What Are Botanical Terpenes
If you’re familiar with terpenes, you likely associate them with cannabis or hemp plants, but those are far from the only plants to contain these aromatic compounds.
In fact, if you’ve ever enjoyed the calming, floral scent of fresh lavender or the bright, cooling aroma of mint, you might have terpenes to thank for that. So, what exactly are botanically derived terpenes, and what are their benefits? Find out with Peels and how we use them to create 100% THC-free CBD!
What Are Terpenes?
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds found in plants and flowers responsible for providing their unique aroma or flavor. They are often used to add pleasant fragrances to soaps, perfumes, personal care products, household supplies, and even food.
But the role of terpenes goes above and beyond the scents they give off–wonderful as those can be already! Terpenes also provide a number of wellness benefits that can protect the plant in nature and even support our own health when consumed or used in aromatherapy.
While cannabis plants contain a high concentration of terpenes, these compounds are also found in just about every plant, including lavender, mint, pine, and the peel of citrus fruits. You can recognize the distinct smell of different plants due to the unique combination of terpenes found within.
What Are Botanical Derived Terpenes?
Botanical derived terpenes are a way to classify terpenes isolated from non-cannabis-related plants, flowers, and spices.
While the Cannabis sativa plant species and all of its related varieties and subspecies (including hemp) are indeed a type of plant, any terpenes isolated from cannabis plants are considered cannabis terpenes rather than botanical terpenes.
Cannabis contains over 120 different terpenes, which is a higher concentration than you’ll find in most other plants. The varying combination of terpenes in different strains and batches of cannabis can also play a role in their aroma, and even their effects, which is why there is so much buzz around cannabis-derived terpenes specifically.
Because terpenes are so closely associated with cannabis, you’ll likely hear cannabis-derived terpenes often simply called “terpenes,” while specific terpenes derived from other plants are referred to as “botanical terpenes.”
But just because cannabis-derived terpenes are more well-known doesn’t mean they are any better. Botanical derived terpenes are like hidden gems, capable of providing their own unique benefits.
What Are Terpenes Used For?
In nature, terpenes help plants interact with their environment.
The scent given off by terpenes can help protect the plant by warding off natural predators and attracting pollinators. And beyond their aroma, some terpenes contain antibacterial and antifungal properties that may support a plant’s immune system, while others help the plant cool when overheated.
However, these same terpenes that support plant health have been found to benefit the human body.
What Are the Wellness Benefits of Terpenes?
These pleasant-scented molecules can boost our wellness in several ways.
May Provide Anti-Swelling and Antibacterial Properties
Some of the healing properties associated with herbs are due to their terpene profile. Botanical terpenes are often used to help naturally reduce swelling and for their antibacterial properties. This is one of the reasons you may find lavender or mint and their terpenes as ingredients in your skincare products.
Elevate Your Mood
Research suggests that terpenes can work with receptors in the brain to help shift the mood.
Like those found in lavender and chamomile, certain terpenes are known to help soothe the mind and promote relaxation. In contrast, the terpenes found in mint or citrus peels can help stimulate energy and promote alertness and focus.
Antioxidant Properties
Many terpenes have antioxidant properties that can help protect your cells from oxidative stress.
When unstable molecules called free radicals build up in the body, they can cause oxidative stress that can negatively impact the heart, lungs, immune system, and skin cells over time. The good news is that antioxidants are known to stabilize free radicals, reducing oxidative stress and related damage throughout the body.
How To Use Terpenes in Your Wellness Routine
If you’re interested in incorporating botanical terpenes into your wellness regimen, there are several ways to enjoy their many benefits.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the practice of breathing in certain aromas to influence your mood and emotions.
As the molecules responsible for creating a plant’s fragrance, terpenes are the leading player in the essential oils of plants we have been using for medicinal and wellness benefits for thousands of years.
When breathing in the essential oils, terpenes can help trigger the olfactory system, which controls the body’s sense of smell and activates different receptors responsible for managing neurotransmitters and emotions.
Aromatherapy can be easily incorporated into your day through essential oil roll-ons, bath soaks, incense, or even simply breathing in the aroma of a cup of herbal tea.
Depending on the terpenes included, certain essential oils like lavender and jasmine are best for promoting relaxation and stress reduction. In contrast, the essential oils found in mint, bergamot, and tangerine are ideal for inspiring creativity and focus.
Cooking
Terpenes can add to the flavor, aroma, and wellness benefits. Incorporating herbs into your meal or zesting an orange rind on top of a salad or into a baked good will provide added flavor and aroma that can complement your dish and delight your senses.
You can also benefit from the antioxidant properties of terpenes when consumed in your favorite herbs, spices, and fruits.
Skincare
Many natural skincare products use terpenes as an ingredient to help reduce swelling, irritation, and bacteria.
While more research is needed to better understand how well topically-applied terpenes affect the skin, natural skincare products containing essential oils from antibacterial-rich plants, such as lavender, sage,oregano, clove, or thyme may help nourish and support your skin.
Enhance the Soothing Effects of CBD
CBD has become an increasingly popular way for people to support their mental and physical wellness. Learning a few basic CBD facts can help you understand how it exactly works with the body for these effects.
As one of the main cannabinoids found naturally in cannabis plants (along with THC, another well-known cannabinoid), CBD can work with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) to help maintain internal balance.
The ECS is a complex messaging system that uses cannabinoid receptors and naturally produced endocannabinoids to send messages throughout the body and activate certain biological functions as needed.
CBD has been found to help promote relaxation, boost the mood, ease physical discomfort, combat stress, and may improve sleep quality. A core difference between THC and CBD is that CBD is not psychoactive and cannot alter your mental state.
While terpenes aren’t believed to work directly within the endocannabinoid system, they are still absorbed into the body. Evidence suggests that when included in cannabis products, terpenes can work synergistically with CBD to help provide enhanced benefits.
This is known as the entourage effect.
While most of the CBD and terpenes used in most CBD products are sourced from hemp plants–a type of cannabis plant that is naturally rich in CBD and low in THC–here at Peels, we do things a little differently. We create our pure CBD oil without THC from the aromatic botanical terpenes found in citrus plants.
What Are the Benefits of Using Botanical Terpenes?
Like cannabis terpenes, botanical terpenes can provide a wealth of enjoyable scents, flavors, and wellness benefits as they interact with receptors throughout the body.
More Consistent
Botanical-derived terpenes are also more consistent than cannabis-derived terpenes.
When terpenes are sourced using the same process from plants grown in similar conditions, all of the isolated terpenes will remain consistent, even if extracted from different batches of plants. This allows for consistency within each batch of products created with botanical terpenes.
The same level of consistency is not possible when terpenes are extracted from cannabis or hemp plants, as the concentration of cannabinoids can vary from one batch to the next.
THC-Free
While terpenes are not psychoactive on their own, terpenes extracted from hemp and cannabis plants have the risk of containing small amounts of THC or other psychoactive cannabinoids due to inconsistencies in the extraction process.
Biologically identical terpenes extracted from common botanicals, on the other hand, have no risk of containing any THC or other psychoactive compounds, as those compounds don’t exist within these different types of plants.
Types of Botanically-Derived Terpenes
There is also more variety among terpenes extracted from botanicals, with different combinations creating unique flavor and aroma profiles. For instance, when choosing essential botanical oils, you can pick from several options to find the terpene profile that fits your personal preferences and provides the benefits you enjoy most.
Some of the most popular botanical terpenes are gerinol, alpha-pinene, limonene, and linalool.
Limonene
Limonene is the terpene responsible for the bright scent of citrus fruits such as limes, lemons, grapefruits, and oranges. Limonene is also found in cannabis plants. It is a known antioxidant that can help reduce swelling, support the immune system, lower stress, and boost energy.
Linalool
Linalool is the calming terpene that gives lavender its soothing properties. Research suggests that linalool can affect serotonin transmitters, help calm the mind, soothe nervous thoughts, and may improve sleep.
Pinene
Pinene is a terpene found in cannabis, pine needles, rosemary, and basil. This fresh, forestry-smelling terpene can help limit stress, promote calmness, and reduce swelling, especially in the lungs.
Geraniol
Geraniol is the sweet and floral-smelling terpene found in roses and other flowers and fruits. This calming antioxidant is popular in skincare and aromatherapy.
How Peels Uses Botanical Terpenes
Peels uses a proprietary cyclic terpene assembly process to convert the aromatic terpenes found in orange peels into CBD that is 100% THC-free.
Our bioidentical CBD contains beneficial limonene terpenes and works naturally with the body’s endocannabinoid system, just like any cannabis-derived CBD. But–unlike cannabis-derived CBD–our process ensures that each batch of our CBD oil is consistent, with absolutely no risk of any trace of THC.
Peels CBD is ideal for anyone who wants to experience the wellness benefits associated with CBD and terpenes. Still, it is ideal for anyone who has a THC sensitivity, concerns about THC showing up on a drug test, or simply prefers a product that is THC-free.
At Peels, we are here to support you on your wellness journey. You can incorporate a few drops of our freshly squeezed CBD oil into your mug of soothing-smelling tea or enjoy it alongside your aromatherapy practice to reap the many benefits of botanically derived terpenes.
Sources:
Therapeutic and Medicinal Uses of Terpenes | PMC
Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects | PMC
Citrus oil and MgCl2 as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents | Journal of Periodontology