What Is CBD Cream and How Does It Work?
CBD oil cream is a water-based topical formulation that offers fast activation and potent effects. Though there are some technical differences, the terms “CBD cream” and “CBD lotion” are often used interchangeably, and even some oil-based topicals like CBD salves might sometimes be referred to as “topical CBD cream.” CBD cream works by delivering CBD directly to an affected area; users rely on it for help with localized pain, workout recovery, and skin conditions.
Definition of CBD Topicals and How They Differ from CBD Oils
CBD-infused topicals — such as CBD topical cream, CBD oil lotions, and CBD salves — feature CBD-rich hemp extract combined with a variety of ingredients designed to help CBD absorb through the skin. A CBD topical can feature either a water or oil base, with water-based CBD topicals generally referred to as “lotions” or “creams” and oil-based options being called “salves” or “balms.” CBD hemp creams are different from CBD oils because they’re applied to the skin instead of taken internally, and they also have localized versus body-wide effects.
How CBD Cream Interacts with the Skin and Endocannabinoid Receptors
CBD cream absorbs rapidly through the skin and interacts with endocannabinoid system neuroreceptors located in the underlying muscle tissue. These neuroreceptors include members of the TRP and 5HT families, which impact both neuropathic pain and inflammatory conditions. Water-based topical CBD products like creams absorb rapidly and efficiently, delivering potent doses of CBD where your body needs them most.
What Are CBD Creams Used For?
People commonly use CBD topical cream for pain management and skin conditions. Many users report that CBD cream has profound anti-inflammatory effects that help with everything from muscle pain to dry skin.
Can CBD Topicals Help with Muscle or Joint Discomfort?
Yes, many users report that CBD topicals have helped them considerably with joint or muscle pain. Consult with your doctor if you’re unsure whether CBD is the right option when addressing these conditions.
Do People Use CBD Cream or Lotion for Skin Irritation or Redness?
Yes, water-based CBD topicals like creams and lotions are commonly used for skin conditions that cause irritation or redness. Many users report profound relief.
How Effective Is CBD Cream for Back, Knee, or Neck Pain?
CBD topical users suggest that these products might offer profound therapeutic effects when used for joint pain felt in areas like the back, knee, or neck. More studies must be conducted, however, before we draw any conclusions on exactly how much topical CBD might help with specific medical conditions.
How to Choose the Right CBD Cream or Lotion
To choose the right CBD topical, learn the difference between CBD extract options and other information you should look for on the label. It’s also important to learn what separates CBD roll-ons, pump bottles, and balms.
Full Spectrum vs Broad Spectrum vs CBD Isolate Creams
Full-spectrum CBD creams can contain up to 0.3% THC. Broad-spectrum and isolate CBD creams, however, do not contain any THC at all.
What to Look for: Potency, Ingredients, Scent, Texture
The potency per bottle and per dose of any CBD topical product should be clearly denoted on its label. It’s also important to read through all the ingredients, note the product’s aroma, and determine whether it has a thick or watery texture.
Is Cooling or Warming CBD Cream Better?
Cooling and warming CBD creams can both be ideal for specific purposes. It’s generally best to combine these effects, however, with a topical that offers both cooling and warming benefits.
How to Use CBD Cream Properly
To experience significant improvements when using CBD cream, you’ll need to know where to apply it, how often to use it, and how long it takes to work.
Where and How Often Should You Apply CBD Cream or Lotion?
Generally speaking, it’s best to apply your CBD cream or lotion directly to problem areas every 3-6 hours. Determining how much CBD to use when applied topically depends, however, on the individual using it and the condition or conditions they are hoping to treat.
How Long Does It Take for CBD Cream to Work?
Water-based CBD topicals like creams and lotions usually kick in within 5-10 minutes. Rub the cream into your skin thoroughly for even faster-acting effects.
How Long Does CBD Cream Take to Work if It’s Oil-Based?
Oil-based CBD topicals like balms and salves take longer to take effect. Expect them to kick in after around 10-20 minutes have passed.
Where to Buy High-Quality CBD Creams Online
When buying CBD cream online, it’s important to determine whether the brand you’re considering buying from is reputable by reading customer reviews and checking for third-party lab reports. Then, it’s time to decide on the exact type of cream that’s right for you and seek out any discounts you can take advantage of through subscriptions, bundles, and sales.
How to Tell if a CBD Cream or Lotion Brand Is Trustworthy
You can tell if a CBD topical cream brand is trustworthy if it’s been in business for more than 5 years and has maintained a sterling reputation, both in reviews posted on its website and on third-party review sites like Trustpilot. It’s also important that CBD topical cream brands provide batch-specific third-party lab reports and respond promptly and comprehensively to any customer service questions you may ask.
Importance of Third-Party Lab Testing and COAs
The best CBD topical brands always send every batch of their products in for third-party testing before sale. The resulting lab reports — known as certificates of analysis or COAs — should feature information on cannabinoid, terpene, and flavonoid potency alongside detected concentrations of common contaminants like mold, pesticides, and residual solvents. COAs empower CBD cream consumers by letting them know exactly what’s in the products they’re using.
Best-Selling CBD Creams by Use Case (Recovery, Daily Relief, etc.)
Whether you’re looking for a CBD muscle cream for workout recovery, a CBD relief cream for help with pain, CBD cream for skin conditions, or even a CBD cooling cream to soothe hot areas, Colorado Botanicals CBD creams have you covered. Rely on our organic CBD cream in your quest for CBD topical pain relief, and specifically choose our Alleviate CBD anti-inflammatory cream when muscle recovery is your objective. This arnica CBD cream is also boosted with menthol, camphor, and tea-tree oil, offering a combined warming-cooling effect that’s ideal for any kind of topical relief.
FAQs About CBD Cream
What Does CBD Cream Do Exactly?
What Does CBD Cream Do Exactly?
CBD cream absorbs rapidly through your skin to offer benefits that extend to the underlying muscular tissue. People who use CBD cream commonly say that it has helped them with rheumatic diseases, arthritis symptoms, joint pain, chronic pain, and other conditions that respond well to targeted relief.
Do CBD Topicals Work?
Do CBD Topicals Work?
Yes, CBD topicals genuinely do work by delivering CBD into and through your skin, penetrating the underlying muscle tissue. CBD topical benefits vary from person to person, but the majority of users report at least some relief from arthritis pain, skin conditions, or whatever purpose caused them to seek our CBD topicals for sale.
Is CBD Cream or Lotion Good for Pain or Just a Trend?
Is CBD Cream or Lotion Good for Pain or Just a Trend?
Yes, countless users claim that CBD body lotions and creams have offered them considerable relief from pain. CBD directly interacts with neuroreceptors that are involved in both inflammatory and neuropathic pain, providing a theoretical basis for these effects.
Does CBD Cream Get You High or Affect the Mind?
Does CBD Cream Get You High or Affect the Mind?
No, CBD cream does not get you high or cause any psychoactive effects whatsoever. When applied topically, CBD remains constrained to the area where it was applied, and CBD is non-intoxicating even when taken orally.
Does CBD Cream Make You High if It Contains THC?
Does CBD Cream Make You High if It Contains THC?
No, CBD body cream cannot get you high even if it contains up to 0.3% THC. Concentrations of THC that low aren’t enough to get you high even when taken orally, and topically applied CBD does not enter the bloodstream in any considerable quantities.
How Long Does CBD Cream Last on the Skin?
How Long Does CBD Cream Last on the Skin?
CBD topical cream generally absorbs fully through your skin within 5-10 minutes. It can continue to offer effects in the area where it was applied for 5-6 hours, however.
Can CBD Cream Be Used on the Face or Sensitive Areas?
Can CBD Cream Be Used on the Face or Sensitive Areas?
Yes, it’s generally safe to apply CBD cream to your face or other sensitive areas. Steer clear of any products with names like “CBD intensive cream” or anything similar, however. These CBD topical creams might contain extra-potent additional ingredients that could cause reactions when applied to sensitive skin.
Do CBD Creams Expire or Go Bad Over Time?
Do CBD Creams Expire or Go Bad Over Time?
Yes, even the best CBD topicals go bad over time as their bases destabilize and the ingredients they contain go bad. An average CBD daily cream will expire around 12-18 months after its manufacture date — look for an expiration date on the bottle to better gauge your cream’s shelf life.
Does CBD Cream Expire Faster if You Don’t Store It Correctly?
Does CBD Cream Expire Faster if You Don’t Store It Correctly?
Yes, CBD topical cream will degrade faster if stored with the cap off or in excessively hot or cold conditions. For the longest shelf life, store your CBD cream in a cool area that’s out of direct sunlight — and remember to put the cap back on.
Will CBD Cream Show Up on a Drug Test?
Will CBD Cream Show Up on a Drug Test?
A full-spectrum CBD topical has a very low — but not nonexistent — chance to make you fail a drug test since it can contain up to 0.3% THC. CBD skin creams and similar topicals generally don’t deposit CBD into the bloodstream, but if you apply a sufficient amount of a CBD topical to your skin over a short-enough period of time, failing a drug test is technically possible.
Can Topical CBD Show on Drug Tests if It Doesn’t Contain THC?
Can Topical CBD Show on Drug Tests if It Doesn’t Contain THC?
No, it is not even remotely possible to fail a drug test after using a CBD topical cream that does not contain any THC, such as an isolate or broad-spectrum CBD topical. Drug tests are designed to detect THC, not CBD, and they generally don’t deposit high-enough concentrations of cannabinoids into your bloodstream to be detectable in any case.













