Tinctures, Topicals, and Gummies: How Do These CBD Products Work?

The number of ways to take CBD is growing at a surprising rate, what with things like CBD crystals, suppositories, patches, and even pillowcases (??) hitting the market. (Admittedly, we deeply question the efficacy of a supposed CBD-infused pillowcase.) But the industry stalwarts—tinctures, topicals, and gummies—remain the most tried-and-true methods and applications of CBD, with an expanding body of research backing up their worth and effectiveness. They are the cream of the CBD crop, so to speak, offering different benefits and uses between them. 

With our own line of Cannabinoid Balance CBD products, we’ve stuck by these most effective applications of the compound, offering broad spectrum CBD tinctures, CBD topical cream for pain relief, and CBD gummies for easy use. But there are differences between these applications, and as consumers, it’s important to understand those differences and make distinctions between them. 

Tinctures

CBD tinctures and oils are still far and away the most popular type of CBD product. This is the most concentrated, most potent form of CBD, and it offers the most variability for dosing, because you can determine how much you’d like to have and you have a measuring device at the ready to know exactly how much you’re having. Tinctures and oils are most commonly taken orally under the tongue. The CBD is then absorbed through mucus membranes in the mouth and then into the bloodstream. When it hits the bloodstream is when you start to feel the benefits, so tinctures and oils are one of the faster-acting methods of consumption as well. 

Note: Cooking with CBD tinctures and oils, however, changes the absorption method, as the CBD would then be ingested—and therefore digested—with your food, taking longer to hit your bloodstream.

Cannabinoid Balance offers three different tinctures: Cannabinoid Balance Original+, Cannabinoid Balance Sleep+, specifically designed to help improve sleep and relieve symptoms of insomnia, stress, and anxiety, and Cannabinoid Balance Pet+ to keep our pets healthy and relieve pain and conditional symptoms. 

Gummies

Gummies and other edibles are another very popular way to take CBD, being a bit more palatable for some people. With gummies, the CBD compound is infused into the gummy and we ingest it orally. After ingestion, our bodies break down the compound and dissolve it into a fat, after which it is digested through the stomach and liver before entering the bloodstream. As you might expect, that absorption process is lengthier than that of tinctures and oils, but it’s got its own pluses. For instance, the dosing for gummies is highly accurate. You don’t have any guesswork, as you might with tinctures or even topicals. Instead, gummies are pre-dosed in precise amounts, so you know exactly how much you’re taking every time. Cannabinoid Balance CBD Gummies+ are optimized through our use of proprietary NanoZorb™ technology, making their absorption time even quicker than other gummy products.

Topicals

Topical creams and salves are a hit when it comes to reducing pain and inflammation. The method of application and CBD delivery is quite different in that you’re applying the cream to the affected area directly, and unlike with oral delivery methods, the cream—and therefore the CBD compound—doesn’t go into your entire body’s bloodstream, but instead gets absorbed right into the cells of the affected area through cell lipid layers. It’s an incredibly effective and quick delivery method, but limited to the area of application, so you won’t feel the effects everywhere else. Combine topicals’ already effective nature with our use of NanoZorb™ technology to increase CBD’s bioavailability, and our Cannabinoid Balance Pain Relief Cream+ is about as good as it gets.

All Cannabinoid Balance products have an added “+”, indicating the bonus effect nanotechnology has on our products. In employing proprietary NanoZorb™ technology, our products have increased CBD bioavailability and, therefore, are more fast-acting across the spectrum, regardless of which type of product or consumption method you choose.

As always, we recommend consulting with your doctor before adding CBD to your regimen, particularly if you’re on other medications. Learn more about how to talk to your doctor about taking CBD here.