Whether you’re new to the idea or have been using it for a while, it can be confusing figuring out how to take CBD oil without the proper guidance.
Inconsistent guidance can be a problem for people who use CBD oil in an attempt to support their general well-being.
When you want to do your best to support your health, you want to know that you’re getting the right dose, when to take CBD oil and that you are using CBD oil correctly.
You’ll be glad to know that you’ve landed on the correct page if you’ve ever wondered about the answers to questions like:
- How to take CBD oil drops
- CBD dosage & how much CBD oil to take
- How long does it take for CBD oil to work?
In this guide:
How to take CBD oil
When starting out with the CBD, one of the most common questions are: “What is the best way to take CBD?”
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits all solution. It largely comes down to why you are using CBD and how it will fit into your routine.
So, you need to find a CBD product that is perfect for your needs and that will determine the best way to take CBD.
For those short on time, this video explains how the different ways to take CBD. We also explain how each method works and the advantages and disadvantages of each in the text below.
CBD oil drops under the tongue
CBD oil drops, also known as tinctures, are our most recommended way of using CBD oil. It is also one of the most popular ways to take CBD because it is easily measurable and less likely to be mixed with any unnecessary ingredients.
Other than vaping, the sublingual method also offers the highest bioavailability, which means the effects are stronger and last longer.
The best way is simply to let the drops sit under your tongue for 1-2 minutes before swallowing. The CBD is absorbed through the small blood vessels under your tongue, which is faster than waiting for it to pass through the digestive system.
But, the question is: “how many drops of CBD oil should I take?”
The number of drops you should take, will be determined by the amount of CBD in each drop.
Most good CBD formulas should tell you exactly how much CBD each drop contains (ours is 3mg per serving).
If it does, there is a quick calculation to determine it:
The average dropper size is 1ml. This means you can just divide the total CBD content of the bottle by the total number of ml the bottle holds, to work out how much CBD is in each drop:
[Total CBD content] / [Total volume of bottle] = [CBD ml per drop]
Then you just take the number of drops you need to get your desired CBD dose.
Drinking CBD pills or capsules
If you don’t like the taste of CBD, or if you don’t like measuring it out every day, an alternative would be to use CBD pills or capsules.
These work in the same way as a vitamin supplement or similar. With CBD capsules, you can enjoy the same dose of CBD every day, so you never have to worry about measuring your CBD.
With soft gel capsule CBD pills, you can also split them open and add them to hot drinks or smoothies.
Read more: CBD oil vs capsules
Smoking or vaping CBD
CBD is often vaporised to help with sleep and relaxation, or as an aid to help you quit smoking.
Inhaling CBD offers the highest bioavailability as the CBD enters the bloodstream directly through the lungs.
If you are considering vaping CBD for any of these reasons, you may prefer to simply figure out your ideal daily dose.
However, if you do wish to keep track of your dose and improve it over time, you can start by measuring how much CBD is in each dropper, just as we discussed above regarding CBD drops.
Once you know this, it’s easy to work out how much CBD each tank contains, which makes it easy to keep track of how much you’re vaping each day simply by taking note of how often you refill the tank.
This is something you’ll want to monitor over time, as it’s easy to treat vaping CBD as a regular habit like smoking and forget that you are primarily doing it for the benefits.
Luckily, since there is no risk of overdose with CBD using too much poses no health risk, could be a waste of money and no longer be as beneficial.
It’s worth noting that you will have to buy a special CBD vape juice, as you cannot vape CBD oil.
Read more: Can you overdose on CBD?
CBD balms, skincare and topicals
When choosing CBD topicals, remember that this type of product is not absorbed into the bloodstream. Instead, it interacts with ECS receptors found in the skin. This means that the bioavailability of CBD topicals is lower than in other methods.
There are many CBD skincare products available, including skin creams, muscle balms and hair care products. These are often combined with other natural and botanical ingredients to offer a pampering treat.
Read more: Guide to topical CBD products
CBD edibles, snacks and gummies
If you’re looking for a way to indulge your sweet tooth, CBD edibles offer an excellent choice. The most popular edibles are CBD gummies, but you can also find CBD snacks like chocolate and granola bars.
You can also make your own edibles at home by adding CBD to your favourite recipes. If you’re curious about how to start baking with CBD, try one of our CBD brownies recipes below.
Read more: How to make CBD brownies
How much CBD oil should I take?
Now you know the different methods, it’s time to think about the CBD dosage.
How much CBD oil should you take?
Your ideal dose of CBD is affected by different factors, including the quality of your CBD oil, the method of taking it, your size and weight, and the reason you’re using it.
We recommend that first-time users start with between 10mg and 15mg per day.
From there, you can slightly increase the dose by 1-5mg each day and take note of the results.
You will usually find that the CBD has a slightly better effect as you increase the dosage each day until it reaches a point where the increase wanes and you no longer feel any improvements.
This means you’ve hit the upper limits of the effective CBD dose, so ~10mg less than the upper limit dosage is a good dose to stick with. You can continue to tweak it from there depending on how you feel over time.
However, the Food Standards Agency here in the UK recommend that healthy adults should not exceed more than 70mg of CBD per day.
Read more: CBD oil strengths explained
What is the best time to take CBD oil?
So when should you take CBD? How often can you take CBD?
Just like there isn’t one ideal dose of CBD for everyone, there also isn’t an ideal time to take CBD.
Some people like to start their morning with a drop of CBD, while others like to take it before bed as they wind down.
This is all down to personal preference. However, there are a few things you should consider when choosing when to take CBD.
You should never take CBD on an empty stomach because the harsh stomach acid will destroy the cannabinoids before they can get to work. Instead, you should take your CBD with a meal, ideally one containing healthy fats, as this will increase the absorption rate.
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How long does CBD oil take to work?
This is a common question because it’s easy to take a single dose and not notice any immediate difference, then conclude that CBD isn’t helpful.
Since CBD is a wellness supplement that promotes homeostasis and not a medication, you shouldn’t expect an immediate improvement.
With that said, a lot of people claim they do experience rapid effects, so once again this seems to be something that varies from person to person depending on their endocannabinoid systems.
We would recommend taking CBD every day for 2 weeks in the first instance.
During this time, take note of your wellbeing, giving a score out of 10 for how you’re feeling every single day.
At the end of the two weeks, you may well find you have noticed a significant improvement, in which case you should of course continue using CBD oil.
But if your improvement feels minor or you are unsure if there is any improvement at all, you can try increasing how much CBD you take and record your wellbeing for another 2 weeks.
This can make the difference more obvious, and if you experienced worse wellness when you stopped taking CBD oil, you can also take this as a reason to continue.
What is the best CBD oil to take?
When it comes to deciding how to take CBD oil for you, in what dosage, and how often, this is arguably the most important factor of all.
The explosion of CBD’s popularity has led to countless brands popping out of the woodwork, using different source materials, meaning several things can be different, including:
- The quality
- Quantity
- Condition of the CBD
How CBD is extracted can vary from brand to brand, as well, which affects the other ingredients present within the oil as well as the amount of CBD.
This itself isn’t much to worry about, as hemp and cannabis plants themselves have varying amounts of CBD, so some level of variance is to be expected.
However, you do need to check the reviews, background and websites of any brand you plan on buying into, to make sure they have the scientific backing and desire to do things properly, as opposed to running a “make money quick” scheme.
This is why we put so much effort into lab testing our products and making sure they are:
- Organic
- Sustainable
- Made from top-quality broad-spectrum CBD
Knowing the ingredients list is one thing, but independent CBD lab reports show you what’s in every single batch, putting everything on the table.
Brands who appear to spend more time on branding and flashy packaging than they do on creating a high-quality product should be avoided at all costs – they either aren’t knowledgeable about how to make a high-quality product, or they don’t care.
Frequently asked questions:
Can you overdose on CBD oil?
No lethal dose of CBD has been discovered, and people have been found to use up to 1500mg per day with zero repercussions, so this is something you should stop worrying about, right now!
Does CBD get you high?
No, CBD oil does not get you high. The only time this could happen is if you live in a place where THC is legal & the product has much higher levels of THC.
Can you get addicted to CBD oil?
CBD exhibits no physically addictive qualities whatsoever and cannot cause cravings, dependency, withdrawal or any other symptoms of addiction.
Final thoughts on how to take CBD
When choosing your first CBD product, always think about the contents of the product and the quality. Choosing a high-quality CBD product will ensure you see better results after continued use.
We recommend taking your CBD oil, capsules or edibles for at least 2 weeks on a consistent schedule in order to experience the best results.
And remember that your ideal dose is unique to you. So what works for someone else might not be ideal for you. Be prepared for a trial period where you find your perfect dose.
