What is CBD Balm? Benefits and Uses

CBD MUSCLE BALM

INTRODUCING CORNBREAD HEMP'S ORGANIC CBD BALM

In January 2021, Cornbread Hemp introduced its newest product: a USDA organic CBD Balm used to alleviate discomfort and dry skin issues. Cornbread Hemp’s CBD Balm comes in convenient packaging, like a lip balm for your body. Like most lip balms, this CBD Balm comes in stick form—unscrew the top, twist the bottom of the tube, and you’re ready to apply without getting your hands messy. We've compiled everything you need to know about CBD balm.

The thick consistency of a balm allows it to create a protective barrier on your skin, keeping moisture in.¹ Balms are made for topical application. Essential oils and extracts—in Cornbread Hemp’s case: organic hemp extract, arnica oil, and peppermint oil—can remain suspended in the other oils, butters and waxes without the need for water. This oil-based medium is ideal for hemp extract because cannabinoids are lipophilic, meaning they bond well with oils, not with water. 

Balms serve as both a humectant and an occlusive. “Humectant” means something that retains moisture, and “occlusive” means something that prevents evaporation. This CBD Balm nourishes the skin, while its waxes and butters help create a barrier to lock in moisture. In addition, the wax provides a barrier from the air, keeping in moisture while shielding the skin from the elements.² 

HOW TO MAKE CBD BALM

Our CBD Balm includes 500mg of our flagship Whole Flower hemp extract in a 2-ounce preparation. The full ingredients list is: organic coconut oil, organic shea butter, organic carnauba wax, organic arnica oil, organic hemp extract, organic eucalyptus oil, and organic peppermint oil.

The full spectrum hemp extract we use is the first-pass extraction of our organic hemp flowers using organic sugarcane ethanol. It’s the same extract we use in our USDA organic Whole Flower CBD Oil. The lab reports confirm that this extract contains a robust range of terpenes and cannabinoids, including the legal amount of no more than 0.3% THC. The lab reports also confirm that there are no residual solvents, heavy metals, pesticides, or microbial contamination in the extract.

FULL SPECTRUM CBD

The whole range range of cannabinoids and terpenes of this full spectrum extract work together in what is known as the "entourage effect." The entourage effect works on a recently discovered system in the body called "the endocannabinoid system."

The endocannabinoid system is a network of cannabinoid receptors found throughout the body that react to cannabis plant compounds to help the body maintain balance. When you supplement the body with full spectrum CBD oil, the entourage effect encourages endocannabinoid system operate at its fullest, giving you the most potential CBD oil and CBD balm benefits.

Broad spectrum CBD products have had THC removed. This prevents the entourage effect from happening, which is why we did not choose to use broad spectrum oil for our CBD topicals. By allowing these compounds to exist in their natural ratios, and by adding organic arnica oil and organic peppermint oil into the formula, we here at Cornbread Hemp have created a top-shelf certified organic topical CBD product that is designed for maximum relief.³

WATCH OUT FOR HEMP SEED OIL

A word of caution: with the rise in popularity of hemp-derived CBD oil products, there are fake topical CBD products out there that advertise themselves as “hemp balms.” These aren’t necessarily the same things as CBD balms because some “hemp balms” are made with hemp seed oil made from hemp seeds.

Cannabis sativa hemp seeds have no CBD content at all. This means that hemp seed oil is just a healthy cooking oil that is rich in essential fatty acids, but contains no cannabidiol CBD. Many beauty products like to use hemp seed oil, and unscrupulous companies may try to falsely advertise their products as well. To avoid being tricked, look for true CBD products that have a verified certificate of analysis to go along with them.⁴ 

WHAT IS ARNICA?

Arnica is a type of perennial, herbaceous plants in the sunflower family. Unlike the sunflowers of your nana’s country-themed kitchen, arnica flowers are more delicate and less enormous. The genus name “Arnica” may be derived from the Greek arni, "lamb", in reference to the plants' soft, hairy leaves. The plant has a pine-sage smell, which it imparts to the Cornbread Hemp balm. Arnica cream might have soothing properties and also may help to relieve muscle tightness.⁵

WHAT IS PEPPERMINT OIL GOOD FOR?

Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between water mint and spearmint. Like most hybrids, it is sterile and can only reproduce by spreading its runners. If you’ve ever tried to grow a runner-spread mint, you know they can be voracious growers. Peppermint essential oil has a cooling effect when applied topically. And the plant also imparts a strong, familiar fragrance like your typical candy cane or mint gum.⁶

HOW DO YOU USE A CBD BALM?

The quick answer is: using our CBD Balm is easy and intuitive. Because our CBD balm has no fillers, only the super good stuff, it’s pretty potent. You don’t need to use much. 

To use Cornbread Hemp’s CBD Balm, just unscrew the cap, twist the bottom so a bit of the balm is revealed, and spread it on the affected area, just as you would a deodorant or a lip balm. If necessary, use your fingers to spread out the CBD balm or massage it into your skin. If you use fingers to spread the balm, make sure that your hands are clean to prevent any bacterial growth on the applicator.

In addition to its general use for aches and discomfort, using CBD balm may also be effective for chapped skin. For an intensive treatment for dry skin issues, you can spread the balm liberally over the affected areas, then cover up with socks, cotton gloves, or ACE bandages. Then leave it on overnight for ultimate moisturization. 

Make sure to keep the balm covered with its lid between uses, and keep away from extreme temperatures. Repeated melting and cooling can change the balm’s consistency.⁷ 

BENEFITS OF CBD BALM

CBD products are widely believed to be useful to relieve discomfort, so there are a wide range of potential benefits available from using CBD topical products. Cornbread Hemp's USDA organic CBD Balm has become most popular with customers seeking all-natural topical CBD products with no risk of side effects.

If you’re an athlete, or you work on your feet all day, or if you're someone who’s feeling their years, the potential benefits of CBD balm range from relief from sore muscles, to helping loosen stiff joints. Plus, our USDA organic CBD balm is made with two special added ingredients: arnica to help relieve muscle tightness, and peppermint oil for a soothing, cooling sensation. These ingredients provide extra-strength potential relief from discomfort.

Oh boy, if you work in a job that requires you to wash your hands frequently (and these days, that’s almost all of them), CBD balm might become your best friend. Spread a tiny bit on your hands and rub it in well after you wash up. You also can use it between glove-changes to provide daylong relief.

If you’re a frequent flier, note that this preparation of CBD topical balm is TSA compliant because it’s not liquid.⁸ The 2 ounce tube can bounce around your carry-on bag or purse without the fear of spillage.⁹ The fresh smell and the easy application might also help alleviate problems associated with jet lag.

CBD BALM VS CBD SALVE

CBD salves are very similar to CBD balms. It’s the most closely related product. Salves are considered an unguent (a soft greasy or viscous substance used as an ointment or lubrication). Like balms, salves are oil-based and anhydrous topical product. “Anhydrous” means containing no water.

The biggest difference between these two CBD topicals is that balms are thicker and stiffer than salves, due to the higher wax content.¹⁰ Salves have a softer consistency than that of balms. This softer consistency allows a salve to be absorbed more readily into the skin. But for the same reason, salves can be messier than a balm.¹¹

Balms, because they are thicker, have a “stick-to-itive” property that salves lack. You’ll feel the effects of applying a balm for a significantly longer period of time. The ingredients are more concentrated, and the thickness of the product lends itself well to the “giant lip balm” form used by Cornbread Hemp’s CBD Balm for an easier, less messy application.

CBD BALM VS CBD LOTION

The function of a lotion is to deliver oil, which moisturizes and protects the skin. A lotion uses water to deliver the oil. This serves two purposes: water immediately hydrates and plumps the skin, and it also helps the oil to absorb. However, the plumping effect is short-lived, as water continuously evaporates from the skin.¹² 

Lotions contain a mixture of oil and water, just like some salad dressings that need to be shaken to temporarily emulsify them before pouring. But that’s not acceptable for a lotion, so CBD lotions require other ingredients to hold the oils and water together — things like emulsifiers, which bind water and oil together, and preservatives, which inhibit bacteria growth in environments that contain water.¹³ 

A balm is a concentrated, waterless moisturizer that delivers the oil directly to the skin. If you were to take your 4-oz bottle of lotion and remove all of the water, emulsifiers, and preservatives, you’d be left with, more or less, a 2-oz balm.¹⁴ Because balms contain no water, there are no emulsifiers and other fillers. The oils blend with each other and the waxes and butters thicken it up. Also, bacteria cannot grow without water.¹⁵

Therefore, the biggest difference between a CBD balm and a CBD lotion is that the balm is more concentrated and less likely to become contaminated by bacteria over time. 

CBD BALM VS CBD CREAM

The difference between creams and lotions often boils down to semantics and marketing. CBD creams often have a light consistency similar to a CBD lotion. They are used by massaging the mixture into the afflicted area. The primary difference between CBD balms vs CBD creams is consistency and treatment purpose. Someone using a CBD cream for aches and discomfort might also find relief by choosing a CBD balm for the same reason. In fact, the best CBD oil cream for aches and stiffness might not be a cream at all — but rather a CBD oil balm.

Cornbread Hemp CBD balm is a solidified wax-like substance that can potentially treat a wide range of skin-related issues.¹⁶ Both can be used for muscle discomfort, and both can be used on dry skin. But like lotions, creams contain water which evaporates after a short period of time. If you want something that lasts for a long time, you’re looking for a balm CBD product.

WHERE CAN I FIND CBD BALM?

If you're looking for CBD topical products that's 50-state legal, just order online from Cornbread Hemp! We will ship our CBD cream, CBD balm, and any of our CBD products to you via UPS. It is perfectly legal to ship hemp-derived CBD products across state lines to anywhere in the USA via UPS.¹⁷

CONCLUSION: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OUR CBD BALM

Cornbread Hemp’s USDA organic CBD Balm is made with organic arnica and organic peppermint oil, plus our organic CBD extract. This CBD Balm stick is hand-crafted with simple, organic ingredients for extra-strength cannabis comfort for sore muscles and joint discomfort. It is more convenient than its counterparts in other forms. Our balm stick is long-lasting, less messy, more concentrated, and less likely to leak all over your gym bag.

This balm stick undergoes third-party, ISO-certified lab tests on every batch and is certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organics Program, in conjunction with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. The guaranteed safety lessens the risk of side effects that can occur with lesser quality CBD products. 

Conveniently, Cornbread Hemp’s full spectrum CBD products are legally available online, delivered right to your door no matter where you live in the United States, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other U.S. territories. Unfortunately, because of international treaties, Cornbread Hemp cannot ship its products to other countries because they contain trace amounts of THC.