The post-pandemic months have seen a rise in CBD product sales from $12.8 million in 2021 to 4.17 billion in 2022. It’s estimated that 33% of Americans are using or have used CBD, according to a recent survey. As more and more Americans see the positive health benefits of CBD, you find new enthusiasts joining the CBD happy wagon.
Whether you’ve learned about CBD through a friend or a post on social media. It’s helpful to start your CBD journey by figuring out what product would fit you best. Questions like “how to choose a cbd product“, “which form of CBD is most effective?“ or “what’s better CBD oil or gummies?“ are common.
To help shed some light, we’ve created a short 5-Step Process. We created this quick guide to help pick the CBD product that matches you best.
Key Takeaways
- There are different types of CBD products available in the market.
- Breaking down each product helps in deciding what to choose.
- Choosing CBD products to take solely depends on your lifestyle and preferences.
How to Choose The Right CBD Product
Step 1: If Needed, Seek Medical Advice First
If you are sick, pregnant or have chronic medical conditions, it is important to talk to your doctor and make sure CBD is right for you. Seeking medical advice can prevent complications in the future. Advice is crucial – particularly if you are on medication, undergoing medical treatment, you have a chronic medical condition, or are pregnant .
Like many supplements in the market, some prescription medications may not work well with CBD. Your doctor may advise against using CBD if you are taking certain prescription drugs.
Step 2: Research The Different CBD Options
Research is key when choosing a CBD product. Currently, there are three CBD formulations you can choose from: Full-Spectrum, Broad-Spectrum, and CBD Isolate.
- Full-Spectrum CBD – these products that contain all other compounds from the hemp plant. These include CBN, CBGA, CBDA, terpenes, and THC, aside from CBD.
- Broad-Spectrum CBD – this is similar to full-spectrum since it contains other compounds aside from CBD. The only thing different is broad-spectrum doesn’t have THC.
- CBD Isolate – these products contain only CBD. These are the purest CBD forms you can find in the market.
Step 3: Decide How You Want To Take It
Once you’ve selected the type of CBD formulation you want, the next step is picking the product type. Which product you choose will depend on your preference of ingestion.
The most common types are CBD gummies, oil/tinctures, capsules, or lotions, and water-soluble powders. Stirling offers all these including a full line of water-soluble CBD products.
What’s The Most Effective Form of CBD?
We’ve created a quick breakdown of the benefits and absorption rate of each type.
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CBD Gummies and edibles
A recent 2022 study showed 58% of adult Americans prefer gummies over other product types. Gummies are easy to take and offer a more palatable way to include CBD into your diet. They come in a variety of flavors and varying potency.
CBD Gummies have a slow absorption rate, usually kicking in between 30 minutes to 2 hours. But, these also last longer than other options. You can take CBD Gummies before meals or after. For better results, Stirling’s gummies are best taken after you’ve eaten.
55% of CBD users prefer oils/tinctures according to the 2022 survey. Oils and tinctures are directly absorbed into the bloodstream via the sublingual gland under your tongue.
These have a faster absorption rate compared to gummies but don’t last quite as long. A typical CBD tincture will take effect after 15 minutes of taking it.
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CBD Vapes, Sprays, and Inhalers
These provide a quick way to incorporate CBD into your body. Inhalation provides a faster absorption rate than other methods. The near-instant absorption makes it the perfect method for people in a rush.
One downside of the fast absorption rate is that it wears off quicker than gummies or oils.
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CBD Lotions or topicals
As CBD Lotions are put on topically, these are absorbed through the skin. These are applied right on the skin and give relief to sore muscles and joints. Aside from relief from pain, they also provide a soothing effect on the skin.
Stirling offers a full range of topical CBD from anti-cramp magnesium balm to soothing lotions.
These come in both powder and liquid form. The latest in CBD products, these can be dissolved in water increasing its absorption rate. Compared to edibles, water-soluble CBD is absorbed into the body within 10 to 20 minutes after ingesting.
Since you can mix it in water, these can be incorporated into a variety of drinks. You can add it to your sports drinks, power smoothies, detox water, and juices according to the dosage indicated in the packaging.
Step 4: Match It With Your Lifestyle
Selection doesn’t end with your choice of intake method. Another thing to consider is how it will fit into your lifestyle. For example, choosing CBD vapes may be enticing to you due to quick absorption but it may not fit into a day-to-day routine.
Opting for gummies or water-soluble powders work great for a busy schedule. On the other hand, you may work out a lot and often have sore muscles. In that case, CBD lotions or balms can be very effective to go after localized pain.
Before finalizing your product choice it’s best to consider the following:
- How will it fit into your daily routine?
- How fast you’d receive the CBD benefits?
- Do you want added benefits aside from CBD?
- Can you withstand the intake method on a daily basis?
- Lastly, does it fit your budget?
Step 5: Pick Your Brand
The last step is picking a brand to buy your chosen CBD products from. There are a lot of things to consider when making the choice. But, we’ve narrowed it down to three simple points:
- Company Information
- Certificates of Analysis
- CBD Extraction Process
The good news is that Stirling clearly states on its website all the COAs and the method of extraction they use.
Easy Access To Company Information
One important thing to note when checking out a company’s information is FDA compliance. Legally compliant CBD companies will never claim that CBD can “cure“ any illness. They will also not make false claims such as being endorsed by big celebrities like Oprah. Or, be featured in shows like Shark Tank.
Legitimate CBD companies know well enough about the restrictions the FDA has and are dutifully obliging to them.
Another thing that trustworthy companies do is give quick and easy access to all the necessary information. You can find everything about the product on the label itself. This data includes:
- Ingredients
- suggested serving size
- net weight
- Production and expiration date
- Storing instructions
- And other product information
Certificate of Analysis
The second thing to look for in a product is the Certificate of Analysis for each one. A COA identifies that the product has been tested by third-party laboratories, not just the in-house testing team. This means the product you’re about to purchase has been thoroughly analyzed and tested before it reaches you.
The COA also validates all the compounds found on the product label. According to a study done by Penn Medicine, they’ve found that nearly 70% of CBD extracts sold are mislabeled.
A Certificate of Analysis will prevent this from happening. A company that has undergone third-party testing can’t randomly add things to its product label.
The CBD Extraction Process
There are many CBD companies out there but very few offer non-ethanol-based extraction. Out of all the non-ethanol-based extraction, only Stirling uses Solventless Terpene Extraction. But, why does this matter?
Well, the extraction process affects the quality of the product you are getting.
The less solvent used, the fewer foreign chemicals find their way into the CBD product you are using. Products extracted using ethanol risk both CBD purity and potency. Those extracted using the CO2 extraction process are costly.
Stirling’s patented method allows for purer quality CBD and higher yields. More yields mean more affordable CBD products.
The Bottomline
Choosing a CBD product that’s right for you is more than looking at a listing and clicking the add to cart button. Haphazardly choosing CBD gummies because your friend said so. Or, because you saw a Tiktok post about it can result in complications.
Especially, if you are on medications and forgo consulting your doctor.
Selecting the right product takes knowing what CBD formulations are available to you. It requires knowing what intake method works best for you and your lifestyle.
Lastly, it demands taking a closer look at a brand before deciding to make a purchase.
Similar to how a good plane seat can either make or break a plane ride. The right CBD product will kickstart your journey to a better, healthier you.
