This article was originally published on CBD Topicals. To view the original article, click here. 

The selection of CBD products seems to be endless with the market possibilities of CBD growing every day. Pain relief and skincare benefits are two of the most celebrated benefits of CBD and a wide range of CBD topicals specializes in the areas.  Designed to add in the goodness of CBD into skin friendly products, several options are available within the category of CBD topicals.

What Are The Different Types Of CBD Topicals?

CBD Salves

Most often, the factor that differentiates various CBD topicals is the water content in them. CBD is made by adding CBD extract to oil carriers and an emulsifier like beeswax. CBD salves do not have any water content in them.

CBD Lotion

CBD lotion is a mix of oil, water, a suitable emulsifier, and most importantly CBD extract. The higher ratio between oil and water (7:2) in CBD lotion is characteristic of the thicker consistency of CBD lotion when compared with CBD cream.

CBD Cream

Similar to lotions, creams are made by adding CBD extract to a mix of oil, water and emulsifier, but the ratio between oil and water is not the same as the ratio in CBD lotions. In creams, the oil to water ratio is 1, which makes it thinner than CBD lotion.

What Is The Working Mechanism Of CBD Topicals?

The endocannabinoid system of the body regulates various body functions like mood, sleep, pain sensation etc, and CBD works in our body by interacting with the numerous receptors of the system. The receptors are present in different parts of the body and the skin is no exception. It has a high concentration of endocannabinoid receptors.

CBD topicals applied directly on the skin penetrates the skin layers and interacts with the endocannabinoid receptors to offer the intended relief. The CBD in the topicals, as well as every CBD product hardly binds to the cannabinoid receptors as it lacks any particular binding affinity to the receptors. Instead, it influences the body functions through indirect actions. CBD activates TRPV1 receptors that are involved in the regulation of body temperature, pain and inflammation. In addition to that, cannabidiol inhibits Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) that leads to the higher production of endocannabinoids like anandamide that is involved in generating a sensation of pleasure that makes you feel good.

What Are The Benefits Of CBD Topicals?

CBD topicals are famous for the targeted pain relief benefit they offer, which is why its use for treating musculoskeletal pain is quite famous. Medical conditions like arthritis are often associated with severe pain symptoms, and CBD topicals is an excellent option that can relieve the pain in the target areas, usually the joints.

 A 2019 report by the Arthritis Foundation found that among 2600  arthritis patients surveyed, 79% considered starting the use of CBD to relieve pain and many have already tried it. CBD topicals prove to be effective in relieving pain symptoms that are characteristic of a number of diseases.

The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD make CBD topicals an excellent option that can handle the symptoms of skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease characterized by the abnormal division of skin cells leading to the thickening of skin at various locations in the body. White flakes and red or pink patches on skin are some of the most reported symptoms of the condition. The soothing properties of CBD topicals help reduce the typical symptoms of psoriasis, saving the patients from the embarrassment of walking around with visible patches and flaky skin.

CBD products are increasingly being used in the skincare and cosmetic industry. The skincare products make use of the hydrating and antioxidant properties of CBD that can effectively help in slowing down aging and keep the skin moisturized and healthy.

What Are The Things That You Should Be Careful About While Selecting CBD Topicals?

Keeping in mind that the industry is largely unregulated, you have to take extra care while selecting CBD topicals. Keep the following things in mind while you have decided to start using CBD topical.

Check The Certificate Of Authenticity Of The Topical Brand

You cannot blindly trust every brand of CBD topical with quality, as the industry will undoubtedly have several fraudsters who just have profit aims in mind. Before you choose a CBD topical, check the certificate of authenticity, the document that can give the details of third party lab testing and percentages of individual contents.

Check The Label Thoroughly

To make sure that the CBD topical would not cause any allergies, you have to check the product label thoroughly to find out whether you are allergic to any of its ingredients. Even though CBD extract is purely of natural origin, you cannot completely ignore the possibilities of other additives in the topical causing an allergy.

To compare reliable, third-party tested CBD products, click here!

Possibilities of slight increase in THC contents above the permissible level and issues of discreteness often worry people who use ingestible CBD products. CBD topicals are intended for exclusive external use, and the discreteness as well the ease of use of the option makes it the favorite CBD choice of many.

At the podium, Ward declined to explain his vote, but in a short interview with CalWatchdog afterwards said that he had explained his concerns at the appropriate time earlier in the day and was not sure about the legal ramifications of his sharing his concerns. According to published reports, Ward said “I’m sad to find myself compelled to vote no. In my opinion, the commission failed to fulfill its mandate to strictly apply constitutional criteria and consistently applied race and ‘community of interest’ criteria and sought to diminish dissenting viewpoints.”

Ward made it clear to CalWatchdog that he stands by such concerns and is waiting to see how the process proceeds. The commission will vote to adopt what they call “preliminary final maps” in an Aug. 15 meeting. Other commissioners who spoke said that the commission has exhausted its public review process and will indeed vote to approve the new district lines for U.S. Congress, state Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization.

As the commission explains on its Web site, “In November 2008, California voters authorized the creation of the Citizens Redistricting Commission when they passed the Voters FIRST Act, which appeared as Proposition 11. Prior to 2008, California legislators drew the districts.” The goal was to take partisanship out of the redistricting process, yet the new commissioners have been dogged by allegations of inappropriate political activism and conflicts of interest.

An exclusive CalWatchdog series by reporter John Hrabe “reveals that at least one commissioner, Dr. Gabino T. Aguirre, has made multiple political campaign contributions to Democratic candidates — contributions that were previously undisclosed to the Commission; a long history of political activism in support of Latino causes; and an extensive web of connections to a special interest group that has submitted its own redistricting proposals to the commission.”

Hrabe also revealed that “a second member … ,  Jeanne Raya, failed to disclose financial contributions made within the past 18 months to a state political campaign committee . …” Somehow, a commission designed to be nonpartisan and charged with designing fair election districts, allowed left-wing political activists with an apparent political agenda to be among its members and to allegedly use the process to create districts that favor their political outlooks.

Based on the CalWatchdog revelations, California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro called on Aguirre to resign from the post for what he termed “gross misconduct in office.” Del Beccaro questioned the fairness of a commission that failed to disclose the political activism of its members.

When one reported asked about allegations of impropriety by Aguirre, Galambos Malloy said, “All of our commissioners have conducted themselves with the utmost integrity and impartiality.” They did not address any of the specific concerns raised by the news reports and by the Republican leadership.

The commission also has been criticized by minority activist groups for not putting together enough Latino-dominant districts and not paying sufficient attention to African-American “communities of interest,” even though the commission must legally follow the federal Voting Rights Act, which dictates rules that enhance minority voting power.

At the press conference, commissioners refused to answer tough questions and focused mainly on their own sacrifices. “If anything was sacrificed in the process, it was our personal lives,” said Michelle DiGuilio of Stockton, referring to the long hours and the time spent away from her children. Vincent Barabba of Santa Cruz added that the rewards were worth the sacrifice and told a touching story about the way that Californians have embraced their diversity.

But when it came to questions about dissent, they kept repeating the mantra about this being an open and transparent process. It seemed more like a photo op than an opportunity to provide details about the inner workings of a commission that has much to say about the future politics of this state.

Jon Fleischman, publisher of the conservative Flashreport, argued Friday morning that the “The commission is likely to spend a good portion of today patting themselves on the back for a job well done. They certainly do deserve credit for spending as much time as they did on this project over the past eight months . …  However, the process was not a smooth one at all.” Fleischman points to self-interested agendas of commission members, unclear handling of Voting Rights Act rules and cast doubts on the much-touted openness of the process.

Commissioners seem to be gearing up for legal challenges and public scrutiny, and those surely will come in the ensuing weeks. Barabba argued that if the lines are that bad, then Californians can challenge them through the state Supreme Court or can launch a referendum drive. Those challenges surely are coming, and it will be interesting to hear what Ward has to say as redistricting critics get into gear.