CBD products have been bagging alarming attention for the past few years. Ever since studies came out with affirmation for positive results of CBD components, things just took up for it.

Now, there is a wide variety of CBD strains available in the market, facilitating multiple methods of administration. These are CBD oil, tablets, capsules, and powder.

When it comes to CBD oil, a question we most often come across is whether users can apply CBD oil to the body and get the same result as consuming it orally.

So lifting the clouds of confusion once and for all, let’s see through our glasses of science, whether consuming oral CBD oil topically will be as effective as otherwise or not.

What is the difference between CBD Topicals and CBD Oil?

There are several ways to take CBD oil but the most known and widely used methods are topical and oral consumption. Both of these methods are different and can lead to different experiences. 

So, it is important to figure out which method to use and which will give you the most benefit. To give you all the answers, we are here to give you the guidance you need and help you select the best method of consumption for your daily use.

What are CBD Topicals? 

CBD topical is a CBD product that is meant to apply directly onto the skin. The ingredients and nutrients get absorbed by the skin cells through pores. You can generally apply CBD topical oil to the particular area of the body part which needs the attention.

After absorption, the CBD extract helps the nerve fibers of the skin to eliminate the pain and also reduce inflammation in the body. The direct application of the CBD oil to the required area gives a chance for a faster and more effective result as the product can directly focus on the area which requires the most attention.

According to the National Library of Medicine, CBD oil both topicals and oral methods are effective for the treatment of chronic pain. In a study on rats, CBD oil was scientifically proven to reduce pain, inflammation, and nerve damage. You can read the full study here.    

More so, three different varieties of  CBD oil are available in the market i.e Full-spectrum, Broad spectrum, and Isolate. All three types of CBD oil have different ingredients in different concentrations created for a range of different customers.

Full-spectrum CBD contains all types of cannabinoids (natural chemical substances found in cannabis and used for several medical purposes), fatty acids, and terpenes that come from the natural produce of cannabis plants. 

This extract also contains a good amount of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is responsible for the stimulant and sedative properties of cannabis plants. However, the US rules and regulations only allow the use of THC at a very low quantity if the product wants FDA approval. 

A product cannot contain more than 0.3 percent of the THC compound. It is not recommended either to take more than this. 

Isolate, on the other hand, is a little different from the Full-spectrum extract. It contains only the main ingredient CBD extract, not any other cannabinoid compound that is found in the cannabis plants including THC. This makes the Isolate a pure CBD extract as it contains almost 99 percent of the pure CBD compound. 

Broad-spectrum includes all the naturally occurring cannabinoid compounds with the exemption of the THC ( Tetrahydrocannabinol ) chemical. 

Broad-spectrum uses all the components produced by a cannabis plant without including the THC chemical. This eliminates the “high” effect which you may experience with the full-spectrum CBD sometimes.

CBD topical can be found in a range of different forms. You can find CBD topicals in lotions, balms, and almost every type of skincare product. The use of the CBD topical is not rocket science. 

You can apply the product like any other cream or lotion. Just take the product and apply it to the area where you want it to work. 

It is best to use a small amount of the CBD topical product in the preliminary stage. We only recommend you increase the amount gradually so that the body can get comfortable with the product.   

What is CBD Oil?

Another method of consuming the CBD is oral. Oral consumption of CBD is like taking any other supplement or medicine. You just have to take the product through your mouth.

Oral consumption is highly popular and widely used. This is because this method is fast, easy, and hasslefree. However, this mode of consumption can take a little time to show the results in comparison to the topically used CBD oils.

There are two methods of oral consumption of CBD oil, under the tongue and ingestion. The ingestion method is pretty straight forward. You can consume CBD oil by swallowing it. 

You just have to gulp down the CBD product and the oil will pass through your digestive system and the ingredients will get digested by the body and will provide the results later on.

Although, the under-the-tongue method is a little different than the ingestion method. In this method, you can place the CBD product under the tongue for almost 30 to 60 seconds. 

Because of this, the product absorbs with the help of the mucous membranes that are located under your tongue and allow the ingredients to reach directly into your bloodstream. 

This, later on, allows the CBD oil to flow through your entire body and helps in connecting with the cannabinoid receptors of the body.  This ultimately leads to a relaxing feeling and helps in relieving pain from your body. 

CBD Topicals VS CBD Oil

CBD oil is a trending product whose popularity is increasing day by day. More and more people are starting to use CBD oil and cannabis for pain relief, reduced anxiety, and general skin conditions like acne. However, there is a question that always remains, what type of CBD oil is the best? 

Well, if we talk about topicals, they are meant to apply to the skin where it requires action and treatment. The ingredients that topical CBD contains all associate with the application on the skin of the individual. 

This is a faster method of getting results. It is because the product directly works on the area and interacts with the cannabinoid receptors of the body part where you applied the product. The ingredients do not enter the bloodstream and provide treatment to the area directly. 

CBD oil, on the other hand, works differently. Mostly derived from the hemp plant, this product contains different ingredients than CBD topicals. This CBD extract is fit for consumption so all the ingredients together give significant results via the ingestion of the product rather than applying it on the skin. 

CBD oil extract delivers its results by the ingestion process. Once users consume the product, it is digested by the body in a way that all the ingredients break down into smaller compounds and enter the bloodstream of the user. 

The Bloodstream helps the product to reach the body parts where you require the treatment and the components then react with the cannabinoid receptors to give you the result you desire.

If we compare the two methods, topical CBD makes a stronger case for itself as it does not involve the digestion process and bypasses it entirely. This gives the topical method the edge to work faster and provide results more quickly.

Another factor that differentiates these two methods is the safety and testing process. The testing of oral CBD consumables is not possible for skin sensitivity as they have different quality testing protocols. 

Similarly, CBD topicals are not fit for ingestion. And hence are not recommended for consumption. This is why consuming topicals as oral CBD’s and vice versa is not something officially denied but neither is it recommended since they can create health and safety concerns.

Furthermore, using CBD topicals differently and vice versa may not give you the desired results and benefits that you are hoping for. If you take CBD tincture topically then your body will not get the proper nutrients and care that your topical CBD contains. 

Topical CBD has additional ingredients and minerals for nourishing your skin along with giving you the effectiveness of CBD oil. But, consumption of oral CBD topically may deprive you of getting that additional benefit. 

Plus, using a tincture CBD topically will increase the hassle that you have to go through. Topical CBD comes in the form of creams and lotions whereas oral CBD is in the form of oil. So, this will require more tincture CBD to apply to your body part. 

Can I use CBD Oil Topically?

To sum up, you can use CBD oil topically. It will probably give you the result that it promises. However, the use of CBD oil topically will not give you the proper results that are capable of and probably will take a toll on your pocket too. 

Plus, this process would be highly impractical and will cause a lot of inconvenience to the user. Hence, it is better and also advised to invest in topical CBD from the start.