CBD Learning Center | Topicals, Strength & Lab Testing

If you’re trying to understand CBD, one of the hardest parts can be separating useful information from marketing hype.

At Quiet Monk CBD, we’ve spent years making CBD products, working with different formulations and strengths, reviewing third-party lab results, and talking directly with customers about the questions they have before choosing a product.

We created this Learning Center to share what we’ve learned.

Whether you’re trying to understand the difference between a CBD cream and salve, wondering what 5,000mg or 10,000mg actually means, comparing ingredients, or trying to make sense of a Certificate of Analysis, you’ll find practical information here.

CBD Topicals: Creams, Salves, Gels & Roll-Ons

CBD topicals come in several different forms, and choosing between them isn’t always obvious.

A cream may be easier to spread over a larger area, while a salve has a thicker consistency. Gels and roll-ons provide different application experiences, and cooling ingredients such as menthol can make two products with the same amount of CBD feel very different on the skin.

Our topical guides cover topics including:

CBD creams and lotions
CBD salves and balms
Cooling and warming topicals
CBD gels
CBD roll-ons
How topical formulations differ
How to apply CBD topicals
Ingredients commonly found in topical products

Explore our CBD Topical Guides →

Understanding CBD Strength

What does 5,000mg of CBD actually mean?

It’s one of the most common questions we receive.

The milligram number on a CBD product normally represents the total amount of CBD in the entire container—not the amount you’re applying each time you use it.

That makes container size important.

For example, comparing a 5,000mg product in a 4-ounce jar with a 5,000mg product in a much smaller container isn’t necessarily an apples-to-apples comparison.

We believe shoppers should understand what they’re buying instead of simply assuming a larger number automatically makes one product better than another.

Our strength guides explain:

What CBD milligrams mean
CBD concentration vs. total CBD
How container size affects concentration
How much CBD is in an approximate application
Differences between lower and higher concentrations
How to compare CBD products from different manufacturers

Read Our CBD Strength Guides →

How to Choose a CBD Topical

There’s no single CBD topical that’s right for everyone.

Some people prefer a lightweight cream. Others like a thicker salve. Some specifically want a cooling sensation, while others avoid menthol altogether.

When comparing products, consider more than the number printed on the front of the jar.

Look at:

Total CBD content
Container size
CBD concentration
Other cannabinoids in the formula
Cooling or warming ingredients
Cream, salve, gel or roll-on format
Complete ingredient list
Third-party laboratory results

Our guides can help you understand these differences before making a decision.

Browse Our CBD Topical Guides →

CBD Ingredients & Formulations

CBD isn’t the only ingredient that determines how a topical feels.

The base formulation and additional ingredients can dramatically change its texture, cooling sensation, absorption and overall application experience.

Depending on the product, topical formulations may contain ingredients such as menthol, botanical extracts, carrier oils and other cannabinoids such as CBG.

We discuss why these ingredients are used and what to look for when comparing product labels.

We also explain different forms of hemp-derived cannabinoids, including:

CBD isolate
Broad-spectrum hemp extract
CBG
Other minor cannabinoids
Carrier oils
Common topical ingredients

Understanding the formulation makes it much easier to compare two products that may look similar on the front of the label.

Learn About CBD Ingredients →

CBD Lab Testing & Certificates of Analysis

You shouldn’t have to simply trust what a CBD company prints on its label.

Third-party laboratory testing can provide additional information about what’s actually in a CBD product.

A Certificate of Analysis, commonly called a COA, may show cannabinoid potency and whether compounds such as THC were detected in the tested sample.

When reviewing a COA, we recommend checking:

Product or batch identification
Date of testing
Testing laboratory
CBD concentration
Other cannabinoids detected
THC results
Whether the report corresponds with the product you’re purchasing

Quiet Monk CBD publishes third-party laboratory results so customers can review them directly.

View Quiet Monk CBD Lab Results →

CBD Guides Based on Common Questions

Over the years, customers have asked us thousands of questions about CBD.

Many of our articles started with those conversations.

Our educational guides cover questions about CBD topicals, product strengths, ingredients, application methods and other subjects that come up when people are researching CBD.

Where research is limited or uncertain, we believe it’s important to say so.

CBD products shouldn’t be presented as miracle products or substitutes for appropriate medical care. Our goal is to give you useful information that helps you understand the products you’re considering.

Browse Our CBD Guides →

CBD Laws, Regulations & Industry Changes

Hemp and CBD regulations have changed considerably over the years and continue to evolve.

Our industry section covers significant developments affecting hemp-derived products, including changes to federal and state regulations, THC limits and other issues that may affect CBD consumers and businesses.

Because regulations can change, always check current rules applicable to your location.

Read CBD Industry & Legal Updates →

About Quiet Monk CBD

Quiet Monk CBD isn’t a content website that happens to write about CBD.

We make CBD products.

That hands-on experience gives us a different perspective when discussing CBD strength, ingredients, formulations and product testing.

We’ve worked with different CBD concentrations, cannabinoid formulations, topical bases and product formats while continually refining our products based on testing and customer feedback.

This Learning Center is where we share that experience.

We won’t pretend that every question about CBD has a definitive answer. When scientific evidence is limited, we’ll tell you. When something comes from our own manufacturing experience or customer feedback rather than clinical research, we’ll make that distinction as well.

That’s how we believe CBD education should work.

Explore Quiet Monk CBD

Ready to continue?

CBD Topicals & Creams →

Learn about creams, salves, gels, roll-ons and other topical formats.

CBD Strength Guides →

Understand CBD milligrams, concentrations and how different strengths compare.

CBD Ingredients →

Learn about CBD isolate, broad-spectrum extracts, CBG and topical ingredients.

CBD Lab Testing →

Learn how to read a Certificate of Analysis and view Quiet Monk CBD’s laboratory results.

CBD Guides →

Browse our educational articles and answers to frequently asked CBD questions.

CBD Laws & Industry News →

Follow important developments affecting hemp and CBD products.

A Note About Our Educational Content

Information in the Quiet Monk CBD Learning Center is provided for general educational purposes. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease and should not be considered a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare professional.

Browse Our Articles To Learn More About CBD

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