The Different Types of CBD Creams
Of all the many different types of CBD products, perhaps none are as versatile as CBD creams — a diverse class of CBD topicals. But, despite all that these powerful wellness tools have to offer, it can be tough to pick which products are best for your needs.
In this article, we shine the spotlight on the many types of CBD cream, all to help you find the best choice for your CBD treatment needs!
Note that the recommendations later on are just our staff favorites, but we stand by all our products. Whether you choose one of our picks, we hope you'll find the following tips useful for choosing from our expansive inventory!
So without further ado, let’s dive into the wide world of CBD creams and other topicals that can bring out the best in comfort, skincare, and more!
Basic Terms: CBD Cream vs. CBD Lotion vs. CBD Balm
One of the most confusing questions for novice skincare aficionados is the ambiguity between different types of CBD topicals.
Most relevant to the discussion of CBD creams? The terms “cream”, “lotion”, and “balm”.
While some may use these terms interchangeably, they actually refer to subtly different types of products! What’s more, each may lend itself to slightly different uses.
All three terms refer to a mixture of carefully-extracted CBD oil, water, and a host of other synergistic ingredients. All three are meant to be applied topically (on the skin) and can benefit users through anti-inflammation, moisturization, wrinkle-reduction, and more.
Note that this article’s product recommendations WILL include creams, lotions, AND balms. That’s because these products are essentially similar but have slightly different ingredients.
The Three Most Common CBD Topicals
But as they say, knowledge is power! So let’s disambiguate these terms before jumping into product recommendations. The general rule? It’s all a matter of water content vs. oil content.
- CBD Lotions: Typically, lotions are the lightest of these three types of skincare products. They contain the highest amount of water (often as the main ingredient) and the lowest concentration of CBD oil by volume. This usually means that CBD lotions will need to be applied more frequently — but often cost less by volume due to their lower CBD concentration. What’s more, CBD lotions are most easily absorbed by the skin, so they will not generally leave an unsightly or sticky oily residue. This makes CBD lotions the perfect choice for getting a bit of much needed moisture right before going about your day!
- CBD Creams: CBD cream contains a lower proportion of water than does lotion. It will have a thicker consistency than lotion, will provide longer lasting moisture and CBD benefits, and will generally not leave a significant oily residue (once given time to absorb). CBD creams are a sort of middle-ground between the benefits of lotions and balms — a fact that has made them the most popular form of CBD topical! All these factors together make CBD creams a perfect “middle of the road” option, delivering the sweet-spot of long-lasting effects and quick absorption with no unsightly residue.
- CBD Balms: CBD balms do not contain water and are based purely on a combination of CBD oil extract, other plant oils and waxes, and essential oils. Balms have a consistency that’s somewhere between a thick, viscous liquid and a gooey solid. Unsurprisingly, CBD balms take the longest to fully absorb into the skin, deliver the longest-lasting CBD effects, and leave the most noticeable oily residue of the three types. Because of those last two points, CBD balms are often best used at home when you know you’ll have time before next going out.
Different Types and Uses for CBD Cream
Regardless of the type of CBD cream or other topical you choose, choosing the right type of product is extremely important for ensuring you have a positive experience!
Topical CBD has a wide variety of applications, most notably for pain management and fighting inflammation. When combined with the other synergistic ingredients found in CBD topicals, the possibilities become even more versatile!
Here are our favorite recommendations for the best CBD creams, lotions, and balms for your needs. Whether you’re looking for an everyday topical moisturizer, an after-workout muscle-pain soother, an inflammation-fighter, or a beauty-booster, here are our picks for any user’s needs!
Moisturizers: CBD Cream for Dry, Thirsty Skin
When you think of traditional skincare, moisturizers may just be the first thing that springs to mind. After all, as the immortal Derek Zoolander reminds us: “Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty.”
It will come as no surprise that CBD creams, lotions, and balms can offer positively top-shelf moisturizing experiences. Many CBD topicals are designed for precisely this purpose, and CBD’s many therapeutic benefits only sweeten the pot!
Miss Bud’s | CBD Body Butter
This decadent body butter delivers a powerfully hydrating boost to your thirstiest skin, revitalizing and refreshing it with a natural bouquet of vitamins, omegas, and essential oils. It boasts a rich and fragrant mango-mandarin scent, which uplifts and energizes the mind with a lingering, delicate perfume.
Post-Workout Muscle Pain: Warming and Cooling CBD Cream for the Aches That Ail You
Gym rats know: a grueling workout can leave you feeling achy, sore, and far from your best, even days after your exercise!
Well, we’ve got good news: these CBD creams and topicals are specially designed to deliver targeted CBD relief directly to your achiest muscles and joints.
By combining CBD with a traditional hot/cold treatment, you can get the best of sports science with an added infusion of long-lasting, pain-fighting CBD! These products might just change your workout routine forever!
Mary’s Nutritionals | Muscle Freeze
This topical is all about taking the edge off of common aches and muscle pains that interfere with your active lifestyle. Perfect for use both at home or at the gym, it provides fast-acting, mentholated relief that can last for hours. Better yet, the masters at Mary’s Nutritionals have infused this powerful topical with a bouquet of nature’s finest. The rich blend of natural ingredients provides an aromatherapeutic scent that calms and focuses the mind, allowing you to get back to your routine as your best self.
Green Roads | Muscle & Joint Heat Relief Roll-On
A heating muscle reliever with an unbeatably convenient roll-on applicator, this is the CBD topical you simply must have in your gym bag. With a blend of naturally-soothing ingredients that complement and enhance the CBD’s effect on your skin and muscles, it’s an ideal solution for delivering heated relief where it’s needed most. If you’re looking for a heat-based CBD cream for your post-workout muscle treatment, we can’t recommend this one highly enough!
Skin and Joint Inflammation: CBD Cream for Mild Inflammatory Issues
CBD oils and other products get a lot of attention for their ability to fight inflammation and the many chronic conditions it can cause. But you don’t often hear that same praise for CBD creams and other topicals.
That’s a real pity, as CBD topicals can be powerful anti-inflammatories. Whether you’re working to reduce swelling and improve the appearance of your face or treat mild inflammatory conditions on other parts of the body, these CBD creams, lotions, and ointments may be just the trick!
Note: CBD topicals have reduced bioavailability compared to other CBD product types. Users with more severe, chronic, or “deeper reaching” inflammatory disorders may find better results with a CBD oil tincture, vape, or edible.
cbdMD | CBD Recover Inflammation Formula Tub
cbdMD’s CBD Recover Inflammation Formula Tub gives you the chance to fight inflammation, once and for all. While other topical infusions focus on treating the discomfort of inflammation, often using unnatural chemicals to achieve their means, this Inflammation Formula Tub instead opts for naturally-sourced ingredients and botanical extracts, targeting the root of your inflammation, not just the symptoms.
CBD Cream for Beauty and Skincare
With the growing wealth of CBD topicals available, it’s no surprise that some manufacturers have started creating top-shelf cosmetics and beauty supplies with a healthy CBD infusion. Mary’s Nutritionals’ “Mary’s Methods” line may just be at the head of the pack, but there are other options that the beauty-conscious should consider!
Whether you’re looking for a skin-tightener, a pore-cleanser, a natural-exfoliant, or virtually anything else in the world of beauty products, these CBD products will fit the bill swimmingly.
Mary’s Methods | Balance Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Help your skin to achieve a healthy and youthful glow. Mary’s Methods presents their Balance Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum, the perfect way to deal with fine lines, dry skin, and a host of other common dermal issues. This serum is a highly concentrated infusion of hyaluronic acid, full spectrum hemp extract, and pro-vitamin B5. These ingredients work together to provide deep-reaching hydration and a subtle plumping that helps minimize the appearance of wrinkles. It keeps your smooth soft and supple, improving appearance, increasing elasticity, and contributing to overall skin health.
Mary’s Methods | Polish Dead Sea Salt Body Scrub
This gently abrasive skin purifying scrub is designed to gently lift away dead skin and promote the health and moisture of your body’s surface. Made with genuine salt from the Dead Sea and a full spectrum hemp extract, this scrub helps unlock your naturally radiant appearance and leave skin feeling clean, smooth, and utterly refreshed. Dead Sea salt scrubs are renowned in the cosmetics industry for their purifying effects. With an added helping of inflammation-fighting CBD thrown into the mix, the potential is all the greater. This is a truly invigorating and powerful exfoliant, ideal for use on the body.
