The Essential Buyer's Guide to CBD

Pictured: Relief & Recovery Collection

Have you ever spent time searching for a quality CBD product, only to be left totally perplexed by all the different ingredients and terms listed on the label? Detailed ingredient lists are great but clearly understanding whether a product contains CBD or not, and what those different terms mean is even better! Bookmark this quick reference list for next time your stuck staring at a confusing product label:

Hemp Seed Oil

This is oil that has been extracted from hemp seeds for its healthy fatty acid profile. While no cannabinoids (like CBD) are present in the hemp seed, if you are looking for a nourishing moisturizer packed full of skin-friendly vitamins and nutrients, or tasty addition to your cooking, this is the ticket!

Isolate

Isolated hemp or “isolate” is purified CBD that has been extracted from the plant and processed to remove all of the other cannabinoids, oils, plant material, waxes, chlorophyll, terpenes, and fatty acids—leaving just the ‘crystals’ of CBD. It was previously thought that CBD in its isolated form was more potent and concentrated than broad spectrum CBD, or full spectrum, but studies showed that plants like hemp have greater benefits when their constituents work together rather than alone.

Hemp Extract

You’ll find hemp extract in everything from beauty products to dietary supplements—it’s made from the seeds, stalk, and sometimes flowers of the hemp plant. Although it’s unlikely to contain any CBD, it does contain minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus, vitamin E, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and antioxidants.

Cannabis Sativa Oil

This oil is derived from the Cannabis Sativa plant that, in some cases, comes from the seed only and may not contain any CBD. When derived from hemp seeds, this oil is often used for skin health by balancing hydration, protecting skin, and used for relief from redness and blemishes.

Broad Spectrum CBD

Broad-spectrum CBD has the full cannabinoid profile of the hemp plant, as well as other beneficial compounds that the hemp plant naturally possesses. This includes other cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes and is also referred to as "whole plant extraction”. The only compound that is extracted is THC.

With the recent “green rush” of hemp products flooding the market, cutting through the terminology and leveling up your own cannabis knowledge means you get to be back in control. There are so many things to consider, but in the same way you would read nutritional labels on food products, learning how to read CBD labels is one of the best ways to make smart purchases and more easily decipher which products are worth your money and, ultimately, your health.