obtain clean, pure, and potent extracts that are packed with the hemp plant’s cannabinoids, terpenes, and phytonutrients. After the final product is bought by a consumer, they can then apply the cream onto the skin by massaging it into an area of concern.

There are some big differences between CBD cream and CBD oils. While oils are taken orally and absorbed through the blood vessels underneath the tongue, cream is worked directly into the skin where it can have an impact on isolated areas of concern that need targeted attention. Whether taken internally or topically, the CBD still interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system that works to bring and keep the body in a state of balance, or homeostasis. 

How Can CBD Cream Help?

A woman holds a container of FAB CBD cream, after dipping one fingertip in to collect a dollop

Many brands, like FAB CBD, are using innovative ingredients to craft their CBD creams and salves. In fact, lots of reputable brands include cooling and warming ingredients into their products to help ease and soothe difficult spots. While not a CBD cream, FAB CBD Full Spectrum Body Salve contains Cinnamomum Camphora Oil to help heat the area and Menthol Crystals to then evoke a cooling sensation. This salve, which is thicker and somewhat greasier than a cream, is excellent on particularly difficult areas of concern. If, however, you’re looking for a lighter product, then FAB CBD Topical Cream is just the ticket. The cream is light, non-greasy, silky, and has a fresh blood orange scent. This product works in the same way that the salve does in that it can help to moisturize and nourish the skin while targeting particular muscles or joints. 

How To Use CBD Cream: Application and Strength

A big plus to using CBD topical creams is that they’re convenient and simple to apply. When using a cream or other topical, simply place a small amount onto the area of the body that you want to use it on, then massage it into clean skin until it’s all absorbed. CBD creams are light and luxurious and can be easily worked into the skin. Creams tend to be more moisturizing than salves due to their light, non-greasy makeup. For this reason, creams are also very popular in the beauty and skincare industries. In fact, some skincare brands also add ingredients into their creams like vitamins, hydrating oils, and acids that can help to relieve dry, rough, dull skin. Topical creams also may contain essential oils that add a clean, natural scent to them. 

With all CBD products, it's best to start with a low potency and raise either dosage or potency as needed. Taking too much is just as ineffective as taking too little, so beginning low and raising as needed is the best approach.

Adding CBD Topical Options to Your Routine

Most folks add topicals to their regular CBD oil or gummy regimen as a helpful as-needed option for a specific area. You can use CBD cream or CBD salve after a shower so that your skin is sure to be clean and dry, or if you find you need some in the midst of your day, just be sure your skin isn't super sweaty or covered with competing oils or creams. You can keep your CBD cream in the bathroom, by the bed, or at your office desk so that it's within reach when you need it!

How Can You Choose the Best Quality CBD Cream?

A woman in a park applies CBD cream to her fingertip

Just like with any other type of CBD product, with creams, you should research both the product and the brand. Your personal preference will also play into the type of product you select. Since there are many options available in today’s market, it’s important to remember that not all brands and products are created equal. In looking for a top-quality CBD cream, you should read the full list of ingredients for the product, along with any third-party lab reports that are posted on the brand’s website. Learning where the brand sources its hemp from, the type of extraction method the brand used, as well as reading verified customer reviews and publications by industry experts will also help you to make an informed decision. 

Beware of brands that make outlandish claims about their products or that sell their products at rock-bottom prices. A majority of the time, these brands cut corners during the creation process. This means that the final product may contain less CBD than advertised, along with high amounts of harmful solvents, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, heavy metals, and other dangerous chemicals. In looking over the ingredient list for CBD creams, go for brands that include clean ingredients that help support CBD absorption through the skin, like FAB CBD. Along with 600mg of CBD per jar, FAB CBD’s Topical Cream also contains aloe vera, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and olive oil to help moisturize and soothe the skin. Moreover, the oils also help to carry and deliver the CBD into the pores so that it can begin working on nearby tissues. 

In Closing: Why CBD Creams Compliment Your Regimen

FAB CBD cream displayed next to sliced blood oranges

CBD creams are a fantastic compliment to any CBD regimen. Not only are they an excellent way to help moisturize and soothe rough, dry skin, but they can also provide specific attention to particular muscles and joints. So while CBD oils work from an internal perspective, creams do their job from a superficial level by joining forces with the body’s endocannabinoid system to help bring things back into balance. Along with being easy to use, CBD creams are a simple way to help manage minor overworked areas. In thinking about brands and products, as always, it pays to spend some time researching both. Knowledge is the best weapon against inadvertently buying a subpar product from a less reputable brand.