CBD isolate is one of the most versatile and beneficial compounds available to us as consumers.
From a vape juice better than anything you could buy premade to a special batch of grandma’s famous brownies, the possibilities are almost unlimited. With so many options, the question quickly becomes: How do you want to consume your CBD?
Do you need instant relief from pain or are you treating a skin condition? Are you suffering from seizures or do you just need a little help getting to sleep at night? No matter your needs, you can use CBD isolates to create customized treatments not commercially available.
Learn more about the difference between Full Spectrum CBD vs CBD Isolate
Read on for more about how to use CBD isolate, and our reviews of the best CBD isolates available online.
CBD DIY: HOW TO USE CBD ISOLATE
More important than all the options CBD isolate affords end-users, it allows us to control exactly what goes into or onto our bodies and the quality of all the ingredients used. For example, many CBD topicals include added herbal or botanical ingredients that, while pleasant to smell, can irritate sensitive skin or even exacerbate some conditions. Using an isolate, you can create your own topical with only the ingredients that work for you.
With merely a gram of CBD isolate, a few ounces of oil (sunflower, hemp, coconut, avocado, etc.) and a little bit of heat, you have your own high-quality CBD mixture. Add it to food, rub it on your skin or simply consume it straight. It’s as simple as melting butter in a pan.
When it comes to CBD, DIY is king. Too often, the compounds we find in commercially available products are mislabeled or created using sub-par ingredients. With so many great companies producing high quality CBD oil products, there is no reason to settle for overpriced and questionably sourced CBD.
HOW TO DAB & VAPE USING CBD ISOLATE
One of the quickest ways to consume CBD is by dabbing isolate. You will need a glass water pipe (better known as a “bong”), a quartz nail attachment, a dabber to hold the CBD and a butane torch or electronic nail heating element (an e-nail). The initial investment is about $100 to $200, depending on the equipment. E-nails are more expensive, but much safer than using a butane torch for some users.
Simply heat up the nail and place the CBD on it using the dabber while simultaneously inhaling off the water pipe. As soon as the CBD touches the hot nail, it vaporizes and can be inhaled directly into the lungs.
In states that have legalized psychoactive cannabis (“marijuana”), CBD can be added directly on top of a bowl of cannabis flower or to THC containing extracts to increase the therapeutic effects. THC and CBD work together synergistically to regulate the effects of each other. For users who experience anxiety when they consume marijuana, CBD can help to reduce anxiety and mellow out the “high.”
CBD isolate also offers a cheaper and higher quality alternative to pre-mixed CBD vape juices and pre-filled vape pens. Users simply need refillable tank style vape, a bottle of vegetable glycerin, a bottle of propylene glycol and vape flavor additives. Commercial vape juice manufacturers add all sorts of sugars and sweeteners to their recipes that end up shortening the lifespan of vape coils and increasing particulate matter exposure.
HOW WE PICKED THE BEST CBD ISOLATES
In order to be included in this review, companies needed to either publicly post third party lab results or provide them upon request. Because quality and purity of hemp are such important factors when choosing CBD isolate, any company that didn’t provide third-party lab results was immediately removed from our list.
Next, we looked at transparency. Companies needed to provide information, either publicly or upon request, about the source of their hemp and the extraction method used to create their isolate. Finally, we judged each company on their customer service. While most companies quickly responded to our requests, a few didn’t reply at all. We dropped companies that didn’t reply after multiple inquiries from our list.
Upon receipt of our orders, we judged each isolate according to its smell, taste, look, consistency and packaging. While we considered the effects of each CBD isolate, they are all 99%+ CBD and there is little to no difference in the effect of each. All CBD isolate should have the same mellow, non-psychoactive, relaxing and pain-relieving effects. Choosing between these brands comes down mostly to personal preference.
Our reviewer used these CBD isolates during an especially long, physically exhausting period in his life. CBD helped to combat the effects of fatigue and soreness. For the purposes of this review, we used a glass water pipe, a quartz nail, a titanium dabber and a butane torch to vaporize and inhale the CBD directly.
Here, in no particular order, are the brands we believe offer the best CBD isolates available online:
Click above or continue reading for our complete review of each brand.
CBD ISOLATE REVIEWS[2023]
Medterra Med99+ CBD Isolate
- Highlights: Med99+ CBD Isolate from Medterra left no residue and tastes good, with relaxing effects but has a noticeable earth smell compared to other isolates.
- Special Offer: Use coupon code MOH for 10 percent off your order
- Price: $34.99 per gram
- Customer Service & Shipping: Responsive to email inquiries. Shipping is $2 First Class Mail
- Extraction Method: CO2 extraction.
- Hemp Source: Kentucky
- Independent Test Results: Online.
- Appearance, Scent & Flavor: Crystalline, white powder with slight earthy scent. Mildly piney flavor.
Medterra’s CBD hit all the marks in terms of our requirements. They quickly responded to our inquiries and clearly post all third-party lab results on their website. Medterra’s isolate is a solid deal for quality CO2 extracted, domestically grown CBD.
Lazarus Naturals Cycling Frog Isolates
- Highlights: Cycling Frog from Lazarus Naturals offers a great value with their high-quality, relaxing yet inexpensive CBD isolate in both raw form and with unique added flavors.
- Special Offer: Use coupon code MoH10 for 10 percent off most items
- Price: $30 per gram
- Customer Service & Shipping: Very responsive to email inquiries. Shipping is $8 UPS Ground, free shipping on orders over $50
- Extraction Method: Kosher alcohol extraction
- Hemp source: U.S.
- Independent Test Results:
- Appearance, Scent & Flavor: All varieties taste similar, piney and smooth with very light fruity undertones on the flavored varieties.
- Raw CBD isolate – white powder with no discernable odor
- Hawaiian Citrus isolate – off-white crystalline powder with tropical citrus scent
- Valencia Orange isolate – off-white crystalline powder with fresh orange scent
- Lemon Lime isolate – off-white crystalline powder with lemon-lime scent
Lazarus Naturals’ flavors its different varieties of CBD isolate using plant terpenes. We were impressed by our experience, but further testing is required to determine the full potential of these products. Though the flavors are very mild, they would likely become stronger if you used the isolate for cooking or in vape juice.
Lazarus Naturals stands out for their clean extraction method, outstanding customer service, and discounts offered to veterans and the disabled. If you want to try all four flavors, they offer a sample pack with one gram of each flavor for only $100.
Ambary Gardens 99% Isolate CBD
- Highlights: 99% Isolate CBD from Ambary Gardens is a bit more expensive than other options, however their isolate is made from organic hemp grown by the company. Dabbing this CBD was relaxing and it tasted very smooth.
- Price: $60 per gram
- Customer Service & Shipping: Responsive to email inquiries. Shipping is $7.99 flat rate or free local pickup.
- Extraction Method: Open ethanol wash with vacuum after-purge
- Hemp Source: Kittredge, Colorado, grown in-house
- Independent Test Results: Potency, more tests available on request.
- Appearance, Scent & Flavor: This isolate tasted piney and extremely smooth. These crystalline shards of isolate had an earthy odor that did not affect the flavor.
For what you are getting, the price is great. Ambary Garden’s extracts their CBD from organic hemp grown on their own farm on Colorado. Of the five brands of CBD isolate we tested, Ambary Garden’s had the smoothest flavor when vaporized.
Bluebird Botanicals CBD Isolate
- Highlights: Bluebird Botanicals CBD Isolate is a scentless, pure white powder with a mildly piney flavor and relaxing effects. We appreciated this company’s transparency and quick customer service.
- Price: $39.95 per gram
- Customer Service & Shipping: Responsive to email inquiries. Shipping is $5, but free on orders over $49
- Extraction Method: Ethanol extraction and winterization.
- Hemp Source: Colorado
- Independent Test Results:
- Appearance, Scent & Flavor: White powder with no discernable scent. Mildly piney flavor.
Overall, this isolate is clean, potent and pure, leaving behind no residue when vaporized. Bluebird Botanicals offers a good product at a good price backed by top-notch customer service.
CONCLUSION: QUALITY MATTERS IN CBD ISOLATE
While this is in no way an exhaustive list of CBD isolates, it is a place to start and weigh your different options.
Whatever source you find, make sure they have third-party lab tests available upon request. Brands should clearly state the origin of their hemp and the extraction method used. If not, you should contact customer service or find a different source.
If you want ideas for other quality, vetted companies, the r/CBD subreddit is an invaluable resource with information about nefarious companies and unsafe products.
