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In order to get the best out of your CBD oil, how you store and take care of your products can have an impact on just how long your CBD lasts. If you are an avid CBD user, your product probably won’t make it to its expiration date, however, if you tend to buy your CBD in bulk, you may find that your CBD is past its best before date by the time you get to using it. So, whether you are a bulk buyer, regular user or casual partaker in CBD, this guide will outline so helpful tips on how to store your CBD to ensure it has a longer shelf life.

Does CBD have a shelf life?

In short, the answer is yes. Just like most food or drink products we consume; CBD also has a shelf life. The shelf life of most CBD products is 1-2 years depending on what your CBD oils made from. It can also depend on several other factors, such as its packaging, where it’s stored, how it’s made, and what your oil contains.

It’s worth noting that even high-quality CBD brands – particularly products made from hemp plant extracts containing natural plant material – will expire at some point. However, this doesn’t mean your CBD oil will go bad quickly, it’s just a good idea to check your CBD regularly for any signs that it may be “off”. (We’ll discuss this later).  

5 things you need to know about CBD expiration

1. CBD oil breaks down in the air and direct sunlight

The majority of CBD products come in blue glass packaging, which aims to preserve the shelf life of products that are most sensitive to light.

In addition to the blue glass packaging, CBD products should always be stored away from direct light and heat to ensure the product doesn’t lose its potency. This is why experts suggest storing CBD in a medicine cabinet, or in a cupboard, to ensure your CBD lasts longer.

CBD products should also be stored in a dry place that is not exposed to the air, otherwise your products may oxidise or breed bacteria, thus damaging your product. Storing your CBD in airtight container is sometimes advisable.

2. CBD can be stored in the fridge to keep it fresh

If you live in a hot climate, CBD can be stored in the fridge to maintain freshness of the product when keeping CBD in a cool dry place and out of direct sunlight is more difficult. Depending on what type of oil your CBD oil is mixed with, you may find that the viscosity of the oil may appear thicker, but this is normal at colder temperatures and won’t affect the CBD itself.

3. CBD oil potency can change over time 

Generally, the expiration date on your bottle of CBD is there as a guide to indicate when your product is past its prime – just like you’d get on food or drink. But remember, over time CBD will lose its potency. Depending on the way your CBD oil has been stored, the compounds found within the oil can convert into other compounds, resulting in cannabinoid potency being reduced.

Furthermore, the potency of the CBD product can be altered if stored poorly in heat, direct sunlight or after a long period of time. This is why it is vital to store your CBD in the correct location, to ensure it has a longer shelf life and is most effective.

4. Poor hygiene can make CBD oil expire quicker

If you use CBD for your pets, during cooking, or even putting it under your tongue, you must ensure you are practicing good hygiene. If the CBD oil dropper touches your mouth or the food and you put it back in the bottle, you run the risk of external contaminants and bacteria getting into your bottle. Food particles and saliva, in particular, can breed bacteria and make your CBD products deteriorate in record time.

5. Full-spectrum CBD tends to expire faster 

Full-spectrum CBD oils contain other natural hemp plant ingredients, which means they are prone to expire quicker than oils that are made from CBD isolate.

On the other hand, isolate CBD is made from a pure powdered form, which is then added to a “carrier oil”, which removes the natural hemp plant ingredients found in full-spectrum CBD and leaves the CBD compound.

Please note: This doesn’t mean that full-spectrum CBD is worse than CBD isolate because it has a short expiration period, it’s simply down to the manufacturing process. You should choose which type of CBD based upon their effects on your body and what you use CBD for.

How can you tell if your CBD has gone bad?

If you buy your CBD in bulk, you may need to keep an eye on the expiration date to make sure you aren’t taking CBD that has gone bad. Here are a few ways to tell if your CBD is still fresh and safe for consumption:

• Check the expiration date on the packaging
• Check the smell and colour
• Look out for a change in oil consistency

Whether you’re using natural CBD oil products that are full-spectrum or isolate CBD oil, you must ensure you are practicing good hygiene and care when using and storing your products. Like with any product, this will help to maintain the shelf life of your products and ensure you get the very best out of your products.

 

You may also like: What is the best way to take CBD?

 

Feature image credit: IRA_EVVA / Shutterstock

If you’re new to the world of CBD, you may be wondering what the best way is to take CBD oil. There are a several different ways of taking CBD, each with varying effects, from capsules and tinctures to creams and chewing gum. But which method is the best way to take CBD oil? We’ve compiled a handy guide of the most common ways to take CBD oil to help you find out the best way to take CBD oil to suit your own needs.

How to Take CBD

There are several ways of using CBD products, each with varying effects. They can be taken in a wide variety of forms, including ingested as a tablet or gummy form, as droplets into the mouth, or even as a spray or cream.

When deciding the best way to take CBD for you, it is worth noting that each CBD method has varying ‘bioavailability’ levels, which means the proportion of a substance that enters the circulation when introduced into the body, to have an active effect.

But the best way to take CBD will differs entirely from person to person. There is not one set way for all CBD users. Instead, you will have to attempt a little trial and error to find out what method works best for you and your needs.

But in order to know where to start, ask yourself why you are taking CBD oil. If you want to take CBD to help with anxiety, you would want to purchase a fast-acting product that can get to the job quickly. Alternatively, you may also want to consider other factors, such as time. If you have a busy schedule, you may want a product that is discreet and easy to take on-the-go.

What are the best ways to take CBD oil?

Here are some of the most common methods of taking CBD, so you can find out which is the best way to take CBD for you:

– Holding CBD oil under the tongue

The most popular way of taking cannabidiol is using a CBD oil – also known as a tincture. This kind of method is available in a wide variety of strengths and flavours to suit your every need, and can be readily purchased online and in highstreet stores.

CBD oil is great for beginners, however you should bear in mind that CBD can taste quite strong and bitter, which may put you off. This is why this method is a long-time favourite for experienced users who are used to the taste, and due to the fact that they can easily customise their CBD dosage to suit their needs using the dropper which is attached to the bottle.

In order to get the best results from a tincture, you should drop the CBD oil under the tongue via the sublingual pathway. To do this, you must keep the product under the tongue for up to 10 minutes (the longer the better) before being swallowed. This allows the product time to be absorbed into the bloodstream before entering the digestive tract, ensuring the user feels the optimum effect, which can be felt around 30 minutes later.

Therefore, it is no wonder that this method is highly effective for issues such as pain relief or anxiety.

 

– Ingesting CBD oil

CBD oil can be found in a wide variety of products found online and on the highstreet. Taking CBD orally (through your mouth) is perhaps one of the most popular practices, particularly through a CBD capsule, which can come in the form of a soft gel or a pill. This is advantageous for users as they are easy to swallow and carry on-the-go.

The CBD is infused in the product, the same way as you would in a tincture (droplet), however it isn’t one of the fastest ways to feel the effects. As a result, they aren’t the best option for fast relief.

If you’re a beginner to CBD, the easiest way to get started as it is easy to take and allows you to have a consistent concentration, which makes it easy to find out what works for you. Not to mention, monitoring dosage is easy with capsules since they come in pre-measured sizes.

 

– Vaping CBD oil

One of the newest and most popular ways of taking CBD is through vaping a CBD e-liquid using an e-cigarette/vape pen. They can in several different strengths and flavourings that you can customise and play with to create the best results for you.

One of the main advantages of this method is that it is fast-acting, making it a great way to relieve pain or anxiety. In fact, vaping CBD oil enters the lungs and is diffused directly into the bloodstream, which allows significantly more CBD to enter the body for circulation than other available methods. As a result, the bioavailability of vaping CBD oil can reach around 50 to 60%, meaning that is is entirely possible to feel the benefits between 30 minutes to an hour.

 

– Chewing CBD oil

CBD oil that you can chew are increasing in popularity over the years – in particular CBD chewing gum and gummy sweets. Not only are they tasty and effective, but they also contain a pre-measured dose of CBD making them easy to use on-the-go and ideal for beginners.

Just like ingesting CBD oil, this method will take longer to absorb into the bloodstream due to the fact it must pass through the digestive system. The CBD will be released over a more extended period of time – around two hours – meaning the effects last longer.

However, it is still possible for CBD oil to be administered through the sublingual pathway for some products, like CBD gum. Instead of chewing gum and swallowing your saliva, try to contain the saliva under your tongue and hold it there for as long as you can (10 minutes will be ideal), to allow the CBD to be absorbed into the bloodstream. This helps to quicken the time it takes to notice an effect on the body, which can be around half an hour.

 

– Rub CBD oil into your skin

If you want to try CBD for muscle aches and pains, applying CBD via a topical application can be a good option. Topical CBD is essentially CBD that has been extracted and placed into a cream, lotion of balm for use on your body, instead of via your mouth. This means that this method of taking CBD doesn’t enter the bloodstream, but despite this, it still has a multitude of health benefits.

These are highly advantageous if you are prone to suffering from aches, pains, inflammation and skin conditions, such as acne, and they target one specific area and get to work quickly.

 

So, what’s the best way to take CBD oil?

Taking CBD oil is a personal experience, so it is hard to say what the best way to take CBD is as the best method will vary substantially from person to person. As a result, be sure to research each method of taking CBD to find out which works best for you and your medical needs.

 

 

Feature image credit: Kimberly Boyles / Shutterstock

 

Over the years, CBD has grown in popularity and become increasingly easier to get hold of due to the various health benefits of medical marijuana. The most popular way of ingesting CBD is through dropping CBD oil into the mouth orally, however now there are a range of different methods available that have taken the CBD world by storm, including CBD chewing gum which offers a convenient and discreet way of taking oil. But what is CBD gum and how does it work?

Read more

Cannabidiol (CBD) has risen in popularity, becoming legal throughout the UK and offering a number of health benefits. In particular, the drug holds pain relief and anti-inflammatory properties, by altering our endocannabinoid receptor activity (a specialised system responsible for regulating pain). This reduces discomfort caused by several health problems, including thrush, tooth ache, cancer and arthritis.

Uses of CBD oil for pain relief:

1. CBD oil for toothache

Taking CBD orally (for instance, using CBD gum) has been proven to act as a powerful pain killer, reducing any discomfort caused by tooth ache. CBD can also help reduce the problem, with its anti-inflammatory properties. CBD is a useful solution to manage tooth ache before seeking medical treatment.

2. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder

TMJ is a disorder that effects the lower jaw connection to the brain, resulting in pain and discomfort. The disorder often causes the jaw to pop and click out of place, making it difficult to chew or lock your jaw.

One study has revealed that cannabidiol can reduce all TMJ symptoms due to its inflammatory and pain relief components. Furthermore, it is proven that oral CBD can reduce stress and anxiety, which is often a cause of TMJ habits.

3. Thrush

Thrush is a fungal infection that can cause white patches to appear around your mouth, resulting in pain and soreness. A fungal infection can lead to burning mouth syndrome if your condition persists.

CBD has been proven to reduce anxiety and improve our immune systems, which can prevent people contracting thrush and/or speed up the recovery. Furthermore, CBD can actively fight the infection (through its anti-fungal properties), whilst providing pain relief to sufferers.

4. CBD oil for arthritis and multiple sclerosis

Arthritis and multiple sclerosis are medical conditions that can result in pain, especially when walking. However recent research has suggested that administering CBD and THC to suffering patients can effectively treat the chronic pain. For example, one study found that administering a THC and CBD drug (called Sativex) improved patients suffering with multiple sclerosis pain, walking, and muscle spasms. Similarly, patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis had reduced pain at rest and sleep when using Sativex.

5. CBD for cancer treatment relief

Evidence has shown that using CBD oil for pain relief is a common solution used by cancer patients. For example, the National Cancer Institute stated that the use of CBD during chemotherapy has appeared to reduce common side effects such as pain. Additional studies have found that the combination of CBD and THC alongside opioids can effectively provide more pain relief, than simply using opioids alone. Despite the research more evidence is needed.

Summary

Research has found that using CBD oil for pain relief can be effective when treating diseases like multiple sclerosis, arthritis, cancer and dental problems. However, more research is needed, and CBD cannot fix any underlying health issues.

For more guides and information surrounding the drug, explore CBDGum.uk. 

Despite the evidence listed above, there is evidence that for some, the opposite may be true. A side effect of consuming CBD is a change in appetite- this could be a loss, but also an increase, in feelings of hunger.

A 2018 study revealed a disparity in the effects of CBD on appetite. The study analysed just under 2,500 CBD users, and found that about 6% of participants experiences increased hunger. However, it is important to note that THC is usually responsible for an increased appetite in things like marijuana.

(also known as ‘the munchies’) and this study states that it “did not attempt to discriminate between hemp-derived CBD and marijuana-derived CBD products, which may have differing chemical constituents (including THC content)”. Which may account for a skewing of results.