4 min read - by Caleb Heart

In the past few years, CBD went from being virtually unknown to becoming more popular than ever. So much so that there are actual companies now who are selling CBD toothpaste, toothpicks, pillows, and mattresses. Has the CBD trend gone too far? To better answer that question, we have put together a list on what should you look for in a CBD product before making a purchase.

1. Origin of CBD

First things first, not all CBD is created equal. There are many factors to consider but the simplest way to break it down is that CBD is no different than any other agricultural product. 20 years ago a tomato was just a tomato, but today, good luck winning that argument. Its now common to question whether or not its organic, farm to table, or the region that it was grown in. Consumers are more aware of product quality and safety these days than ever before, as we should be.

CBD isn't any different. The reality is, CBD products found online or at your local grocery store either contain CBD that is grown and manufactured in someone's garage, or at an FDA licensed facility. CBD products that aren't grown and produced at a licensed facility run the risk of being contaminated with airborne toxins, may contain THC, are not accurately dosed, and most times use CBD that contain pesticides and heavy metals.

Keeping all of this in mind, here is the first step you should take before buying a CBD product.

Critical information to look out for - Found on 3rd-party lab reports

1. Cannabinoid Profile - Ensure that there is 0.00% THC and the advertised amount of CBD is accurate.
2. Heavy Metals and Pesticides - Make sure that both heavy metals and pesticides show up as negative on the lab report.
3. Grower and Manufacturers License Information - Be certain that both the grower and manufacturer license is valid and not expired. 

All trustworthy CBD products include a 3rd-party lab report with a batch number that you can use to validate all of the above information. Additionally, some CBD products – ours included – include QR codes on the packaging so that you can quickly look up the product test results. Our intensive testing process checks for heavy metals, pesticides, and CBD potency. 

2. The Importance of Product Form Factor and Bioavailability

Bioavailability, in its simplest form, is a way to measure the amount of CBD that enters into your body's circulation, or blood stream. Every CBD product in the market has a different level of bioavailability, ranging anywhere from 0% all the way up to 85%. The only way to achieve 100% bioavailability, of any compound (vitamins, minerals, probiotics, peptides, etc.), is through intravenous (IV) application. The truth is, receiving 100% bioavailability isn't needed to experience the benefits that CBD provides. However, its important to know what the bioavailability level of various products are, along with the duration of benefits, so that you are not overpaying for a product that is delivering a much smaller percentage of CBD then advertised. 

To summarize, if a product advertises 1,000mg of CBD and has only 10% bioavailability, your body is only receiving 100mg of CBD, not 1,000mg as advertised (1,000mg of CBD x 10% bioavailability = 100mg of CBD).

Below is a summary of the average bioavailability ranges for the most popular CBD products.

• Beverages: 0%-10%
• Topical Cream: 0%-10% 
• Gummies: 4%-20%
• Tinctures: 15%-80%
• Transdermal Cream: 30%-85%

As you can see, the bioavailability levels of CBD products range drastically. In addition, the benefits of oral form factor products last for less than two (2) hours. Whereas top end transdermal creams, like Revibe Wellness provide up to 85% bioavailability and lasts up to 8 hours. 

3. Manufacturing and Pricing Transparency 

The final thing to be aware of is manufacturing and pricing transparency. This is an important section as it identifies one of the best kept secrets in the CBD industry. What if we were to tell you that roughly 80% of all CBD products on the market are manufactured at the same 5 Non-FDA regulated facilities? And further to that, what if we were to tell you that these production facilities are just adding CBD to their already existing product offerings without any research and development?

You might be wondering why this is a problem. The reality is, without proper research and development, many of these products test at extremely low levels of bioavailability, in some cases, 0% - which is especially common with CBD beverages. In addition, most of these products have not undergone proper shelf stability testing, which means your CBD product may already be expired the day you purchase it, or shortly thereafter.

When it comes to pricing, the 80% of brands that outsource their product manufacturing get to determine how much they charge their customers, and in some cases, the same product can be up to 5 times more expensive....Literally for the same product.

Being that the CBD market is unregulated, there aren't any regulations in place to protect the consumer from product misinformation or fair pricing.

Revibe Wellness has made it a priority source all of our CBD from a state licensed farm and produce our products in one of the only FDA regulated production facilities in the United States. Our commitment has always been to our customers by providing a superior CBD product with proven results.

Learn More to get started on your path to a better you with Revibe CBD Products.