The Best Things You Get from a CBD Oil Massage

person Oksana Ostrovsky
calendar_today Feb 28, 2021

1. Introduction
2. Is CBD Oil Good for Massage?
3. What Does CBD Oil Do for a Massage?
4. How CBD Oil Boosts Massage and Reduces Inflammation
4.1 Effects of Inflammation on Your Health
4.2 How CBD Boosts Your Massage
5. How to Make a CBD-Infused Massage Oil
5.1 CBD Tinctures and CBD Isolates
5.2 CBD-Infused Salves
5.3 CBD-Infused Lotions
5.4 CBD-Infused Creams
6. Conclusion

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1. Introduction

Who doesn’t love a tension-reducing, muscle-loosening massage? Massage is the systematic manipulation of the soft tissues in your body to achieve a calm and relaxed state. Massage techniques can range from the use of hands, fingers, elbows, knees, to sometimes feet or devices. The purpose of massage is to relieve tension, stress, discomfort, pain, anxiety, and fatigue.

Have you ever had a CBD oil massage or thought to try CBD-infused massage oil? Hold that thought—we’ll come back to it in a minute. First, a little more on massage.

Have you ever had a CBD oil massage or thought to try CBD-infused massage oil?

There are many approaches to massage that can each help with different issues you might be facing:

Swedish Massage

This is a gentler approach that can be helpful when you need relaxation. Your massage therapist will often use long strokes, kneading motions, and deep, circular patterns to help alleviate stress in your body.

Trigger Point Massage

Targets specific areas of tension and pain, especially knots and pressure points. Your therapist will focus on these areas to relieve tightness and strain from your muscles.

Deep Tissue Massage

Involves more pressure and longer strokes to pinpoint pain and tenderness in deeper muscle and tissue layers. This type of massage can be beneficial in treating an injury.

Sports Massage

This is the kind of massage an athlete would ask for to help recover from a sports-related injury quicker and prevent injuries from happening in the future.

Self-Massage

Helps you relieve tension caused by workouts, everyday stress, or general soreness. You can use your hands, fingers, and devices for self-massage.

With the stress of everyday life, most people tend to hold a lot of tension in their bodies. While we are equipped to handle it in smaller doses, chronic stress can severely affect our bodies and overall health. If you are someone who feels tense and anxious often, regular massages could benefit you immensely.

Not only can CBD oil help with stress and anxiety on its own, but when combined with massage techniques, CBD massage oil can do amazing things for your body and your mind.

People will usually feel stressed over finances, being overwhelmed with day-to-day responsibilities that may pile up, or having a demanding job. One study evaluated the effectiveness of relieving stress through on-site massage in the workplace. Fifty-two participants had their blood pressure checked before and after a short 15-minute massage session. After the session was complete, there was a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the patients who were observed. [1]

Not only can CBD oil help with stress and anxiety on its own, but when combined with massage techniques, CBD massage oil can do amazing things for your body and your mind. (Click to tweet)

In this article, we will tell you all you need to know about getting the most out of your experience by getting a cannabidiol massage.

Now:

Before we use CBD in conjunction with massage, we should understand why the two go perfectly together.

2. Is CBD Oil Good for Massage?

The answer to this question, in short, is yes. Let’s elaborate on the reasons CBD oil can be great for massage.

While massage feels excellent by itself, you can maximize the relief you feel by using CBD oil. (Click to tweet) You’ve probably wound up visiting your massage therapist more than once because of stiff, tight muscles that won’t relax, sometimes to the point where it becomes unbearable. The pain and discomfort are more often than not the result of inflammation.

Muscle inflammation can be improved with CBD

So what is inflammation, anyway? Inflammation is the body’s way of responding to an infection or injury. It is a way of communicating to the immune system that reparative action is needed. Friction within the joints due to damaged cartilage and bones could cause this response, and injuries to the muscles can also cause painful inflammation.

Blood vessels in the inflamed area dilate, which allows a larger blood supply to travel to the area, supplying the cells necessary to heal the injury. This is why you often see inflamed areas that are red and swollen.

Usually, a person would be prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug when an area of their body is affected. However, it seems that CBD might be a viable option as well. CBD works along with the endocannabinoid system in our bodies, which is a mechanism that produces compounds called endocannabinoids.

These endocannabinoids work with receptors to achieve a state of balance and regularity called homeostasis. Part of homeostasis is making sure the nervous and muscle systems are in equilibrium, and it achieves this by reducing overall inflammation. [2]

Stress is the problem. CBD is the solution!

Now that we know why CBD can be good for massage, let’s explore what it does for massage.

3. What Does CBD Oil Do for a Massage?

When CBD is applied topically—or in other words, directly to the skin—it can be absorbed through the surface of the skin and interacts with nearby cannabinoid receptors. However, through topical application of massage oils or lotions, CBD never reaches the bloodstream. Human skin generally has low permeability, which means it will block most substances from entering.

So when you or your massage therapist is applying CBD massage oils, salves, balms, or lotions, you will need to be liberal with the amount you use to overcome this barrier. When you use the right amount, it will penetrate your skin and pores and will be able to interact with your cannabinoid receptors successfully.

A CBD massage oil can enhance relaxation, especially combined with a regular oral CBD dose.

RELATED: The Lowdown on CBD Skin Care

While the effects of CBD topicals are amazing, they aren’t immediate. It’s essential to keep in mind that it will likely take a while before you feel significant relief. You may achieve comfort quicker when ingesting it orally through tincture or capsule form.

However, CBD topicals are a great option because you can rub them directly into any areas causing you pain, and by doing so, you can localize the effect of the cannabidiol. It may be worth it to try topical CBD for massage in conjunction with oil you consume sublingually. (Click to tweet)

Here are some things CBD oil can do for your body: [3]

Ease anxiety and stress
Control pain
Fight depression
Combat inflammation
Alleviate cancer- and treatment-related symptoms
Offer neuroprotective properties
Improve the quality of your sleep

What CBD Oil Can Do For Your Body

Here are some things CBD oil applied topically can do for your body:

Localized pain relief
Fights inflammation in muscles and joints
Eases arthritis and joint pain
Fights acne
Helps nourish your skin and control skin issues like epidermolysis bullosa (which causes skin blisters), psoriasis, and eczema
Offers powerful antioxidant properties that aid in antiaging

Suppose you are looking for a massage that does great things for your body in addition to just relieving tension. In that case, CBD may be something to introduce into your routine, whether it’s applied topically or taken orally.

RELATED: CBD and Arthritis: Can It Help?

Let’s dive into the true benefits of CBD oil for massage.

4. How CBD Oil Boosts Massage and Reduces Inflammation

First, we need to understand why inflammation can be so bad for your health to see how beneficial CBD oil can be for massage.

4.1 Effects of Inflammation on Your Health

Chronic inflammation can cause numerous problems when it comes to your well-being. One of the biggest dangers is the way it can impact your heart health. People who experience repetitive or constant stress and inflammation in their daily lives are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

Inflammation can also influence your hunger signals and slow down your metabolism, so you end up eating more and burning fewer calories—which can, in turn, cause unhealthy weight gain and potentially lead to diabetes. Inflammation can also increase insulin resistance, which also contributes to a diabetes diagnosis.

we need to understand why inflammation can be so bad for your health to see how beneficial CBD oil can be for massage.

Aside from these adverse effects, stress inflammation is common as well. Since anxiety can cause long-term stress, inflammation is likely to occur. That inflammation may cause your joints to swell, which ultimately leads to more pain with your movements. Inflammation due to stress can also cause atherosclerosis, a condition where the heart’s arteries become hardened and narrow. [4]

Symptoms and effects of stress include: [5]

Headaches
Digestive upset
Low energy levels
Insomnia
Aches and pains
Dizziness
Heart palpitations
Muscle pain
Chest pain
Compromised immune system

Stress contributes to inflammation. CBD helps relieve it.

4.2 How CBD Boosts Your Massage

Here’s what’s important:

This is where CBD comes in again. The combination of massage and CBD can drastically reduce your stress and anxiety levels. CBD has a broad pharmacological profile, including its ability to interact with several receptors known to regulate fear- and anxiety-related behavior. [6] (Click to tweet)

By managing your stress and anxiety, you can lower your chances of stress-induced inflammation and all of the adverse effects it can have on your health. [7]

You may be wondering if you have to buy CBD massage oil or if you can make your own, so you know exactly what ingredients are going into it. Well, the good news is, you absolutely can make your own, and we will be covering how to do so in this next section.

5. How to Make CBD-Infused Massage Oil

When using CBD to make your own topicals, CBD tincture or CBD isolate work best. Here’s a little background information on each of them so you understand why.

5.1 CBD Tinctures and CBD Isolates

The most popular use of CBD is by tincture. CBD tincture is made by extracting CBD oil from the hemp plant and is favored over isolate because it includes additional terpenes, cannabinoids, and flavonoids, encouraging the “entourage effect.” After it has been extracted from the plant, it is mixed with a base oil, otherwise known as a carrier oil. A few options for the base oil would be:

MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil
Coconut oil
Hemp seed oil

When complete, the result is a CBD tincture that is usually either taken sublingually (under the tongue) or mixed into food or drinks. Tinctures are also a good option when you’re looking to make your own CBD topicals because all you need to do is measure the milligrams you want to use with the dropper, and then add the rest of your ingredients. (Click to tweet)

CBD isolate is a crystalline powder that contains 99% pure CBD. The main difference between isolate and tincture is that isolate is made through a more complex extraction process.

Once the concentrated CBD oil is extracted from the hemp plant, it goes through an additional process with multiple steps. This process thoroughly removes any traces of waxes, plant material, and all other components that may have been left behind during the initial purification process.

The result of this multi-step extraction and purification process is a fine, white powder that is nearly pure cannabidiol. CBD isolate has no distinguishing odor or flavor and can be used in many different ways. It’s a popular way to infuse your food—such as smoothies, coffee, and tea, as it mixes into liquids very well—and it doesn’t smell or taste like anything.

CBD isolate is also a fantastic ingredient for making topicals because it can be measured precisely, and it mixes perfectly with any carrier oils you have chosen to use.

Now that we know what main CBD products you’ll need to make your own infused topicals, let’s dive into what else goes into infused topicals and the most common homemade forms.

5.2 CBD-Infused Salves

Salves are probably one of the easiest options if you plan on making a CBD-infused topical at home. CBD salves are simple; it’s just a combination of oil (ordinarily olive or coconut oil), beeswax, and your choice of CBD. They are a bit heavier and thicker than lotions or balms.

Here’s an excellent recipe for a homemade CBD-infused salve:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup oil (your choice of coconut, olive, sweet almond, apricot, sunflower seed, grapefruit seed, etc.)
1 oz. beeswax (or you can substitute for soy wax or candelilla wax)
3000mg CBD tincture or 3 grams CBD isolate
Essential oils of your choice if you desire something scented (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil and beeswax in a double boiler until the wax melts, stirring well.
Add your choice of CBD and simmer over low heat. Stir occasionally until combined; make sure not to overheat this mixture.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
If you plan on adding any essential oils, you can allow your salve to cool down, but do not allow it to become solid. Once it has cooled down a bit, add the essential oil(s) of your choice.
Once all ingredients are incorporated, pour your salve into your storage container. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids tend to work best. Allow it to cool completely before use.

5.3 CBD-Infused Lotions

CBD-infused lotions are a combination of oil (something like almond, jojoba, or other liquid oil), water, and an emulsifying agent (normally beeswax, soy wax, or candelilla wax), and of course, your choice of CBD.

The type of oil you use will determine your CBD lotion’s texture.

The main ingredient of lotion is 70%–80% water; this is what makes it different from salve. It’s important to keep in mind that the type of oil you choose to use will determine your lotion’s texture. Lighter oils like apricot, sweet almond, or sunflower will give you a lighter-weight lotion. If you plan on using shea butter or cocoa butter, it will produce a noticeably thicker, heavier consistency.

Here’s a simple recipe for a CBD-infused lotion:

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup distilled water
¼ cup oil of your choice
0.5–1 oz. beeswax (substitute with soy or candelilla wax if you prefer)
3000mg CBD tincture or 3 grams CBD isolate
Essential oils of your choice if you prefer scented lotion (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat your oil and beeswax in a double boiler until the wax melts, stirring well.
Add your choice of CBD, simmering over low heat until fully incorporated; be careful not to overheat this mixture.
Allow to cool slightly but not solidify; add essential oils of your choice once it has cooled down a bit.
Before your mixture cools completely, slowly add water until your lotion is the consistency you desire.
Pour into a storage container. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids are best.

Both CBD and massage are good for your skin and body.

5.4 CBD-Infused Creams

Creams have consistency between lotions and salves; they are thicker than lotions and a bit thinner than a salve. The main reason creams are more viscous than lotions is that they contain less water and more oil. CBD creams are made with similar ingredients as the other two topicals we discussed. They are a combination of water, oil, an emulsifying agent, and of course, the CBD tincture or isolate.

The percentage of oil to water is much higher, probably along the lines of 75% oil and just 25% water. This ratio of oil to water offers a thicker consistency that works wonders on dry skin. Creams are probably the best option for colder climates and winter months because they are incredibly moisturizing.

CBD can help to reinforce the skin’s elasticity.

So as you can see, the main difference between various types of CBD topicals is the oil/water ratio that is used while making them. CBD-infused salves have the thickest consistency because they contain no water. A CBD-infused lotion will have the lightest and thinnest consistency because of the higher water content, and creams sit right in the middle of these two.

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup oil of your choice
¼ cup of distilled water
0.5–1 oz. beeswax (you can also use soy or candelilla wax depending on preference)
3000mg CBD tincture or 3 grams CBD isolate
Essential oils of your choice if you’d prefer a scented cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat your oil and beeswax together in a double boiler until the wax melts, stirring well.
Add the CBD tincture or isolate in; stir well over low heat until fully incorporated. Be sure not to overheat this mixture.
Remove the mixture from heat and allow to cool slightly (not completely) before adding the essential oils of your choice.
Slowly add your water until your cream is the consistency that you desire. Remember, the less water you use, the thicker it will turn out (more like a salve), and the more water you use, the more it will end up like a lotion. Go slow until you reach the desired consistency, preferably something between the two.

6. Conclusion

If all this seems a bit intimidating, remember that using CBD to make your own infused topicals is relatively easy so long as you have all your necessary ingredients. The more you do it, the easier it will be. And don’t forget how good both CBD and massage are for your skin and body!

Sources:

The Best Things You Get from a CBD Oil Massage

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Is CBD Oil Good for Massage?

3. What Does CBD Oil Do for a Massage?

4. How CBD Oil Boosts Massage and Reduces Inflammation