How to make CBD Lotion, Cream, and Salve with CBD Oil

How to make CBD lotion

Containing around 75% water, CBD lotions are the lightest form of topicals. Because of this, they are easier to apply and will absorb into the skin more quickly. This makes them a great option if you want to apply your CBD topical to larger areas of the body, quickly and easily.

Unless you have very dry skin, lotions are also usually preferred for any type of facial skincare as they are the least greasy when applied.

CBD lotion recipe

CBD lotion has just four main ingredients; an oil base, water, an emulsifying agent, and your favorite CBD oil.

The type of oil base you use will affect the texture of your CBD lotion, so you may want to experiment with a few different types of oil when you begin making your own at home. To achieve a lighter consistency, you should consider using almond, sunflower, or apricot oil, or for a slightly denser texture, you can choose a heavier oil base, such as argon, jojoba, or coconut oil.

If you want to add a larger amount of CBD oil to increase the strength of your lotion, then you may also want to reduce the amount of oil base you use (very slightly) in order to accommodate it.

CBD lotion ingredients

¼ cup of oil base (we used sweet almond oil)
Up to ¾ cup of distilled, mineral, or spring water
¾ oz of beeswax
1 fl oz (30ml) CBD oil  (we used our 1500mg full-spectrum oil)
Essential oils (optional)

Directions

Using a bain-marie or double boiler, gently heat up the oil base and beeswax and stir well until the wax melts.
Add your CBD oil and stir until it’s fully incorporated into the mixture.
Remove from the heat and add a couple of drops of essential oil (if you’re using any).
Allow to cool slightly and then slowly add your water while stirring continuously to check the consistency of the lotion (you may not need the full amount of water).
Pour your lotion into a wide-rimmed mason jar for storage (or something similar that has a tight-fitting lid).

How to make CBD cream

CBD cream is made using more oil than water, so it will be much thicker than CBD lotion. This makes creams more suitable for those desiring heavier duty application, as well as those with dry skin types.

The winter months can be particularly harsh on your skin, so may wish to consider switching up from lotion to cream for a few months every year to help give your body the extra hydration it needs over this time.

CBD cream recipe

CBD cream also utilizes just four main ingredients; oil base, water, emulsifying agent, and CBD oil, but the oil base and water are added in different ratios to change the consistency of the end product.

Again, the type of oil base you use will affect the texture of your CBD cream and the amount can be adjusted if you need to add a larger amount of CBD oil to achieve the strength you desire.

CBD cream ingredients

¾ cup of oil base (we used jojaba oil)
¼ cup of distilled, mineral, or spring water
¾ oz of beeswax
1 fl ox (30ml) of CBD oil  (we used our 1500mg full-spectrum oil)
Essential oils (optional)

Directions

Over a low heat, warm your oil base and beeswax in a bain-marie (or double boiler) and stir until the wax has melted.
Add your CBD oil and stir well until it has an even consistency.
Remove from the heat and let it sit for five minutes before adding any essential oils of your choice.
Add your water slowly while stirring continuously until your cream is at the desired consistency.
Transfer the cream out of the pan into an airtight container for storage.

How to make CBD salve

CBD salve is the thickest type of topical you can get and for this reason, it can be a little greasy when applied to your skin. Salves are great for intense CBD and moisture application and may prove to be the best option for relieving sore muscles and joints.

You should probably avoid applying a salve like this all over your face, but you can dab a little CBD salve directly onto problem areas.

CBD salve recipe

A CBD salve is also the easiest type of topical you can make as it contains just three essential ingredients; an oil base, an emulsifying agent, and your CBD oil. It’s the complete lack of water in this recipe that makes the salve so thick against the cream and lotion.

CBD Salve Ingredients

1 cup of oil base (we used coconut oil this time)
1 oz of beeswax
1 fl oz (30ml) of CBD oil  (we used our 1500mg full-spectrum oil)
Essential oils (optional)

Directions

Using a double boiler or bain-marie, warm up the beeswax and oil base over a low heat and stir until the wax has melted and the two ingredients have an even consistency.
Add your CBD oil and stir well.
Allow the mixture to cool slightly before adding a drop or two of essential oil to the mixture.
As the mixture cools down, the salve will get thicker and thicker, so you’ll want to transfer it out of the pan or bowl into a small jar (for storage) before it sets completely.

How to make CBD lotion from hemp flower

When you’re making CBD lotion from hemp flower, you can either learn how to make CBD oil with hemp flower and then follow the instructions above, or you can decarboxylate the flower and add it directly to the lotion recipe above, in place of the CBD oil.

The only difference is that you’ll need to cook the mixture for longer (around 30 to 45 minutes) and then sieve the mixture through a cheesecloth before cooling and adding the water.

How to dose your CBD lotion

The recipes above will all yield around one cup of lotion, cream, or salve, which equates to around 128 grams. Choose the dose of CBD you want (per gram of lotion) and multiply it by 128 to find how many milligrams you will need to add to the entire recipe.

We used a full bottle of our 1,500mg CBD oil, meaning our CBD lotion had around 12 milligrams of CBD per gram of lotion (1,500mg divided by 128g).

To achieve a similar strength CBD lotion using our Sour Space Candy CBD Flower, you would need around 8.5 grams of ground-up, decarboxylated flower. At 17.3% CBD, our Sour Space Candy has 173mg of CBD per gram, meaning that 8.5 grams will yield just under 1,500mg of CBD in total.

Benefits of homemade CBD topicals

Now you know how to make CBD infused lotion, using either CBD oil or hemp flower, but you may be wondering “can you add CBD oil to lotion that you already have sitting at home?” and the answer is yes!

You could mix a drop of CBD oil into your usual moisturizing lotion (in your palms) before applying it, or even add some CBD oil to the entire bottle of lotion. If you find that the lotion and CBD oil aren’t infusing properly, then try heating them gently while stirring them together.

The main benefit of making the lotion yourself (from scratch) is that you have total control over what ingredients go in it. You can choose an oil base that best suits your skin type and control the consistency you want by adding more or less water.

If you want to make a CBD lotion for anti-aging then you could add extra antioxidants, such as vitamin E or rosemary essential oil. For acne, you can choose extra anti-microbial and antibacterial ingredients, such as tea tree essential oil. Or, if you want to make a CBD lotion to relieve sore joints and muscles, then you can add a drop or two of eucalyptus and lavender essential oils, to help cool and soothe your aches and pains.