Exploring the CBD market: How can you find out which product is right for you?

The CBD market is now worth almost $3 billion, and the whole craze started with one single product: CBD oil. Praised by medical professionals and backed up by glowing testimonials, CBD oil quickly became the go-to natural wellness solution for concerns such as anxiety, stress, insomnia, chronic pain, and more. Following the success of oils, a huge market started to develop, so that today customers are spoilt for choice. From tinctures and gummies to drinks and topical creams, there’s a CBD product for every medical concern and lifestyle.   

The options are so numerous, in fact, that someone who wants to try CBD today can be a bit dazzled. Should you try CBD oil, which is the most popular option, or should you further explore the market and try out some other ways of consumption?

As with any wellness solution, CBD is all about knowing your needs and experimenting with various types of products and combinations that work best in your case. 

Types of CBD products, based on consumption method 

If you haven’t tried CBD before, start by establishing how you’d feel more comfortable consuming it:

Oral 

Sublingual consumption means that you let the product sit under the tongue for about 30 seconds, then swallow it. CBD products designed for sublingual consumption usually come in bottles with a dripper, for easy dosing, and their biggest benefit is that they get absorbed into the bloodstream easily. 

Ingested consumption (edibles). These products come in many forms, such as gummies, capsules, and CBD drinks, as you can see on CBD Planet UK. Edibles take longer to work because they have to pass through the digestive tract first, but they also have the longest-lasting results out of all products. 

Inhalation 

Smoking and vaping are an easy way to consume CBD and provide almost instant results, which is why they’re preferred by people dealing with chronic pain or severe anxiety. However, you should keep in mind that smoking can irritate the throat and have long-term health effects. 

Oral and inhaled consumption methods are usually preferred by people looking for pain and anxiety relief, as an alternative to traditional medication, but they also work well for anyone who wants to sleep better, cope with small daily stresses, and enjoy a better sense of focus. 

Topical 

Topical CBD products such as creams, lotions, and balms, can be applied directly on the skin. They’re really easy to use, you can control the exact dosage, and you don’t need any extra tools. Topical CBD products are recommended for skin concerns such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, but they can also be used in the treatment of chronic pain associated with arthritis. 

What CBD dosage should you take?

The first step towards a pleasant CBD experience is finding the consumption method you’re most comfortable with. The second is to figure out what dosage is right for you. And here it’s important to be patient, methodical, read the instructions on the label carefully, and ask your doctor for advice. 

CBD is a non-psychoactive compound, and you can’t overdose on it. According to a 2011 study, you’d have to take 20,000 mg of CBD oil in a really short time to overdose, and that’s physically impossible. However, that doesn’t mean you should take too much either. Even harmless vitamins can have unpleasant side effects if you don’t consume them mindfully. 

If you’re a first-time CBD user, start by taking a bit less than the dosage recommended on the label and give the product enough time to work. With oils, tinctures, gummies, and other oral supplements, you have to be very patient, because it can take up to four or six hours to see the results. Don’t take another dose if you don’t feel any improvement after half an hour because the two doses will hit at the same time and, while you may not get high, you might still experience effects such as drowsiness and low blood pressure. If enough time has passed and you didn’t feel any improvement, then it’s safe to take another dose. 

Important! When consuming CBD edibles and drinks, always check the recommended serving size. For example, some bottled CBD drinks contain two doses, and you’re not supposed to drink them all at once. 

Can you consume more CBD products at the same time? 

With so many ways to consume CBD, you may have found more than one product that you love. This is especially true for fans of CBD drinks, which are deliciously refreshing and easy to consume. So, you may be wondering: is it safe to enjoy more of your favourite CBD products at the same time? That depends on the situation, but, in general, it’s not recommended. Not necessarily because of the side effects because, as we mentioned previously, you can’t overdose or get high, but because you won’t be able to tell what effects each product has. 

Because CBD products can have different effects (for example, one can make you feel more focused, another more relaxed, and another eases chronic pain), you can consider using multiple products, but not at once. For example, in chronic pain management, it’s quite common for people to vape CBD for instant relief, but also take sublingual drops for long-term comfort throughout the day. Or, if you have a busy and hectic day ahead of you, you can take your CBD oil in the morning and then have a CBD drink for when you need a little pick-me-up on the go. Or, you can take one product for prevention, and the other for treatment. CBD sellers usually have long, in-depth guides on the effects of their products, so that should be the first place to start if you want to educate yourself. 

Remember that each person is different, and if a friend had a certain experience with a CBD product, that doesn’t mean you will too. The key to a positive CBD experience is to experiment and adjust the doses until you find the perfect combination. To avoid spending too much on products that may not be good for you, consider ordering small samples before committing to the full-size ones.