Hemp Oil vs. CBD Oil
When it comes to purchasing products meant to improve your health or skin, it’s important to know the ingredient’s authenticity. This is especially true with hemp products—whether it be clothing, skincare, or oil meant for cooking. There has been misunderstanding and mislabeling regarding hemp and CBD. People often mistake CBD oil and hemp oil as being one and the same.
Fact is: they are different and they produce very different effects once consumed. Having a proper understanding of what sets them apart will not only save you from confusion, but also keep you from experiencing unwanted side-effects should you purchase one or the other mistakenly.
What’s The Difference Between Them?
Hemp and CBD come from two different varieties of the same plant “cannabis sativa”. They share the same species name, however, there are major differences between the two. Let’s break these differences down to help you better understand things:
Cannabis Plant:
Contains about 17% THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as the compound that can make a person feel high. Cannabis can be used for both therapeutic and medicinal purposes; including treatment for mental health, chronic pain, and various other illnesses. It has less than 0.15% CBD as of 2014.
Hemp Seeds:
Contains 0% of THC, which means it will not produce the same psychoactive effects that cannabis does. These seeds are used for the production of hemp oil, which is then used for various purposes such as cooking, paint, and beauty products. It only has trace amounts of CBD.
Hemp Plant:
For it to be sold legally, it should have no more than 0.3% THC content. The stalk of this plant is a popular material often used for producing paper, clothing, fuel, rope, home insulation, and a lot of other more practical uses. It has 12%- 18% CBD.
Their Use In Skincare And Known Benefits
The trend in beauty care these days is looking to nature for solutions when it comes to different skin issues. Both CBD and hempseed oil have become some of the most popular ingredients for topical skincare products—and with good reason!
If you’re looking for skincare that will help with inflammation (pimples and acne flare-ups), then hempseed oil will benefit you greatly. Not only is it known for being hypoallergenic and non-pore clogging, it also provides your skin with nourishment and moisture. This helps with keeping the youthfulness of your skin and creating that glow everyone wants.
It can also be mixed with the products you already use (moisturizer, sunscreen) or used by itself as a face oil. When it comes to CBD oil, more research is being done into finding out what its skin benefits are. What we do know is that much like hempseed oil, it is a potent anti-inflammatory ingredient and can help in the healing of: acne, acne scarring, rashes, sensitive skin, psoriasis, an eczema.
These are skin issues usually treated with stronger products, often containing steroids—but with CBD, you can skip all the potential side-effects and benefit from its natural healing properties. Taking all of this into consideration, the question is: are CBD skincare products truly better?
Note that these tend to be pricier when compared to hempseed oil products, so you have to ask yourself whether paying extra is worth it in the long run? The answer really depends on the person using each product as results will vary with every individual. As a consumer, remember to do your research—these brands are not always transparent when it comes to informing you just how much CBD is in the product itself. You might be paying for more, but actually getting little of what you’re after.
Differentiating Between Cbd And Hempseed Oil Products
Not every hemp-infused product available in the market place is reliable—there are brands that will intentionally mix up the terms hempseed and CBD in order to confuse consumers and sell more of their products. So, why would they want to do this?
Simple. More people are actually okay with paying extra if they believe they’re getting CBD oil as opposed to hempseed. There’s no way for them to tell by simply looking or smelling a product, so consumers often make “blind” purchases and rely on the brand’s reputation when it comes to deciding if they trust their claims or not.
Sadly, there will be instances where products marketed as containing CBD oil end up containing hempseed oil instead—while there’s nothing wrong with that as the latter is just as beneficial, consumers do pay more than what they should. Brands can decorate their bottles and boxes with marijuana leaves even if the product contains zero CBD.
Some brands might even do the reverse and market their products as hempseed-oil based as a means of avoiding the regulations imposed by the Food and Drug administration on marijuana derived products. As a consumer, how will you be able to tell if you’re purchasing the right thing? Take a look at the ingredients list and remember that:
CBD will be listed as full-spectrum hemp, cannabidiol, PCR hemp extracts, or PCR. It pays to do a bit of research as well. There are plenty of helpful websites that will provide you a list of trustworthy brands that sell hempseed oil or CBD oil based products; depending on what you’re looking for. The more reputable companies will sell theirs at a slightly higher price than most, but you’re getting exactly what you paid for.
Being A Better Consumer
Companies are not required to list the actual CBD or hempseed oil content of a product, but it has become common practice for more established companies to do so. If you buy something and find that it isn’t listed, you should think twice and consider what exactly is in that bottle and if it was worth paying the amount of money you spent on it.
Even when it comes to natural products, it is still important to be educated and to do your own research. It is no longer enough to simply look at a product description or rely on an influencer’s recommendation when it comes to what you should buy. For your own safety, be a good consumer. You can find our CBD Dosing chart for dogs helpful.
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