While CBD oil is definitely the most popular form of CBD, it definitely isn't the only way to take it. There are sprays, skin creams, pastes and more, plus different potencies and types of CBD (full spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate) to consider.
But before we get into how to take it, let's consider why you are taking CBD in the first place.
Why are you taking CBD?
There are many individual, specific and often personal reasons why people begin their CBD journey. However, for the majority of people, CBD is simply a great way to maintain optimal health, support wellbeing and look after our immune system. So that when our immune system is required to assist us, we have already taken it upon ourselves to regularly invest in it and maintain our health.
When to take CBD
This is very much down to personal choice and also relates to why you are taking CBD. CBD can be taken at any time of the day or night, ideally before food and at regular intervals throughout the day. In the evening, try to take it at least one hour before you sleep to allow the CBD time to interact with your body.The new Amma Life CBD patches mean you can have CBD released into your bloodstream throughout the day and night, even while you sleep! The patches last for 12 hours, so they are a really useful, practical way of getting a continuous, slow-release dose of CBD (15mg).However, if you are looking for an immediate, quick-release dose, Amma Life CBD e-liquid might be better for you. This would be ideal if you wanted to take it just before going into a big meeting or presentation.
If you're taking it to help with sports recovery, you could take it before or after training for a boost. Johnny ‘Swift’ Smith, inter-continental super welterweight kick-boxing champion, takes Amma Life 30% CBD paste. Johnny says he likes to take the CBD paste "before training in the morning and before my afternoon session. I then take a third and final dose of CBD paste in the evening before bed. I find CBD helps a lot with sports recovery, especially after a tough training session. It’s also great to take in the evening ready for the next day.”You could also try applying the 500mg CBD muscle balm or Deluxe CBD Body Cream to specific areas of your body after training and support the body with any after-training soreness.
How much to take (dosage and strength)
Just like any supplement, how much you take varies from person to person. For this reason start off with a small or medium dose first, then gradually build up over several weeks as you gain tolerance. The best way is simply to try it out for a couple of weeks, then decide whether it’s for you or not.Day one, if you are new to CBD, just take one dose on the first day as per the guidelines in the section below. So for oils and sprays, this would be 1-2 drops or sprays once a day. On the next day, if you feel comfortable and ready to, double the dose to two times per day. Ideally this would be one dose in the morning and one in the late afternoon or early evening, before food. Maintain this dose for the next 2-4 days and see how you feel before increasing it to three times a day.Be sure never to go over the recommended maximum dose. The latest guidelines by the FSA (UK's Food Standard Agency) recommends no more than 70mg per day as a food supplement. This is around 28 drops of 5% CBD oil. This has now replaced the previous guidelines we had in the UK from the MHRA, which recommended no more than 200mg per day. All of our product labelling recommends levels that are in line with the FSA.
CBD by type of product
Here’s how we recommend taking our best-selling products:
Sublingual CBD (CBD oil pipettes, CBD oil spray): Take 1-2 drops/sprays under the tongue and hold it there for 30 seconds. This allows the solution to be absorbed into the bloodstream, producing a slow-release, even keel effect. For best results, avoid drinks for 5 minutes afterwards, or cleaning your teeth for atleast 15 minutes.
Water soluble CBD (CBDX Sports solution, CBDX spray): Water soluble products have a greater bio-availability and therefore do not need to be held under the tongue. This is because they naturally absorb quicker into the bloodstream and the particles that make up this solution are smaller. You can choose to apply them directly to your mouth, or add them to drinks and top up with CBD throughout the day. Use 1-2 sprays per drink, or squeeze a small amount of the solution (similar to the dosage of CBD paste, below) directly into your mouth.
CBD pastes
Squeeze a small amount of the paste, equivalent to 2-3 grains of rice in size, onto a spoon or your finger and put it in your mouth. Give it time to be absorbed through your tongue by holding it for 10-30 seconds, then swallowing. For best results, avoid drinks for 5 minutes afterwards. We currently have 25% off our 500mg CBD vape, you can check that offer out here.Vapes (CBD e-liquid): E-liquid is ready to vape, or you can mix 1 pipette full of Amma Life E-Liquid with your regular e-juice. Effects last less time than even-keel, slow release options such as CBD oil but get into the bloodstream within 10 minutes for a faster, more intense CBD dose.Topical CBD (CBD creams, patches and balm): The creams and balm can be massaged into the skin on specific areas of the body where you would like to apply CBD. The Amma Life Deluxe CBD Body cream can be used on both the body and face. Apply Amma Life transdermal CBD patches to clean skin. As with the creams and balms, you apply the patch to a particular area that you want to ensure the CBD reaches. Or you can apply it to an area with good blood supply, such as the inner forearm, wrists, ankles, upper arms, shoulders or the back of your neck. We recommend starting off with one 15mg patch first and you can increase the number of patches when you feel ready to, following the guidelines above.If you are new to CBD some great starter products to try include, Amma Life 3% CBD oil and our award-winning CBD tea bags.
Making it part of your daily routine
They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit, and that includes taking new supplements like CBD. Once you’ve decided why, how much and when, how do you then keep it up?
The simple answer: make it a part of your daily routine.There are various hacks for achieving this. Placing your CBD supplement where you can see it and where you go to every day is a good place to start. Depending on the time of day, this could include putting it next to your tea caddy/coffee machine, front and centre amongst all your other supplements, on your bedside table… Anywhere you know you’ll see it on a daily basis!If that still doesn’t work, there are various apps out there that are designed to prompt you when it’s time for you to take your meds. There’s no reason you couldn’t use one of these many apps for CBD supplements too. And if you don’t use a smart phone, good ol’ pen and paper will do the trick if you use a journal or planner on a daily basis.
You are what you eat
Another way to incorporate CBD into your daily routine is to add it to the foods or drinks you consume every day. If you eat butter every day in your homemade sandwich for example, try our recipe for making CBD butter:CBD Butter Recipe
- 2ml (20 drops) CBD oil
- 165g unsalted dairy butter (or a high-fat dairy free option)
- 330ml of filtered water
- Chop the butter into small pieces and place in a medium sized saucepan.
- Add the CBD oil and water to the mix and cook on a low heat for approx. 2 hours
- Stir every 15-30 minutes. Stay nearby to keep an eye on the liquid and ensure that the heat is a suitable gentle and low level. We recommend using the lowest setting on a small hob so that an even and low heat is used for this process.
- Once the water has boiled off and the mixture looks dense, remove from the heat, place in an airtight container and allow to cool for 2 hours. It is best to place the butter in the fridge for cooling.
Alternatively, why not try adding a couple of sprays of Amma Life Water-Soluble CBDX Spray to whatever you regularly drink? Whether that’s your morning coffee, pure water, fruit juice or anything else. Drinking CBD is a great way to get the most from your supplement. This is because the water-soluble particles are much smaller and therefore more easily absorbed by the body than oils; it can be up to 10 times more easily absorbed! So even if the dose you are taking is smaller than an oil, your body can take more from it.
Choosing the best CBD
CBD is not currently regulated, so it is important to take great care when choosing who to buy it from. Luckily, Amma Life are members of the European Hemp Association and Cannabis Trade Association. This means we follow strict quality guidelines to ensure our products are top notch. So you can buy from us in complete confidence that what we say is in the product, is in the product - and nothing else.
Quality comes first at Amma Life. All of our products are:
- Whole plant extract
- Contain below legal limit of THC – less than 0.1%
- Grown outdoors using organic methods
- Certified by third party laboratories
- Created using superior extraction methods
- Free of pesticides and GMO-free
- Free of heavy metals, yeast & fungicide
- Grown in the EU in areas with clean outdoor air
- Contain 100% natural ingredients
- Vegan friendly (with the exception of the vegetarian muscle balm, which contains beeswax)
- Halal friendly (none of our supplements contain gelatin)
Amma Life CBD product range offers an array of choices:- Full spectrum (CBD pastes extracts, water soluble range and most of the CBD oils)
- Broad spectrum (5% CBD oil, CBD teas)
- Body creams, patches, e-liquid, oils, paste extracts, teas and water soluble
Safety first
If you are new to CBD you may be worried about what side effects you might experience. The WHO states that, “in general, CBD has been found to have relatively low toxicity, although not all potential effects have been explored There is the potential for CBD to be associated with some drug interactions.” This means that you should speak to your doctor before taking CBD if you are on prescribed medication.
There has already been a lot of cannabinoid studies undertaken. But with more human-based scientific research still needed, the FSA does not recommend CBD for people in vulnerable groups. This includes pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people taking certain medications.What makes CBD great is that there are very few known adverse side effects with the studies already published. It is considered by the World Health Organisation to be “generally well tolerated, with a good safety profile”. This means taking CBD is generally very safe for people of all ages, and even pets.
We always recommend starting off with a low potency, low dose approach, and build up after a few days. Always talk to a doctor first if you are taking prescription medication. Be sure to only buy from a reputable company that has third party lab certifications and plenty of good reviews. Find out more about choosing CBD here.
