By now, you must’ve heard a lot about CBD’s marvellous properties and benefits. Even if you haven’t – you’re about to. When you begin researching about CBD and its benefits – in most cases you end up reading about oils and vapes. It’s no secret that those two are main ways of ingesting and enjoying CBD, however, they’re not the only way.
Another form in which we can consume it is a tincture. Now, many confuse tincture with oil, or they believe those are just the two terms for the same thing. However, that’s not the case. Other than both being derived from hemp and coming in a dropper style bottle – they’re pretty different.
Since you’re already presented with a choice – we thought maybe we should do a little comparison between the two. That way, when you’re ready to buy one or the other – you know which one to choose. Without further ado, let’s get started.
What Is CBD?
Let’s start with the basics. CBD or cannabidiol is one of the main compounds derived from the cannabis plant or hemp. Unlike its counterpart, THC, cannabidiol is not a psychoactive substance and it will not can you high or intoxicated – however you want to call it. On the contrary, one might even argue it would get you ‘low’. CBD is widely known and regarded as one of the best therapeutic substances. It helps relieve anxiety, pain, depression and it has even been reported to have helped with some forms of seizures. Knowing that, it’s easy to see why are there so many different products on the market containing this substance.
What Is CBD Tincture?
From a medical standpoint, a tincture is virtually any medicine that’s made with and kept in high-proof alcohol. In this case, high-proof alcohol (70% and over) is used as a solvent to help with the extraction of the CBD compound out of the cannabis plant. After that, the alcohol is also being used to preserve the product and prolong its shelf life. You can easily expect anywhere from 3 to 5 years of shelf life for most tinctures.
In general, CBD extracts aren’t known for their pleasant flavour. They’re mostly bitter and unpleasant. Combine that with high-proof alcohol and you get a really bad tasting tincture. For that reason, these products are often mixed with various additives to mask the flavour and make for a more enjoyable experience.
As far as additives go, a lot of different stuff is added. Anything from sweeteners and flavouring, to vitamins (B12, D, C), herbs, essential oils (lavender, for instance) or even supplements like melatonin can be added to the mixture. Given the fact that there are so many additional substances added to the tincture, it’s only natural for CBD level to be lower than what you would usually find in the oils.
Are Tinctures Better Than Oil?
To sum it all up, a CBD tincture is a cannabis product, made with the help of high-proof alcohol, it has a longer shelf life then oil does, it has a lot of additives and it packs slightly less cannabidiol than the oils. That begs the question – are tinctures better than oil?
Well, as far as CBDKyro are concerned, we can’t really say one is better than the other. Both options have their advantages and drawbacks. Both are someone’s preference and that’s basically what’s it all about. The only thing that matter is your goal and what you’re expecting from the product.
On that note, we’ve decided to compare the two and check out the differences and similarities and maybe, just maybe, try and decide which of the two is better.
The Differences And Similarities Between Tinctures And Oils
Base & Effect
Even though both of these come from the cannabis plant – their base is not the same. Oils are CBD based, meaning cannabidiol is the carrying substance of the product. On the other hand – the tincture is either ethyl or isopropyl alcohol based, meaning the alcohol is the predominant substance. However, both contain CBD and both have been shown to exhibit the therapeutic properties we’ve talked about previously. So, in terms of base and effect it has on the body – we’d call it a tie.
Ingestion
Both of these are fairly versatile when it comes to ingestion methods. Oil is more commonly used and those who use it either vape it or consume it orally. Additionally, there are some oils that can also be used topically, meaning you’d rub them directly onto your skin for a localized relieving sensation. Also, you could mix the oils with food or drinks.
Tinctures, on the other hand, are used either sublingually or as an addition to the food or a drink. They can’t be applied directly onto the skin. Well, that’s not true. They can – they just won’t work. It’s safe to say that the oils win this round.
Taste
Oils aren’t the most delicious things in the world, so if you’re looking for tasteful experience – you should probably use tinctures. As we’ve mentioned, many additives are added to make the tincture taste better. There are loads of different flavoured tinctures with the most popular being chocolate, peach, mango, strawberry and so on. Once again – we have a clear winner.
Price
The price of CBD products varies depending on several factors like potency, strength and so on. In general, there isn’t any significant difference between the two as both cost roughly the same, although, you can find premium-quality oils that are on the pricier side of the spectrum. Let’s call this one a tie, too, shall we?
Shelf Life
We’ve already mentioned, but for the sake of the argument, we’ll say it once again. Tinctures have a longer shelf life than the oils because of the preservative properties of alcohol. That’s not to say that oils have a short life-span, it’s just that the tinctures last longer. A good way to spot an expired CBD product is to notice some fogginess or cloudiness of the product. A solid W for the T-team.
Do we have a winner?
Well, if you take a look solely at these five categories, you could argue that the tinctures come out on top – since they’ve won by a smidge. However, once again, it all comes down to personal preference. The bottom line is – both are great and you really can’t go wrong with either.