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CBD Tincture vs Oil: Is There a Difference?

CBD Tincture vs Oil: Is There a Difference?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a type of cannabinoid that’s found in the hemp, or cannabis plant. It’s used in a variety of products, primarily for its potential health benefits—a few CBD oil drops can boost your mood, ease tension, and support your overall wellness.

That said, the amount of CBD products available on the market today is just as bountiful as the cannabis plant stalks that grow throughout the continental United States. You’ll find fruit-flavored CBD gummies, soothing skin creams, restorative hair serums, and tranquilizing topicals. 

Among the different types of CBD products, there are CBD tinctures and oils—two liquid forms of CBD that vary in composition but elicit similar effects. 

What Is CBD Oil?

CBD oil is one of the most readily available forms of CBD available. It’s typically made from a hemp extract of leaves and flowers or other botanically-derived sources, such as orange peels. Since it is made with hemp extract people may confuse CBD oil with hemp seed oil. Learn more about the differences between hemp seed oil vs CBD to determine which is the right product for you.

Oftentimes, CBD oil manufacturers will combine the bio-based oil extract with a carrier oil, such as: 

  • Coconut oil – A fatty acid that’s harvested from the wick, meat, and milk of coconuts
  • Avocado oil – A popular cooking alternative that’s extracted from avocado pulp
  • Hemp seed oil – An oil that’s made from the seeds of the hemp plant

While hemp seed oil is extracted from the same plant as CBD, CBD is extracted from the plant’s flowers, stems, and leaves. One extraction method, called supercritical CO2 extraction, involves dissolving and separating compounds in an extraction chamber for a high-purity product—legally, CBD oil cannot contain more than 0.3% THC.

What Is CBD Tincture?

Much like CBD oil, CBD tincture is extracted from the hemp plant. However, where they differ is in the extraction method used. 

CBD tinctures are usually made by submerging the plant in a clear and flavorless high-proof alcohol and leaving the botanical steeped in the alcohol for an extended period of time. The result is a highly potent alcohol-based extract. 

However, because CBD tinctures are bitter in taste, they’re typically less popular than CBD oils.

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CBD Tincture vs Oil: Differences

While CBD oils and tinctures may be packaged similarly, there are a number of differences between the products and how they are used that should be taken into consideration when choosing your dosing method, such as their ingredients, tastes, and shelf lives.

Before discussing those, it is important to understand the different properties of CBD. Whether CBD oil or tincture, you can have full spectrum CBD and broad spectrum CBD. There are several differences and similarities between full spectrum CBD vs broad spectrum CBD that you should be aware of before deciding which option will work best for you. 

Ingredients

While CBD is the star of the show in both oils and tinctures, the products contain different added ingredients that are either necessary for the production process or used to make the product easier to consume:

  • CBD tincture – Contains hemp, sweeteners, flavoring, and alcohol
  • CBD oil – Contains hemp and a carrier oil, such as coconut oil, avocado oil, or hemp seed oil

Taste

As touched on above, there is a noticeable difference in the way CBD oil vs tincture tastes:

  • CBD tincture – Tinctures can taste more bitter due to the high concentration of alcohol or sweeter if flavor-fixing additives are included. 
  • CBD oil – CBD oils will usually have a more mild flavor; however, it greatly depends on the type of carrier oil that’s included. 

Different terpenes often exist or are added to CBD oils and tinctures to enhance the cannabidiol flavor and experience. Depending on the terpene, your CBD oil could have a whisper of lemon and citrus or a hint of herby florals.

If you don’t enjoy the taste by itself, try mixing CBD oil drops or tinctures with the food or beverage of your choice to make the product more palatable. 

Shelf Life

CBD oils and tinctures also differ in how long they last:

  • CBD tincture – When it comes to CBD oil vs CBD tincture, the tincture will have a longer shelf life due to the preservative effects of alcohol. 
  • CBD oil – Oil-based botanical products will degrade quicker, but no need to worry—you’ll still most likely go through your whole bottle of CBD oil before it is past its prime. 

CBD Oil vs CBD Tincture: Benefits

While the extraction methods, ingredients, taste, and shelf life can differ between CBD oil and tincture, they tout the same potential benefits. Regularly adding CBD to your routine may support:1

  • Stress relief
  • Elevated moods
  • Better sleep quality
  • Mental clarity
  • Physical and general wellness

CBD Oil vs CBD Tincture: How To Take

Since both CBD oils and tinctures come in liquid forms, their applications are similar. That said, when gauging how to take a CBD oil or tincture, consider the following possibilities:

  • Consume sublingually  – Typically, using a pipette, users will put a few CBD drops of the tincture or oil under their tongue, where it’s absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream. You’ll want to leave the CBD drops under your tongue for a minimum of 30 seconds before swallowing.
  • Add to a food or drink – Oils or tinctures can be added to beverages or mixed with other food substances for alternative dosing options. If you’re not a fan of the flavor of pure CBD oil or tincture, adding a few drops to your morning coffee or afternoon tea can be a good workaround. 
  • Try edibles – Edibles are a manufactured CBD food product that gives you a dose of CBD through something you eat. CBD gummies, the most common edible, deliver CBD oil to your body via sweet, yummy, colorful candy that travels through the digestive system and then to your bloodstream. 
  • Apply topically – CBD oil can also be applied topically. While it may not provide the same intensity of effects as an oral dose, a CBD topical can offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support when used as a massage oil or as part of a hair and skin beauty routine. You can rub CBD oil on your skin, or purchase beauty products that include CBD as one of their main ingredients. Unlike oils, CBD tinctures are not recommended for topical use due to their high alcohol content.

Why CBD Oil And Tinctures Are Best Taken Sublingually

We often think of taking vitamins and supplements orally, which the body then processes through the digestive tract before absorbing into your bloodstream to provide critical support for your body’s holistic health. However, your stomach isn’t the only way your body can absorb nutrients, vitamins, and supplements. 

The mucous membrane under your tongue is filled with a plethora of tiny capillaries. When a substance comes into contact with the membrane, it gets a direct access route to your bloodstream and bypasses the harsher trip through your digestive system. 

Because the rapid absorption of sublingual dosing leads to a quicker activation, oils and tinctures are the preferred method of taking CBD for many people. Oils and tinctures are super-concentrated CBD extracts, and sublingual application starts to deliver their wellness benefits to your body’s endocannabinoid system—the system that plays a large role in maintaining homeostasis—almost instantaneously. 

Dosage

When determining how much CBD you should be taking, always consult the product’s label to determine the correct amount. You’ll also want to ensure that the product comes with a Label Accuracy Guarantee and is tested by an independent lab to ensure that you’re getting exactly what’s on the label. 

Additionally, taking the CBD dose around the same time every day can help maintain an even level of support for your body. When you begin a CBD dosing routine, it may take a little time for the cannabidiol to build up in your body. As such, it’ll likely be a few minutes up to a few hours before you start feeling CBD’s effects.2

And, as with any supplement, it’s important to contact your healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns about whether you should incorporate a CBD oil or tincture into your routine. 

How to Choose the Right CBD Product

Regardless of which method you choose for CBD ingestion, experts recommend seeking high-quality products due to the lack of government oversight in the CBD market. 

Unlike medications, supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA. As such, look for companies that offer transparency into their sourcing, manufacturing, and testing to find safe, pure, quality products. 

Other specifics to look for when purchasing CBD oil or tinctures to ensure you’re getting the very best CBD product include:

  • Certified organic crop sources 
  • US FDA Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) certification
  • Clean Label Project certification
  • Third-party lab testing for quality assurance
  • THC-free guarantee
  • Clean and environmentally-friendly extraction process

Plant-based CBD oils, since they are concentrated extracts of the bio-source, are subject to the growing environment of cannabis or hemp. Ensuring the crop is grown using clean practices minimizes the risk of exposure to pollutants, chemicals, and heavy metals that may be present in the plant.

Peels: The Benefits of CBD Without The THC 

CBD oils and tinctures don’t differ all that much—while CBD tinctures are alcohol-based, CBD oils only contain plant-based oils and other components of the hemp plant. That said, unregulated CBD products may contain trace amounts of THC. 

Fortunately, you can experience the wellness benefits of 100% THC-free CBD with our revolutionary process that derives cannabinoids from orange peels. Our fresh, bright, and clean Peels CBD products deliver the same beneficial boost of hemp-derived THC but with an unmatched citrus-based purity. 

At Peels, our proprietary molecular extraction process creates CBD that is bio-identical to hemp in a cleaner and natural product guaranteed to be free from THC, heavy metals, and environmental pollutants. Our commitment to creating the purest, most consistent CBD product ensures you receive the purest CBD oil with a hint of fresh-squeezed sunshine to heighten your holistic wellness routine.


Sources: 

  1. Healthline. 6 Health Benefits of CBD Oil. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cbd-oil-benefits 
  2. Healthline. How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System? https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-cbd-stay-in-your-system#onset-time 
  3. Bon Appetit. Tinctures Are the (Totally Legal) Frontier of Herbal Healing. https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/plant-based-tinctures
  4. Harvard Health Publishing. The endocannabinoid system: Essential and mysterious. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569
  5. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Supercritical CO2 Extraction and Purification of Compounds with Antioxidant Activity. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf052858j
  6. Journal of Cannabis Research. Processing and extraction methods of medicinal cannabis: a narrative review. https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-021-00087-9
  7. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Clinicians’ Guide to Cannabidiol and Hemp Oils. https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(19)30007-2/fulltext
  8. The New York Times. What Are the Benefits of CBD? https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/style/self-care/cbd-oil-benefits.html
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