Everybody is different, and the way that you incorporate CBD into your daily routine is going to depend on several factors. Read our guide to learn more about what you should consider.
When considering how to use CBD, it’s important to take a step back and look at what you’re looking to address with this powerful hemp compound. Whether you're hoping to encourage calm, stay balanced, get relief, feel better, or simply promote overall wellness, CBD can help you out. But you’ll see better results when your routine aligns with your preferences and needs.
There are several types of products to choose from, a range of CBD serving sizes, and various ways to use CBD in your day-to-day routine. The key to a successful CBD routine is identifying your needs and consistency, so your ideal type of product and serving size should easily fit into your day.
Here's a 3-step guide on how to use CBD for the best results, customized to your specific needs.
- Choose the Right Type of CBD Product
- Determine the Right Serving of CBD
- Make CBD Products a Part of Your Daily Routine
Step #1: Choose the Right Type of CBD Product
Each type of CBD product has different advantages. When thinking about how to use CBD to meet your needs, review and consider the various types to see which best aligns with your daily routine and what you’re looking for from your product.
Overall, there are three major types of CBD products– ingestible, inhalable, and topical.
Ingestible CBD Types: Tinctures, Gummies, and Capsules
Ingestible CBD products are taken by the mouth and involve either sublingual absorption or digestion after swallowing. With ingestible products, the CBD compounds reach your bloodstream and interact with receptors throughout the body, providing full body and mind benefits.
Are you looking to promote overall wellness, feel calm, or experience general relief from body-wide discomfort? Ingestible CBD products are a good place to start.
That’s why, among the many ways to use CBD, ingestible products like tinctures, gummies, and capsules are the most popular.
CBD Tinctures
CBD tinctures combine CBD oil with a carrier oil designed to aid absorption. Tinctures can be easier to get serving size right when you’re first learning how to take CBD oil. Using an included dropper, you can put the product right under your tongue and hold it for about 30 to 60 seconds before swallowing. This is known as taking CBD sublingually.
There are some general advantages to tinctures:
- Quicker effects: If you want to improve your physical or mental wellness quickly, a tincture is a good option. CBD absorbs fast through the mouth’s mucous membranes. Usually, it only takes 15 to 30 minutes to experience the effects. The only quicker method when considering how long CBD takes to start working is inhalation (see below).
- Great taste: Not all CBD tinctures taste great, but the best ones do. The great thing about Koi CBD tinctures is that we prioritize flavor and offer a wide variety of different flavors. You can find our CBD tinctures in delicious flavors like Strawberry, Lemon Lime, Peppermint, Spearmint, Orange, Key Lime, Sweet Apple, and Natural Hemp.
- Can be added to anything: You can also add CBD tinctures to any food or drink. This gives the oil a serious kind of flexibility since you can ingest it however you want. Just remember that digesting it by swallowing it without holding it in your mouth first will take longer to come into effect.
- The right amount of CBD: CBD tinctures come in various potencies, allowing you the flexibility to find the product that best fits your particular needs. For everyday balance and general wellness, a more middle-of-the-road CBD potency tincture could be best. If you’re looking for help to deal with a particular issue, a higher potency tincture may be a better option.
CBD Gummies
CBD gummies are chewy and flavorful bite-sized edibles designed to be swallowed. One of the main advantages of gummies is they offer a consistent CBD serving size in each piece, no measuring is needed.
Like tinctures, gummies are at the top of most consumers’ list of favorites. Those new to CBD often find that CBD gummies are good for beginners.
Here are some of the advantages they offer:
- Delicious flavors: If the taste is a top priority for you, CBD gummies could be the way to go.
- Quick and convenient: With CBD gummies, you can just pop one in your mouth and eat it whenever and wherever you are.
- Consistent CBD potencies: The best CBD gummies are mixed evenly and lab-tested to ensure they contain an exact serving of CBD, so you know how much CBD you’re getting every time.
CBD Capsules
If you'd rather get the benefits of CBD by just taking a pill, there's an option for that as well. CBD capsules just require you to drink a little water and swallow them right down.
Here are the advantages of CBD capsules:
- Consistent CBD servings: They have the advantage of giving you a precise amount of CBD every time. So, if you already know exactly how much is the right amount for you, then taking one or two of these pills could be the way to go.
- Quick and easy: CBD capsules are simple to add to your day, so you’re more likely to be consistent. They’re a great option if you’re looking to maintain a base level of CBD in your system on a day-to-day basis.
- Slow-acting, but consistent: It's good to take capsules if you don't need the effect right away since it may take 60 minutes or longer before CBD reaches your system.
Types of Inhalable CBD Products
The fastest way to get increased physical or emotional wellness from CBD is by inhalation. When you inhale CBD the compound is absorbed into your system right through the lungs.
You can deliver CBD in just 30 seconds by inhalation, according to some experts. In some cases, it may be even quicker than that, but it does depend a lot on the individual.
The following products are designed for inhalation:
Hemp Flower
Inhaling CBD is the oldest and most traditional way of getting that wellness boost. People have been smoking hemp flowers to experience the effects of CBD for centuries. The way to smoke hemp flower is similar to smoking other types of cannabis, but the flower itself contains less than 0.3% delta-9 THC.
Smoking CBD flower offers the following advantages:
- Fast delivery of CBD: Smoking hemp flower gets CBD to your body’s systems in under a minute for fast effects.
- Many cannabinoids, terpenes, and other beneficial compounds: Hemp is a complex plant with hundreds of compounds that work together synergistically to naturally promote health. This full spectrum of beneficial compounds is found in hemp flowers.
Vape Carts and CBD Vape Oil
Another option for inhalation is available with the help of vaporizers, which turn CBD oil into mist using heat. You can then easily breathe in the CBD-filled vapor this way.
Vaporizers come in multiple sizes, with the most popular being vape pens, which are small and discreet. Just avoid vaping in places where cigarettes are not allowed since some companies prohibit both vaping and smoking in these areas.
Advantages include:
- Quick CBD effects: Expect benefits in less than a minute following your first draw on a vaporizer.
- Great flavors: Vape carts and CBD vape oil now come in an array of delicious flavor options.
- Pick your experience: Vaporizers sometimes let you control their temperature, allowing you to adjust for your favorite serving size and flavor.
- Discreet: You can often vape CBD without anyone nearby noticing, unlike those who smoke since vapor tends to dissipate into the air quicker.
CBD Inhalers
CBD inhalers are a more modern invention. They are easy to use and don't require any smoke. If you are using an inhaler, people around you also won't know anything about what you're doing since they are a common way of delivering different kinds of supplements and medication.
The benefits of CBD inhalers include:
- Fast CBD effects: CBD inhalers offer another efficient way to deliver CBD to your body’s systems.
- Tasty flavor: CBD inhalers are often flavored for a more enjoyable experience.
- Discreet: Like vapes, inhalers can offer a way to use CBD without disturbing other people.
CBD Products for the Skin & Muscles
CBD can also be applied directly to the skin and rubbed in to soothe it or the muscles beneath. There are several different types of CBD topicals, including:
CBD Balms and Gels
CBD balms and CBD gels can offer localized benefits by rubbing it on sore muscles and other problem areas of the body. When combined with other natural ingredients, such as menthol, it can produce a soothing effect and even provide temporary relief to the skin, muscles, and joints.
Bath Bombs and Lotions
Sometimes the skin can benefit from CBD bath and body techniques, such as a full-body soak in CBD along with other natural ingredients. Doing so can also soothe the mind with calming fragrances. Moisturizing body lotions that contain CBD are also a great way to keep the skin hydrated and feeling great.
Skincare
When combined with the latest anti-aging science, natural ingredients, and essential oils, CBD can help to support healthy, youthful skin. Products such as Cleansers, Facial Serum, Toners, and Moisturizers help to nourish the skin with the nutrients it needs daily.
Step 2: Determine the Right Amount of CBD to Take
When considering how to use CBD, it's important to note that the amount of CBD you should take can vary depending on several important factors, including your age, weight, lifestyle, and whether you might already have a tolerance to cannabinoids.
The ideal CBD serving also depends on your goals for CBD. A more moderate potency might be better for general wellness and a sense of calm day-to-day. For helping deal with a particular issue you’re facing, you may find that a higher daily serving works well.
This means you should be patient when it comes to getting it right. A good rule of thumb is to start small and incrementally increase your CBD serving size until you experience the desired results.
General CBD Serving Size Guide
The recommended serving size starts around 20 mg per day and goes upwards from there depending on the individual user. People who use CBD regularly may find that the amount needed gradually increases as the body adjusts to having more of the cannabinoid in its system.
If you're completely new to CBD, we recommend starting on the low end. Never go too high with the serving size without first speaking with a trusted medical professional. Start with 10 or 20 mg of CBD, once per day. Try going up by 5 mg at a time until you have the effect you want.
Consulting with a trusted medical professional could also give you an excellent idea of where to start if you're not sure.
Step 3: Make CBD Products a Part of Your Daily Routine
The key to successfully addressing your needs with CBD is consistency. CBD should be a part of your daily routine, and the variety of CBD products offered by companies like Koi make it easy to incorporate the compound into your day-to-day.
For example, you could get up in the morning, go for a run, eat breakfast, and then apply a topical CBD product to your overworked muscles and take a CBD tincture as your way of starting the day. CBD combines well with exercising, eating healthy, and other activities you perform to help promote wellness in your mind and body. In the evenings after dinner, you may enjoy CBD gummies as a sweet way to encourage a better night of sleep.
There are also some recipes with CBD to make your daily supplement more fun. This includes CBD Watermelon Slushie Mocktails, for example. It can be a great way to enjoy the summer while improving how you feel generally. You can also try different flavors using just about the same recipe, or you can come up with your own. Koi CBD oil works well with various fresh fruits and juice to combine into smoothies.
Beyond making mocktails or smoothies, you can also use different types of CBD supplements based on your day. If you don't have a lot of time, chewing a quick gummy can help, for example.
FAQ About How to Use CBD
How do you use CBD effectively?
To maximize your results with CBD, find a CBD product that you’re most likely to use every day and then be consistent with your servings.
How do I start using CBD?
Begin with a small serving of CBD and gradually increase your intake every 1-2 days until you dial in on the right amount that works best for you.
How does it take for CBD to take effect?
How long it takes CBD to take effect depends on the type of product. Inhalable methods like vaping and smoking offer near-immediate effects, while edibles like gummies can take 30 minutes to 1 hour. Learn more about the factors that influence how long it takes CBD to start working.
How is CBD best absorbed?
The most efficient way to absorb CBD is to inhale it through vaping or smoking. Another good option is taking a tincture sublingually so that the CBD compounds quickly absorb through your mouth’s mucous membranes.
Will CBD show on a drug test?
CBD itself will not usually show up on drug tests that screen for the presence of THC. Learn more about drug tests and CBD.
Get Started with Your CBD Routine
One of the first steps to figuring out how to use CBD in a way that works best for you is to go ahead and try out some products for yourself. The quicker you start the process, the quicker you can get started on finding the right products and helping to improve your overall wellness.
As always, you can feel free to contact us at Koi with any questions you might have about our products or CBD in general. The Koi blog also offers much more educational guides to help you have a beneficial experience with CBD, as well as new hemp cannabinoids.
