Smell (Irrelevant to effects)
Opening the bottle, the oil smells very minty and refreshing—it definitely has more of the herbal scent of mint, without the artificial sweetness common among oils that use sweeteners in their products. Think the scent of peppermint essential oil, not a peppermint syrup.
Taste (Irrelevant to effects)
The flavor is pure mint—no cloying sweetness or artificial taste (which we love!). These CBD oil drops would be the ideal product to use for your morning dose after you brush your teeth, as the flavor of the oil won’t mix up weirdly with the residual toothpaste flavor, unlike some flavors (we’re looking at you, orange juice!). Some of our testers found themselves with minty burps for a little while after dosing, but a glass of water after consuming cleared this up.
Consistency
The Hemp Bombs CBD Oil is very fluid—not watery, but not overly viscous either. It is a clear oil with a slight amber cast to it. The blend of carrier oils used by Hemp Bombs makes for a free-flowing product that doesn’t leave a weird residue on your mouth or cause you to taste the product for hours afterward.
Effects (Onset, Duration, Intensity)
Since this is an oral product, the effects take a little longer to set in, but last for much longer. We found that the effects set in within an hour and lasted for about eight hours, making this CBD oil a good choice for people looking for a way to use CBD as a preventive for a variety of conditions.
Some of our testers were fine on a single dose of the product, but a few of us with more severe symptoms needed to double up (a dropperful of the 300mg bottle contains 10 mg CBD). The effects grew more pronounced with an increased dose, though they were detectable at a single dose. This product is a good option for people who don’t need a high dose of CBD for symptom management—if you’re like some of us and need something that packs a bigger punch, Hemp Bombs makes the oil in dosage strengths as high as 4,000mg CBD per bottle, so there’s an option for every need.
We felt relief from anxiety, as well as a reduced stress response—things that normally caused us to panic were easier to manage, and we felt more calm. All of our testers noticed a general improvement in mood; we felt more content, laughed and smiled more, and generally felt good! We also noticed benefits for muscle and joint pain: not only did the oil knock out one tester’s joint pain from rheumatoid arthritis, it also helped our muscles recover after an intense workout and soothed menstrual pain and cramping. The oil also relieved symptoms of PMS, making our cycles easier to manage—yaay! When taken about an hour before bed, we noticed it was easier to fall asleep, and we tended to stay asleep (some of us have a hard time falling asleep and sleeping through the night).
Best used for
We like this product for systemic relief of symptoms of inflammatory diseases—it helped us with depression, anxiety, chronic joint and muscle pain, and mood disorders. It also helped us sleep when taken before bed, making it a good alternative to sleep aids. It could also be effective for problems like epilepsy, cancer, or cardiovascular disease—essentially any health problem that causes inflammation (arguably most diseases). If you’re looking for a simple and tasty way to incorporate CBD into your day, this product is for you.
Because this is an oral product, it’s best used as a preventive as opposed to treating the acute onset of symptoms. It’s an excellent systemic product that can be taken in a number of ways—take it straight from the dropper or in a spoon, or mix it with food or beverages (we made an outstanding CBD peppermint mocha with this, but use your imagination!). If you’re averse to pills but don’t want to miss out on the benefits of CBD, this product is for you.