Topicals: An Easy Addition To Your Routine

Read Time: 6 minutes

Whether you’re looking to address everyday stress, focus on muscle soreness from a workout, or recover after achieving a personal best, adding CBD topicals to your daily routine is like having your own personal spa team on the go!

How Topicals Work

Topical CBD products work by delivering CBD into the body through one’s skin. This method of delivery is called transdermal (“trans” = across — “dermal” = skin) administration. Transdermal delivery allows more of CBD to be absorbed into the body than an oral delivery method, such as softgels. Topical administration of a full spectrum product also allows a steady diffusion of CBD over a longer amount of time—so you can experience its effects for a more prolonged period. It also lowers the chance of you running into any issues that could occur with higher serving sizes of particular cannabinoids (such as the anxiety sometimes associated with high levels of THC, for instance).

Topicals (including all the lotions and balms that you see at the drugstore) always include what are called permeation enhancers. These ingredients are added to increase the levels of CBD and other cannabinoids that are able to penetrate the skin—also reducing the amount of time before peak levels of CBD are reached in the body.

Advantages of Topicals

Perfect for targeted, immediate relief

Topical products are highly beneficial for pain or tension that is localized to a specific area, such as a muscle or joint, because the products can directly target discomfort at the source. They are most effective when used on a limited area of the body experiencing muscle pain, irritation, or inflammation. Because they have a more narrow scope of action than other systemic delivery methods, such as tinctures and capsules, topicals wouldn’t be the most effective method for treating something like a stomach issue.

Can be formulated to target specific issues

CBD topicals come in a variety of formulations that offer many different outcomes, giving you several options based on your needs and personal preferences. 

In addition to the permeation enhancers that make it easier for cannabinoids to penetrate the skin, CBD topicals are specifically designed with different ingredients depending on the issues people might want to address. For instance, a topical in the form of a lotion would include moisturizing agents such as jojoba and almond seed oil—whereas a muscle gel would include pain-relieving ingredients, such as menthol and capsaicin. 

Suitable for everyone

Another advantage of topical CBD products is that they rarely produce any side effects, and are useful for a wide variety of issues. CBD topicals can be helpful for muscle pain from workouts or day-to-day strain. They can also be useful for inflamed joints that ache from repetitive stress or an underlying condition. The ease and versatility of application offered by topicals make this CBD delivery method a powerful option for managing pain—whether on its own or as an add-on therapy to other pain management treatments.

However, CBD topicals aren’t just for people looking for pain relief! Many incorporate topicals into their routines as daily moisturizers, or as an end-of-the-day treat for body and mind. (Who doesn’t love a massage at the end of a long day?)

How To Pick a Topical

When choosing a topical to try, it’s hard to go wrong! Here are some factors to consider:

CBD Potency 

How strong do you prefer the formulation to be? Our CBD balms are the strongest of the bunch; followed by our muscle gel, lotions, and body/massage oil.

Other Ingredients 

Are there any ingredients you’re sensitive to? If you’re avoiding fragrances, in particular, we do offer unscented varieties of our balms, lotions, and massage oil.

How It Feels

Our balm sticks, lotions, massage oil, and muscle gel each apply a bit differently to the skin. 

The balm has a solid, more pliable consistency that’s perfect for giving sore spots the targeted attention they deserve. 

Our muscle gel absorbs rapidly and leaves barely any residue, so you can easily apply it before or after activities. The lotion is a smoother formulation that applies more easily—whereas the massage oil is ultra-silky, and will leave more of a sheen than the others.

Desired Effect

All of our CBD topicals are a convenient way to keep skin moisturized and soft, while delivering the nourishment of CBD at a deeper level. Each can be used to target localized, specific areas on your body. (Choose a scented option if you want to enhance the relaxing effects!)

CBD Balm At A Glance

• ½ teaspoon contains 50mg of CBD (our most potent topical).
• Full Spectrum.
• Unscented option available.
• Features additional functional ingredients.
• Easily transported and secured.

Our CBD balms are made from a high quality, all-natural combination of ingredients—including mango butter, lanolin, and beeswax—specifically formulated for topical use. We then infuse the balms with our potent full spectrum CBD extract and natural terpenes to produce lightly-scented balms that are easily applied anywhere on the body. (External use only.)

The Lavender and Portland Rose balms nourish without a greasy feeling, and smell like you’ve run your hands through a fresh field of flowers. The Soothing Mint is infused with wintergreen oil and features capsaicin and menthol—both natural pain relievers. This balm leaves your skin feeling tingly and invigorated!

CBD Lotion At A Glance

• ½ teaspoon contains 25mg of CBD (half as potent as Lazarus Naturals CBD balm)
• Full Spectrum.
• Unscented option available.
• Easy-squeeze bottle makes application convenient and measured.

Our CBD lotions offer full-body coverage that feels smooth, light, and non-greasy. They can be applied any time you want skin that feels soft and nourished.

Our Unscented Full Spectrum CBD Lotion features organic ingredients such as mango butter, soothing aloe, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil. Best of all? Each teaspoon of lotion contains 50mg of CBD, so you get maximum relief with minimal fragrance!

CBD Body/Massage Oil At A Glance

• ½ teaspoon contains about 8mg CBD (1 tablespoon contains 50mg CBD)
• Full Spectrum.
• Unscented option available.
• Potency and viscosity formulated with full-body application in mind.

Our CBD Massage Oil makes it easier to deeply stretch and manipulate muscles and joints. The formulation features a combination of organic jojoba oil and sweet almond oil—two ingredients that are popular with massage therapists because they absorb quickly, but not so quickly that they need to be reapplied often. With 1 Tbsp of massage oil carrying 50mg of our full spectrum CBD extract, this topical is formulated with a slightly lower potency in mind—so a functional serving size of CBD can be delivered over the course of a full-body massage to ensure a nurturing dose of deep tissue support.

CBD Muscle Gel At A Glance

• ½ teaspoon contains about 40mg CBD
• Full Spectrum.
• Includes menthol and capsaicin to reduce inflammation and pain.

Our CBD muscle gel contains tried-and-true functional ingredients people have used for decades to relieve aches and pain: menthol and capsaicin. These additions produce a tingly, cooling, (and eventually warming) sensation that distracts from any soreness originating deeper in the muscles, joints, and tendons. Together, these ingredients paired with our high-potency CBD extract, offer a fast-acting and long-lasting antidote for the minor aches, pains, and inflammation of an intense workout or demanding day.

Tips For Applying CBD Topically

• Clean and dry your skin first. Rub the topical on using gentle, circular motions. Start with a dollop so that you can determine your personal preference for how the product feels on your skin.
• For products that include menthol or capsaicin: You may feel their cooling, tingly effects immediately—but cannabinoids require a bit longer to take effect. (However, the relief can last up to several hours, which is well worth it!)
• If you’re sensitive to any essential oils, try our unscented products for maximum effect without the additional fragrance. 
• As with any other topical solutions, spot test to make sure that your skin doesn’t have a reaction to the product before applying to a larger patch of skin.