What Do You Use a CBD Salve For and the Benefits

While CBD is all the rage right now, not all CBD products work the same or are taken in the same fashion. Even when you’ve narrowed down the CBD product types you like to use, it can be hard to tell the slight differences between them. New CBD products seem to be emerging every day, all with a different pitch about what sets them apart. When it comes to CBD topicals in particular there are a variety of options found on grocery store shelves now. They range from lotions to balms, patches, oils, and more.

We are here to discuss CBD salves in particular though, as they are the most common option in your common health food store. Salves have a unique use and effect in comparison to other topicals. Read on to learn more about what a good CBD salve can do for you and decide if it is a good fit for your unique needs.

What is A CBD Salve?

A CBD salve is simply a version of a CBD topical, normally sold in small containers. And a CBD topical is a lotion, salve, or balm made with cannabidiol extract. How the CBD topical is made though can vary greatly depending on the manufacturer and where they source their CBD. But most CBD topicals will contain a heavy dose of hemp-plant extract or CBD isolate. Outside of CBD, salves also contain some type of oil and beeswax to make the CBD compounds easier to spread across your skin. A salve keeps it simple though and is often limited when it comes to additional ingredients. Because of the presence of beeswax as well, salves can have a more stiff or thick consistency than other CBD topicals. Other forms of topicals such as lotions or chapstick will also contain other additives like essential oils or water, which dilute the CBD potency of the product.

The incorporation of oil not only makes the salve spreadable, it carriers the CBD particles perfectly due to its fatty acid content. The fattier the acid present, the more the CBD can bind and be incorporated into the product. Salves are designed to go straight to the source of any irritation or muscle pain with topical application. They can be ideal for athletes with muscle strains or people who manage chronic joint pain, to help relieve some pain on a regular basis without intoxicating effects.

How Much CBD Salve Should You Use?

CBD Salves are meant to be applied in a small area of your body to focus the treatment and place it on a specific pain point. They are not best for being applied all over the body, and CBD lotions or body oils will do a better job for that. When trying out a CBD salve for the first time, it is best to start with a small amount. Less can be more when applying CBD and it will take a bit of trial and error to find the sweet spot for you. If there isn’t a specific area you would like to target, then you can rub the salve over a general area such as your feet, shoulders, neck, temples, or joints to provide relief.

Applying a CBD salve is pretty simple, but there are a few important things to note. First, start with clean hands and a clean area for applying the salve. Also, be sure to wash your hands after applying the salve to get rid of any leftover residue. Use a small amount of salve at first and massage it slowly into your skin completely.

To find the right amount of CBD you need to have the effects you are looking for, you should look carefully at the salve’s label. A high dose of CBD in the salve is essential for you to feel the effects and get the most for your money. You should take into consideration the method that was used to make the CBD extract included as well. If possible, get test results from the manufacturer or a third-party lab for the product so that you will know exactly how much CBD and other plant compounds are present in your salve. Then you can begin to work out how much salve is needed on average for you.

What Are The Potential Benefits?

There are a variety of reasons why people have begun using CBD slaves on the regular. Although they might just seem like the hip new beauty product, they have been known to provide some relieving effects for certain types of ailments. Many people use CBD salves for:

• Inflammation or irritation in the skin
• Arthritis pain
• Acne
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Joint pain
• Nerve pain
• Muscle strains and recovery

It is important to note that a CBD salve will only go skin deep though and cannot sink in to address abdominal pains for example. By using a salve to apply CBD directly to your skin, your skin acts as a sponge to quickly absorb the CBD allow it to start interacting with your endocannabinoid system. Instead of providing pain relief, it is better to think of CBD as an anti-inflammatory that will indirectly provide pain relief. Also, any additional ingredients included in a salve can help your skin or muscles. For example, peppermint and eucalyptus are known to work as an anti-inflammatory as well and can be easily incorporated into an all-natural CBD salve.

You can now probably think of a ton of different ways a CBD salve could come in handy. If you live an active lifestyle, a CBD salve might fit well in your post-workout routine to assist your sore muscles in recovering. If you just want to wind down and relax after a long day at work a CBD salve massage of your temples could do the trick. No matter what you have in mind though, be sure to start with a small amount to eventually find the right amount of CBD salve for you.

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