CBD Balms

11 products

A CBD balm is hemp extract in a thick base of butter, oil or wax, with no water in it. It stays where you put it, which suits one small spot better than a large area. It comes in a tin, a jar or a twist-up stick. Some balms add menthol for a cooling feel. Others are unscented.

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Which CBD balms are in this collection?

The plainest is the NuLeaf Naturals Full Spectrum CBD Balm. It has two ingredients, full spectrum hemp extract and organic shea butter, and it is unscented. The jars are half an ounce with 300mg, one ounce with 600mg and an ounce and a half with 900mg, all at the same concentration.

The CBDistillery CBD Soothing Relief Balm holds 500mg of full spectrum CBD in a 1oz container. The base is shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax and essential oils. It is thick and it does not cool. It is Leaping Bunny Certified.

The Canna River CBD Body Balm is a 2oz tin labeled 5,000mg. That figure is total cannabinoids: 1,250mg each of CBD, CBC, CBG and CBN, in a base of shea butter, coconut oil and arnica. It comes in Chamomile, Lavender, Cooling and Warming.

The sticks are the hands-free version. The CBDfx Muscle & Joint CBD Balm Stick is broad spectrum CBD with menthol and camphor in a shea butter base, in 750mg or 3,000mg. The CBDistillery 1000mg CBD Isolate Relief Stick has 1,000mg of CBD isolate with menthol, peppermint oil and arnica. This collection also lists the cbdMD CBD Freeze Roller, which is a roll-on gel and not a balm, with broad spectrum CBD and 4% menthol.

What should you check before buying a CBD balm?

  • CBD or total cannabinoids. The number on the front can be either one.
  • Milligrams per ounce. One ounce with 600mg is more concentrated than one ounce with 500mg.
  • Sensation. Menthol, camphor and peppermint oil cool. A Warming formula warms. Shea butter on its own does neither.
  • The base. Beeswax rules a balm out for vegans. Coconut oil counts as a tree nut on an allergen label.
  • Spectrum. Full spectrum keeps a trace of THC. Broad spectrum has none detected. Isolate has none.

Balm in a tin or balm stick: what is the difference?

The container changes how you use it. A tin or jar lets you take as little as you want and press it into a small spot, but your fingers go in the product. A stick twists up like a deodorant and glides on, so your hands stay clean and it can live in a gym bag.

Gels and creams, which are lighter and dry on the skin, are in the CBD cream collection. Every format is side by side in CBD topicals.

Frequently asked questions

What is CBD balm made of?

A CBD balm is hemp extract blended into fats and waxes, with no water. Shea butter is the most common base in this collection. Coconut oil and beeswax appear in several. Some formulas add arnica, essential oils, menthol or camphor. The simplest one here, from NuLeaf Naturals, is hemp extract and organic shea butter only.

Is a CBD balm the same as a CBD salve?

In practice, yes. Both words describe an oil-and-wax product with no water in it, and brands use them interchangeably. A balm usually has a little more wax, so it is firmer. A cream or lotion is different: it contains water and absorbs instead of sitting on the skin.

Are CBD balms vegan?

Not all of them. Beeswax is a common balm ingredient, and the CBDistillery CBD Soothing Relief Balm and the Canna River CBD Body Balm both contain it. The CBDfx Muscle & Joint CBD Balm Stick is labeled vegan. The NuLeaf Naturals balm lists only hemp extract and organic shea butter.

Does CBD balm have a scent?

It depends on the formula. The NuLeaf Naturals balm is unscented, with nothing added for fragrance. The Canna River CBD Body Balm comes in Chamomile and Lavender. Balms and sticks made with menthol, camphor or peppermint oil smell of those ingredients.

How should you store a CBD balm?

Keep it somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight. A balm is mostly butter and wax, so heat softens it. That matters most for a stick, which needs to hold its shape to glide on. Close the lid or cap after each use.