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CBD Tincture Review: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Oil ‘Em

The idea of CBD tinctures confused me at first – at no point in my day do I take a drop of, well, anything, and put it under my tongue.  Sure, I can get used to the idea of rubbing a CBD-based cream on my face as part of my skincare routine, but dropping oils under my tongue?  It seemed bizarre.

Fast forward a year and it’s part of my wellness routine.  Tinctures are easy to use, but not necessarily easy to make part of your routine. Before I go into “what’s hot and what’s not,” I think it’s worth spending a few minutes discussing how to make the adjustment.

I put my oils next to my daily vitamins, and started with just one drop under the tongue per day.  After my first month using tinctures, I upgraded to two drops under the tongue per day.  I began to eventually enjoy the orange-citrusy treat I gave to myself each morning.  It’s important to try tinctures out to see what kinds of flavors you enjoy the most.  I wouldn’t dive right into the lemon, orange or fruit-flavored tinctures until you try the “natural” CBD oils.  You might discover that you don’t want to drop anything under your tongue, and maybe would like a splash with your morning OJ.  

CBD Tinctures are used by applying drops in your mouth and allowing the oil to absorb through your mucus membranes.  It is a fast way to take in CBD – if you need relief quickly, this is probably the best way to take your daily dose of CBD.  Remember to shake these tinctures up before you use them.  

Now for the fun part.  Below, you’ll find a list of our favorite CBD tinctures on the market.

1. CorVash Farms CBD Tincture
Flavor: Natural
Relax & Refocus
1500 mg
Full Spectrum
Organic Non-GMO

At 1500 mg, this is the most robust CBD tincture we’ve gotten our hands on.  It has a rich green hemp color and taste.  The relaxing effects hit fast – you’ll feel an impact within 20 minutes at the most.  Check out our link to our Peanut Butter Cups recipe here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B0_QPFdBUgb/.  We love using Corvash Farms CBD tincture with our PB cups!


2. Funky Farms Lemon Limón CBD Tincture 
Flavor: Lemon Limón
500 mg

These tincture drops from Funky Farms pack a bang of flavor and are actually really smooth going down. It’s a very thin oil that absorbs with a sort of citrus-melon taste. All of our reviewers said they needed a full dropper to feel the effects of the CBD. Our team loves taking a few drops of these before bed as it quickly provides a calming, elevated but subtle & sleepy euphoria.


3. Lord Jones Royal Oil CBD Tincture
Flavor: Natural
1000 mg

This multi-purpose oil has a light cannabis scent and an orange-green tone. Our most popular use for this type of tincture is as face oil, although you can rub it anywhere you feel dry or irritated. You can also work this oil into many beauty routines with a jade facial roller and apply lightly before using moisturizer or cream. We love incorporating Lord Jones into a skincare routine but have also tried it as a beverage booster and applied it under the the tongue. The branding is reminiscent of House Baratheon from Game of Thrones. Lord Jones is on the expensive end and available at Sephora.


4.  Pure Spectrum Hemp Oil Tincture
Flavor: Natural
500 mg

This brand tells the world that “Not all CBD is created equal,” and so right they are. With less than 0.3% THC, their organically grown and extracted oil can be taken orally (mL measurements are on the dropper) or added to food. Our favorite way to use it: infuse it into homemade chocolate peanut butter cups. Like other tinctures, it can also be added to beverages or below the tongue.

So there you have it – our first round of CBD tincture reviews. We’ll release a new round of reviews in a few weeks!  There’s tons of CBD tinctures on the market, and we’re still sifting through the products. See you soon!
XOXO,
Noid Noirx
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Calm your skin with CBD Face Masks

So you love your face masks – it’s your go-to, twice-a-week part of your skin routine that’s a chance for you to connect with that “inner zen” (you know it’s deep down there) and relax.  Well, the best kept secret within the CBD category is CBD Masks.  Have you tried one?  If not, we have found two effective options which can be used independently, or coupled together for a self-care sleep routine.  If you prefer a sheet mask, we’ve tried those too and have a review of our favorite.

Option 1: Naysa CBD Dead Sea Mud Mask

This face mask is pretty much guaranteed to leave your skin feeling smooth, fresh and beautiful.  Forget the expensive Elizabeth Arden facial and opt for one of these. Everyone in the NOIDNOIRx family who has tried this mud mask has absolutely fallen in love.  The dead sea salt and vulcanus kaolin clay clean our your pores and tighten your skin while the CBD helps soothe it from the detox.  Apply the mask onto your face and wait for it to dry (8-10 minutes).  Once it does, little freckle-like marks will appear, pulling out all of the dirt and gunk stuck deep in your pores.  When the mask comes off, your skin will look and feel tighter and appear more luminous. You’ll feel as good as new by treating yourself after a long week (or day) at work.

Option 2: Kana Purple Rice Hemp Sleeping Mask

A luxurious sleeping mask made more enticing by the inclusion of Purple Rice in Kana’s pot of ingredients.  The CBD-forward skincare company educated us on the historical use of purple rice, which was reserved for Chinese Emperors and royal families back in the day.  Their cooling and wonderfully scented mask is also due to the licorice root extract.  Combining the purple rice and licorice amplify the impact of  hyaluronic acid which aids the signs of aging (think smooth fine lines).  But what we are really here for are the cannabinoids!  Mixed with green tea leaf water, the ‘noids and green tea help reduce inflammation while you sleep.  Together, all of the ingredients reduce the appearance of wrinkles and work to radiate your skin while you catch some ZzZ’s.

The best part is that you don’t have to use it just before bed.  We also like to apply and leave this mask on for an hour before washing off with warm water and following with a light moisturizer.  Do note that it is most effective when worn overnight; it provides the product with enough time to really sink into your skin and surprise you with a beautiful morning glow.   You might wake up feeling like an empress.  Appearance-wise – we like the light, milky pastel purple color (naturally deriving from the purple rice).  It’s got a lovely, subtle lightweight aroma and application. With a $65 price tag, you pay for the high quality of ingredients and overnight results.  This is in line with what we’ve paid for high-end, non-CBD masks at Sephora.  We hear that Malaysia is full of blue rice – Kana, anything new and blue in the works?

Anytime option: Joy Organics Sheet Mask

The serum in this 10 mg CBD sheet mask is rooted in Black Licorice & Rosemary extracts, creating a really refreshing and slightly sweet fragrance.  The Colorado-based company uses the entire CBD plant profile, but removed the THC.  The mask is also void of parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde & alcohol, which are often present in sheet masks.  The effect is a nourishing gloss that does not dry out your skin.  What the team really enjoyed about this is that the mask comes in two pieces, so it more evenly molds to your skin.  The smaller molecules in serums penetrate into the skin, delivering the active CBD and other plant extracts. Leave it on for 25-30 minutes.  Then, massage the leftover serum into your face and neck (there is a ton left in the package, so don’t let it go to waste – it’s good stuff).  We recommend this mask for an at home facial – $12.95 a pop although Joy does offer an intro 15% off promo code.

That’s a wrap on our favorite CBD masks so far!  We will keep testing masks, skincare products and more, so stay tuned for more honest reviews!

XOXO,
NoidNoirx

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What is CBD?

For those of us who may or may not have been living under a rock for the past 12 months, there’s this thing out there called CBD. Needless to say, the market of CBD products is saturated. But if you’re reading this post, you likely don’t know that, or don’t know where to begin in the sea of CBD products.

We’re here to break CBD down for you. First, CBD or cannabidiol is not the same thing as THC (AKA “marijuana”).  It’s the chemical compound you find from a cannabis plant. Yes, I know what you’re asking: “Isn’t cannabis just, pot?”  Yes and no. Hemp is the plant that produces a psychoactive component and then a non-psychoactive component. CBD is non-psychoactive. You won’t (and shouldn’t) feel any effects of euphoria from the CBD plant.  If any of your friends tells you otherwise, they should ditch the product, because it ain’t CBD. Though, there is a caveat. At one point or another during our lives, we may have experienced side effects from a certain pharmaceutical drug. There are individuals who will feel “different” when they take Advil or Tylenol. This is the case with CBD as well.  

Furthermore, because CBD isn’t regulated by the FDA, you don’t always know what you’re getting. For instance, some CBD products contain trace amounts of THC. If you have a low tolerance for this actual drug, you would most likely feel a “high” after taking the CBD product. But don’t be fooled, CBD is never meant to get you high, no matter how much of it you take.

Now, I know you’re confused by all the jargon: “hemp,” “marijuana,” “cannabis.” This can all get a little confusing. There’s this plant called Cannabis sativa, and it has two species: hemp and marijuana. While there’s CBD in both plants, there’s a lot more CBD in hemp. Hemp only has about 0.3% THC in its plants, which is sort of the “legal limit” when it comes to labeling your product as a CBD product.

Previously, I stated that CBD is not regulated by the FDA. Well, it’s not regulated but there is a CBD-approved product on the market that treats epilepsy. For now, we know that CBD can treat something as serious as epilepsy, but there’s little evidence that it can treat anything else. Your friends and family may swear by CBD for treating arthritis or anxiety, but currently none of those claims are verified. 

However, we’ve talked to thousands of CBD users (and are CBD users ourselves) and we have personally experienced the benefits of CBD products. We recommend trying the different methods of taking CBD to see which one suits you the best. Whether it’s vaping, eating, putting on a cream or dropping a tincture under your tongue, we encourage you to responsibly test out a few products over a sixty-day period to get a sense of what works and what doesn’t.
Feel free to let us know what you tried in the comments below!

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Cooking with CBD: Guacamole

All good guacamole beings with good avocado.  Avocados are rich in vitamins & minerals (20+), fatty acids and folate, giving the fruit a claim to superfood power.  The most popular kind of avocado that most of us see at the grocery store or farmers market is the Hass avocado aka the “alligator pear.”  

We’re not the only ones who are crazed about CBD guac, there are dozens of recipes out there that demonstrate just how special this combo is.  While CBD doesn’t necessarily bring out any more “healthiness” in avocados, the two are a powerful combination. Avocados contain 20 different vitamins and minerals, are fiber-rich, and promote healthy digestion, lower cholesterol, proper blood sugar levels and good gut bacteria. They are higher in potassium than bananas and high in vitamin K.

If you don’t know what’s good about CBD, clearly you haven’t been reading our blog posts!  CBD has anti-inflammatory properties, it can help you quit smoking or drugs, it can treat epilepsy, and more!  


A guacamole appetizer or side dish fits for parties or homemade snacks, so here is our CBD edition:

Ingredients:

  • 3 avocados: peeled, pitted & smashed
  • 1 lime: juiced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup of onion (white, yellow or red): diced
  • 4 tablespoons of fresh cilantro: chopped
  • 4-5 cherry tomatoes: diced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic: minced
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 dropper of cbd oil


Instructions:

In a medium sized bowl, mash up the avocados, lime juice & salt.  Proceed to incorporate the onion, cilantro, CBD Oil, tomatoes and garlic.  Finish by stirring in the cayenne pepper.

The secret to getting full flavor out of your guac is to let it sit in the fridge for an hour; although, you can serve it immediately. 

Please comment below with your own photos and let us know if you created your own variations!  If you want to read about any other specific recipes, please leave a comment!


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Deep Dive Into 6 Popular CBD Gummies: The Good, The Bad, and The “OK”

Remember sour worms and gummy bears from good days gone by? Of course you do. The rough texture that becomes slimy and soft as you let stringy pieces of sugar melt away on your tongue…the memories alone make you crave the sweet sensation of these tasty treats.

But as you grew up, people started to tell you that you needed to eat healthier. You can’t eat the junk that comes in a plastic package, because “it’ll rot your teeth and your brain.” Shame on you for even thinking of the delicious goodness of Sour Patch Kids.

CBD gummies, on the other hand, changed the game. Candy, chocolate, and specifically gummies are among the most popular items in the growing market of edible CBD goods. The challenge now is figuring out what’s good and what should get tossed. CBD doesn’t come cheap, so when you’re making a decision about what to buy, don’t be impulsive and more importantly, don’t get ripped off. Make sure you properly vet the brands out there that are pushing CBD gummies.

We know the choices are overwhelming, so we’ve tried tons of different kinds of sour and sugary pieces of CBD candy – bears, worms, frogs and plain ol’cubes. At CBD expositions, samples of products flood convention halls, direct from various CBD retail stores and curated CBD boxes where you get a variety of surprise samples each month. We put together a review to share our team’s consensus of 6 popular CBD gummy brands on the market. Each gummy was evaluated, based on 4 key factors:

  1. Taste/scent – (goal: we would eat or use this if there wasn’t CBD in it)
  2. Price per mg – (goal: doesn’t break the bank, get the best bang for your buck)
  3. Lab reports – (goal: properly tested for undetected harmful ingredients)
  4. Full spectrum/broad spectrum/isolate – (goal: we want that Entourage Effect)

Here are our honest reviews of the best and the worst:

1. Best: CBD NYC Mini 20 mg Bears

At 20 mg each and with 30 pieces per bottle, these gummy bears offer a cheaper price per mg of CBD than any edible we’ve seen ($49.99 retail price for 30 pieces at 20 mg per gummy). On top of getting kudos for being on the cheaper end, these baby bears are super effective and tasty. They come in an assortment of fruit flavors and go a long way to help you ease tension. The teeny tiny size doesn’t make you feel bad about having 2 or 3…or 4. There is no aftertaste or sugar coating which can scratch up your tongue like many gummies out there. These are void of THC and gluten, and sourced from non-GMO, organic USA-grown hemp.

Lab reports are posted on their site, so we knew exactly what we were getting.

These bad boys are broad spectrum, our favorite kind of CBD (more to come on that in a future blog post).

2. Best: Smokiez High Clarity 25 mg Hemp Gummies Chew

Oregon-based Smokiez gummies provide 25 mg of CBD per piece in their chews (10 calories each, including 2 grams of protein). One pack has 10 pieces of chews (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and sugar-free options). The soy-free proprietary formula is something special despite being void of THC. These sweets are perfectly cut, soft and chewy. With a shelf-life of 1 year, you are safe to store these without them going bad, although let’s be honest – you’ll likely ravish them much sooner. Our team prefers two pieces in one sitting. The favorites of all flavors are sour watermelon and jamberry (which tastes like a blueberry, strawberry and raspberry mash-up). The least favored among reviewers was straight raspberry. The only downside was that we called in and wanted to find out if these were isolate, broad spectrum and full spectrum. No one picked up their phone – we only got a voicemail box. Note to Smokiez – invest in customer service!!

A single serving is one 25 mg gummy, with only ten pieces per package. Each package will cost you $24.95. Lab results can be found here.

3. Favored, but not a favorite: Upstate Elevator Co CBD Worms 30 mg

The fruity flavor tart worms from this Vermont-based company are awesome. Each wiggly worm has 30 mg of CBD, so they are pretty potent. Also included in one serving is 100% of your daily recommended dosage of Vitamin C, which is always nice. There is no THC or artificial preservatives; other ingredients include organic carrot juice and turmeric. There’s also no hemp aftertaste but lots of sugar on the worms. These are isolate hemp gummies, but we had to call in to find that out. We didn’t find that information listed anywhere on their site.

There’s 30 mg per gummy, and 25 gummies per bottle. Each bottle will cost you $69.99. Lab reports can be found here.

4. Favored, but not a favorite: Kushie Bites CBD Variety Pack

You get 1000 mg of CBD in this $40 variety pack of gummy chews, worms, bears, rings and one big octopus. What’s there not to like? The Colorado-made CBD company hooks you up with so many options with and without sugar on top. Each gummy has anywhere between 25-50 mg of CBD. You get 20 pieces in the variety pack, which equates to about 550 calories. Although they are gluten, fat and dairy-free, these do taste much sweeter than our favorite CBD gummies. The calorie count speaks to that, too. Our favorite in the pack is the rainbow that looks like you twisted up a sugared rainbow sour strip and trimmed it into a few pieces. Keep in mind, these are isolate. We had to call their representatives to figure that out – note to Kushie Bites, list that on your site!!

We found their lab reports here.

 

5. Needs Improvement: Just CBD 7 mg Emoji Gummies

When you are having a bad day, and are looking for CBD gummies, if they have a smiley face, you expect to start smiling. Just CBD just doesn’t do the trick. Although the branding is cute – these emoji gummies are coated with sugar and the flavors don’t taste very different. The 7 mg of CBD per moji is lower then most edibles so you need to have a lot for them to be effective, and the sugar from 5 or more can be annoying on your tongue. This is not a terrible option for first-timers who want an extremely low dose of CBD per gummy. These gummies have isolate hemp in them – you won’t get the entourage effect, but you will get CBD delivered into your system in its purest form.

These gummies will run you $40, but you can probably find a Groupon deal and get them at a discount. Lab reports are here.

6. Needs Improvement: Joy Organics 20 mg

These 8-ingredient serene orchard gummies have a subtle apple flavor and very hempy aftertaste. The high CBD content coupled with minimal additive ingredients likely create the residual taste after you chew. We wish that Joy would do something about the bitter taste, it’s not a serene flavor despite the clean ingredients and pleasant chew.

A 15-pack with 20 mg per chew will run you $44.95. These are broad spectrum, so you’ll get the benefits of that. But, we advise that you choose one of our favorites and save your money. Lab reports can be found here.

So, that’s a wrap for our gummies post! We hope you liked our breakdown of the best and worst in CBD gummies. Please leave us a comment below! Until next time… 😉

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THC Therapy – Note, This Post Would Only Be Legal in About 13 States

By Morris Henderson

Our former presidents have admitted to smoking marijuana, there is evidence that alcohol is more dangerous for consumers than marijuana, and yet we are still far, far away from decriminalizing (let alone legalizing) THC across the nation.

While I’ll veer away from the political tirade I’d like to go on, I’m going to get down to brass tacks here.  In the words of Rick James (sort of), Mary Jane is a hell of a drug. In a perfect world we’d have an Amazon of THC bath bombs, THC edibles, THC gummies, THC skin creams and THC cosmetics. We can buy alcohol online in 2019 – yes, a beverage that can cause you to become so inebriated and stupid that you break into a bar brawl at 2 A.M. It’s not viewed as high risk, though it does require some licensing. However, you need a specialized merchant service to even do business with something as innocent as CBD.

Let’s talk about a few of the legal products on the market, where to get them and when to use them.

First, I live in Maine and recreational marijuana is not legal in my state.  So, what’s a guy to do?  Obviously, I drive down to Massachusetts and hit up a few of my favorite dispensaries to purchase, eat, smoke and apply my favorite THC products.

Quick disclaimer, y’all.  I do not endorse buying marijuana illegally.  Sure, it’s ridiculous that marijuana is illegal and people have gone to prison for possessing it.  But, street drugs are the real Wild Wild West. You have no clue what’s in your bud, and I suggest staying away from it.  There are plenty of states that have legalized the growth and distribution of marijuana.  Can’t get the recreational kind?  Well, there are a number of ways to get a medical marijuana card.  Just be mindful that if you have a gun license, states like New York will prohibit you from having both.

Anyway, on my last trip to MA I dropped into NETA (New England Treatment Access) in Northampton.  Of course, there was a line to get in.  Since there are only a few dispensaries that have been approved to sell in Massachusetts, there’s constantly people queuing at the doors.  This, of course, is a good sign.  The legitimate dispensaries are taking business away from the illegal distributors – more people are getting their hands on bud that has been tested and regulated.

Once they let me inside, I get on line and their salespeople hand me a menu.  Some stuff is highlighted as just medical, while other stuff is recreational.  There’s a way to order ahead and come pick up your items, which is something I’ll definitely do next time I’m on my way down from Maine.

So, how do I pick my items?  It’s really a matter of what I’m looking for.  Personally, I’m not looking for the purely psychoactive effects of THC.  I do want to relax, but I don’t necessarily want to be high out of my mind.  The D-line lumens are great for a soothing calm – each has 5 mg of THC, and they don’t taste bad.  They’re not the overly sweet gummies you find at CBD stores, they’re really just subtly sweet edibles with a bit of sugary coating.  The packaging is interesting – I don’t know if it’s due to regulations but the packages are pretty low-key.  The gummies are $30, and come in sort of a medicine bottle with labels that are in shades of green.  I’ve noticed that the more frequently I take these, the harder it is to feel any type of high from the lumens.  For instance, the first time I took a gummy, it was an instant high (with just 5 mg!)  The second time I ate one, I didn’t feel a thing.  I need to eat more at the same time or really take time off between chewing on these.

Quick disclaimer on these – do not eat one or two and then even think about driving within a two or three-hour timeframe.  These will hit you later, not immediately. Be safe and responsible when you are consuming a psychoactive substance.

Next, there’s the sucking candy. Yes, there’s sucking candy with THC in it, and it’s FAMAZING. These are called “gems,” and well, what gems they are (sorry for the corny play on words).  I got the 5 MG Watermelon gems, and they hit you within 30 to 60 minutes. Similar to the gummies, you don’t want to take too many of these at once. The THC “taste” is pretty subtle; it’s easy to enjoy these watermelon goodies if you prefer to suck on your THC (heh, heh).

So, that wraps up our “edible edition” of THC Therapy, brought to you by Yours Truly.  We’ll be back with more reviews on SMOKABLE THC (I know that’s what you guys are really here for ;)).

Next time, we’ll bring you the latest and greatest in CBD gummies. Until then!!!

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CBD Company Profile: Pam’s Fizzy Factory

We fell in love with Pam and her fizzy factory after just one chill pill.

Founder and owner of Pam’s Fizzy Factory, Pam Fiske, creates eccentric, bright bath bombs, handcrafted soaps and all kinds of artisan bath goods. Fueled by a passion to make fun, beautiful products for everyone to enjoy, Pam began to incorporate CBD into her product line this year.  Despite not growing up in a cannabis-friendly household, Pam says “The demand (for a CBD line) became undeniable and the results are incredible.  I felt I owed it to my customers to offer the best products.”  Pam uses CBD isolate from hemp grown by U.S. farms – all of which are U.S. Hemp Authority Certified and third-party tested.

Other than employing website design specialists and marketing consultants, Pam runs her Fizzy Factory on her own and it’s impressive – the products are handcrafted and made fresh daily.  This creative genius offers bubble bars and bath bombs in shapes ranging from sharks, unicorns, sprinkled doughnuts and even Frapuccinos.  Since 2016, Pam’s Fizzy Factory’s goal has been to create effective yet unique, luxurious bath products to set the mood for any occasion.  Pam, a native of Chardon, Ohio, talks to us about her favorite item, the pain soothing salve:  “[It’s my favorite] simply because the results and reviews are phenomenal.  It really works to soothe your aches and provides a relaxing scent.”  

Let’s talk about our favorite – the 200 mg CBD-infused Chill Pill.  This bath bomb is appropriately named.  It comes odorless or in a spearmint and eucalyptus scent.  We love this, not just because it is bright and bold, but also soothing.  Our preference is for an aroma of eucalyptus and mint to fill the tub, creating a creamy white finish that dissipates into a clear, tranquil blue resembling a beautiful Caribbean beach.  It feels and looks like a Chill Pill, leaving the faint, pleasant smell on your skin for hours.  

Pam offers a CBD-free version of this bath bomb – “Chillin’ like a Villian” is made with epsom salts and avocado oil and will detoxify, soothe and moisturize your skin.

Follow Pam’s Fizzy Factory for new, handcrafted luxurious products – Pam will be releasing a full woman’s line of skincare products including face wash, moisturizer, body butter and foot cream!

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Demystifying the Landscape of CBD for Pain Relief: Deep Dive into 6 Pain Creams, Rubs & Patches

Millions of people are favoring CBD cream, rubs & topical patches for pain relief over prescriptions (see Martha Stewart’s latest commitment to CBD).  Whether its an alleviation of pain from arthritis, achy joints, muscles, sciatica, or recovering from a grueling workout – all of these products are to be applied directly to the area of pain or discomfort.  Our team has tried 6 different CBD options for pain relief.  Here is where we landed on the best, the worst and the in between: 

1. Best: CBD NYC Pain Relief Rub with EMU, 500 mg of CBD

This is our favorite rub for pain relief, for 2 simple reasons: its cheap & effective.  At $49.99 for 500 mg of CBD, CBD NYC provides an affordable option for pain relief.  The inclusion of EMU really caught our eye.  EMU is a an oil derived from fatty acid and connective tissue of an ostrich looking bird, native to Australia.  You can find many EMU products without CBD, but combining the two ingredients provides a synergy which amplify the benefits.  EMU became popular when studies began to show that it quickly absorbs into the skin, working as the delivery agent for the CBD, but also providing natural anti-inflammatory benefits itself. 



2. Favored: CBD Medic Muscle & Joint Advanced Pain Relief Travel Pack from Harmon’s

The individual travel packets are super convenient when you are on the go; whether in your gym bag, luggage or purse.  One box contains 10 travel packs, filled with camphor, menthol & CBD.  The ointment is potent, immediately providing a tingly cool feeling on your skin.  Inactive ingredients include organic beeswax & a plethora of oils (clove, cottonseed, eucalyptus, jojoba seed, peppermint, tea tree & the beloved hemp). 


3. Favored: Global Cannabinoid Patch, 120 mg of CBD (Broad Spectrum)

These topical CBD patches contain just one ingredient: 100% Broad Spectrum Hemp Oil (CBD that contains the full plant profile, stripped of the psychoactive THC cannabinoid). Each 120 mg patch can be worn up to 8 hours and is also water resistant (but not water proof).  Apply directly to the area of pain as long as it is void of ample hair growth as this is an adhesive product.  The Hemp sourcing GC products are grown in Oregon, Colorado & North Carolina.




4. Favored: Sagely Naturals Relief & Recovery Cream


This 2 oz bottle of “Relief & Recovery” CBD cream has a wonderful minty, menthol scent. It is a lightweight cream made with essential oils which help it go on smooth & silky. Made in the States with no sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances or artificial colors or dyes, it contains 25 mg of Full Spectrum CBD per bottle. We really like this cream because it absorbs quickly without a sticky, greasy feeling. More importantly, it is effective at combating temporary aches & discomfort. Reviewers favor application on the lower back, using a hand massager to rub in for superior impact. 



5. Worst: Populum Cold Rub Therapy, 100 mg of CBD (Full Spectrum)

We noticed moderate relief when applying this cooling cream to sore muscles & joints.  With 100 mg of CBD in the entire bottle (which isnt a high dosage for 3 oz), this Hemp smells a bit like Viks vape rub.  Populum adds aloe vera to the mix, which we reckon helps heal the skin, while aiming to target pain points below the surface. The Full Spectrum CBD is also coupled with Chamomile & Arnica (rich in anti bruising & anti microbial properties).  A decent choice for muscle soreness and lactic acid build ups post workouts, but not the most effective rub for pain relief.  USA Made; about $35 a bottle



6. Worst: Joy Organics Lavender Salve


The jar is small and expense.  Since it is a salve rather then a rub, you’ve really got to rub it in to ensure absorption.  The Lavender smell is nice & calming but not as powerful as any of the other items we’ve tried.


Related: Interview with Sales Manager of CBD Store in Sunrise, Florida

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CBD and EMU for Pain: Interview with CBD District in Sunrise, Florida

When we think about relieving physical pain, we usually opt in to ingestion of a pharmaceutical pill.  What we don’t naturally think about is applying something topically, to our body’s largest organ – the skin.  As the CBD Movement emerged, the range of options for topical creams, oils, salves & rubs to treat pain have matured.

Ralph Minyan, Sales Manager of CBD District in Sunrise, Florida calls CBD “a gift from God”.  He has seen CBD help many customers along with family and friends.  Ralph says the best part about CBD is that “you cant get high – it just helps everything else”.
His father suffered from terrible back pain that caused a lot of trouble falling and staying asleep.  Ralph convinced his dad to apply pain relief rub with a low mg dosage of CBD on his back before bed.  His father started sleeping through the night and noticed far less discomfort.  Once in a while, he now uses an adhesive patch which can provide relief and reduce inflammation for up to 8 hours.  Sometimes he ops out for topical ingestion and takes 600 mg of CBD tincture.

Popular ways to ingest 600 mg dosage of CBD Ralph explains, are through either capsules or tinctures.  “When ingesting a CBD tincture, drop your dosage under the tongue and swish around for 15-20 seconds.  The cannabinoids absorb through your mucus membranes.  It’s one of the fastest ways to deliver the impact of CBD.”


He recalls another story of how his friend claims CBD changed his life.  Dealing with depression for years, this friend did not want to be medicated because of the zombie like side effects to his personality.  After a night of Ralph explaining the research of CBD reducing depression and anxiety, Matthew gave it a shot.  He adopted a 500 mg tincture routine and began to feel a little more uplifted.  He has stuck to his routine after trying it for the first time just this Spring and says it helps him keep a positive outlook. 

After seeing the impact that CBD has had on the quality of life of his father and best friend, Ralph says he “feels so good to be helping, i tell my customers – once you see results you will be as thankful as i am.”  

Ralph’s personal favorite CBD items?  Tea and pain relief cream.  The tea, he says is calming and a part of his bedtime routine.  When t comes to relieving soreness after a workout and fostering faster muscle recovery, he goes for pain relief cream.  “Look for Pain Relief Cream with EMU” he suggests.  “EMU absorbs quickly into the skin and is anti-inflammatory itself.  Add CBD and bam – the the relief rub does wonders.”

EMU Oil is derived from fatty oils of a large Australian ostrich looking kind of bird.  It is known to be a strong agent for relieving muscular aches & pains, arthritis and improving joint mobility.  Just like CBD, EMU is a natural anti-inflammatory agent which quickly absorbs into the skins, acting as a delivery agent for CBD.  When coupled together, this cream has a hard hitting impact.  One of our testers here at Noid Noirx is a chef who often gets attacked by some crackling heated oil in the kitchen.  She applied this cream to a dime sized burn and saw the wound heal after 3 days of application (twice a day).  The best part she says, it that it actually prevented blistering. 

We’ve also seen this cream help folks who suffer from  eczema & psoriasis.  Baby Boomers loved it on their knees and aching joints.  CBD NYC gets a plus in our books as their CBD is sourced from Non GMO, organically grown Hemp.  They are also FDA Registered and GMP Compliant

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Living with PCOS

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – a diagnosis full of cosmetic nuisances & physical pain to be dealt with, impacting an estimated 8-12% of women.
Ovarian Cysts, irregular and / or heavy periods, breakouts, thick or rapid hair growth and nerve & skin sensitivity are just a some of the side effects a woman with PCOS may have to adjust to.  These imbalances are manifested by a combination of nutritional and metabolic problems which adversely affect insulin and other hormones.
PCOS is a pain in the ass, but the world doesnt end.  There are a plenty of things to be done about being dealt a shitty hand of luck.  
For your vanity and overgrown hair frustration, Laser Hair Removal is an effective solution.  Working best for thick, dark hair, LHR can be painful, especially for women with PCOS; as nerve sensitivity is heightened due to hormonal imbalances.  Be sure to mention that you have PCOS at your salon or spa and spend the extra few bucks on numbing cream.  

Investing in LHR is not just for those with PCOS – anyone tired of shaving & waxing and associates razor burns, bumps & ingrown hairs should look into it.  There are tons of SPAs offering laser hair removal services.  For the NYC folks – my favorite salon is SkinPrologica by 23 st (I always go to Eataly afterwards).  
For your breakouts & internal regulation – give topical & ingestible CBD a try.  CBD helps to reduce internal and external inflammation & redness, (for more about how CBD partners with your EndoCannabinoid System [ECS], migrate here for a minute).   

You can ingest CBD a number of ways – edibles (gummies, candies, lollipops, tinctures), topical application (creams, oils, salves, balt salts, bath bombs), and smoke it.  

My favorite gummies are from CBD NYC – they are just really cute 20 mg CBD baby bears with a great fruit flavor and no hempy afterstate.  They also arent powdered with sugar which can irritate your tongue.  Lastly and most importantly (the purse), im a cheap-o and compared prices of gummies to find that these are the best bang for your buck when you calculate the price per mg ($50 for 600 mg).  The bears on the hunt for honey are void of THC & Gluten and sourced from NON GMO, organic USA grown Hemp.