The 10 Best CBD Oils Of 2023: Isolate, Broad-Spectrum, & Full-Spectrum

The CBD market is booming. While the demand is great for business, the flourishing market is bound to have prospective shoppers scratching their heads. Scouring the internet for the best CBD oils to incorporate into your daily routine is difficult enough when you consider the science of it all; add hundreds of potential options to the mixand finding the perfect formula becomes that much more difficult.

Ahead, we break down the details on CBD oils and highlight the most important factors to look for when purchasing a CBD oil, whether you're new to the herbal supplement or a veteran user wanting to try something new.

CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's one of the hundreds of active compounds in the Cannabis sativa hemp plant. Hemp CBD oil is made from a combination of hemp extract and one or two carrier oils, like MCT coconut oil or hemp seed oil, that help the body better absorb the cannabinoid compounds (as these plant bioactives are fat-soluble). 

There are three types of hemp extracts featured in hemp CBD oil products: full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or a CBD isolate. As the name suggests, CBD isolate only contains cannabidiol, while broad-spectrum hemp contains some additional compounds found in the cannabis plant.

Full-spectrum hemp (sometimes referred to as "whole full plant" CBD) contains multiple cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other plant-based compounds, including trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. (FYI, hemp CBD contains less than 0.3% THC by dry weight, per the legal definition in the U.S.) As far as which is the most effective type of hemp CBD oil, it comes down to personal needs and preference—though full-spectrum CBD is often considered the gold standard due to the entourage effect.

Along with including different types of hemp, CBD formulas also come in different strengths, often categorized as gentle, moderate, or strong. According to Timothy Byars, director of Cannabis Programs at the Pacific College of Health and Science, 1 to 10 mg of hemp CBD per serving is considered a gentle dose, 10 to 30 mg of CBD constitutes a moderate dose, and 40 mg or higher of CBD can be considered a strong dose. (Internally, mindbodygreen categorizes less than 20 mg of CBD as gentle, 20 to 40 mg of hemp CBD as moderate, and 40+ mg of CBD as strong.)

As hemp CBD affects each person differently, we created a baseline reference for CBD potency at mindbodygreen:

Gentle: Less than 20 mg of hemp CBD per serving

Moderate: 20 to 39 mg of hemp CBD per serving

Strong: 40+ mg of hemp CBD per serving

Endocannabinoid system (ECS): A cellular-level communication network involving cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors, and specific enzymes. This unique, whole-body system is responsible for maintaining homeostasis across all the body’s organs and physiological functions, including but not limited to stress resilience, mood, sleep, appetite, inflammatory balance, and pain modulation.

Cannabinoids: Unique bioactive compounds that interact with your body’s endocannabinoid receptors. Your body creates cannabinoids (called endocannabinoids, like anandamide and 2-AG) and you can also ingest them (called phytocannabinoids, like CBD) from certain plants like Cannabis sativa, aka hemp.

Cannabidiol: The formal name for CBD, a unique phytocannabinoid compound found in the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).

Full-spectrum hemp: Full-spectrum hemp has the “full spectrum” or array of the hemp plant’s cannabinoids—including CBD—as well as other beneficial native compounds, like terpenes, flavonoids, and fatty acids. This full array of intrinsic botanical bioactives is thought to facilitate the “entourage effect.” By law, full-spectrum hemp extracts in the U.S. can have up to 0.3% THC by dry weight (i.e., trace levels).

Broad-spectrum hemp: Broad-spectrum hemp retains many of the beneficial compounds found in full-spectrum hemp but filters out any THC. These extracts are sometimes referred to as “THC-free” products.

CBD isolate: CBD isolate products have a single cannabinoid: CBD. As a result, they won’t provide the “entourage effect” from the full array of hemp bioactives.

Terpenes: Unique aromatic bioactive phytonutrient compounds that give many plants their unique aroma, flavor, and beneficial biological properties. 

Flavonoids: A large family of polyphenolic phytonutrients found in many plants (including hemp) that give particular flavors, colors, and health properties.

When it comes to understanding the benefits of hemp CBD research still has a ways to go. Still, current studies around the cannabinoid are promising, as are a ton of anecdotal accounts from regular CBD users. Early research suggests CBD could be a beneficial tool for combatting symptoms of anxiety,1 helping our bodies prepare for sleep2, and promoting an anti-inflammatory response3.*

As CBD research continues to develop, it could prove to be a useful, more natural way to take care of our bodies and minds. However, until CBD is regulated by the FDA, it's important to do your due diligence and ensure you're getting a trustworthy, high-quality product. More on that below.

As hemp CBD oil continues to become more mainstream, more formulas will, inevitably, hit the market. So, how do you decipher which product is right for you and, from there, how do you choose a good hemp CBD oil? There are a few factors to consider when browsing the various tinctures.

Hemp source: According to author and registered dietitian nutritionist Erin Kenney, M.S., R.D., HCP, NASM-CPT, your first order of business when shopping for hemp CBD should be researching where the brand sources its hemp, whether or not the products are third-party tested (and by whom), and what sort of ingredients are involved in its overall formulation.

Testing and transparency: Kenney tells mbg that if the company can provide a COA—verifying the quality of the oil and that it contains the legal amount of pesticides or heavy metals (i.e., tiny trace levels)—that's a great start. In fact, COA's are the only way to confirm what's actually inside a CBD oil, so you should make it a non-negotiable when shopping around. Some brands will share additional details about their extraction and manufacturing processes—the more the brand can (and will) tell you, the better.

Added ingredients: Sometimes CBD oils contain additional plant compounds or essential oils for added therapeutic benefits. However, you want to avoid ingredient lists that include added sugars, artificial flavors, or ingredients like polyethylene glycol (a compound that acts as a laxative). 

Potency: The potency of a product should also be taken into consideration when purchasing hemp CBD oil. While hemp CBD is generally safe to use at the commercially available doses, Byars tells mbg it's important to note that what hemp CBD feels like to one person could cause a completely different experience for another. Ergo, Byars says hemp CBD users should "always start with a low dose and slowly [increase their dosage if needed]."

While the pharmacokinetic profile of compounds in the hemp plant is still an active area of research, it's estimated that buccal cell absorption (i.e., in your mouth, which is why many tinctures are taken under your tongue) can facilitate the most immediate impact, within 30 minutes or so.

Overall, it's thought to take anywhere from one to three hours for the body to fully absorb ingested hemp CBD oil. This is because the enzymes responsible for metabolizing substances like hemp CBD oil are also influenced by things like diet and genetics, which can slow down the process. However, after it's metabolized in the liver, Byars tells mbg hemp CBD oil "rapidly penetrates into fat tissues and highly vascularized tissues," including the brain and muscle tissue.

Once fully metabolized, studies show hemp CBD oil can offer users a myriad of benefits. Depending on why you're taking the supplement, studies show hemp CBD can help support a healthy inflammatory response4, alleviate feelings of stress, improve your mood, and even potentially boost libido.*

CBD oil, like almost everything else you put in your body, has an expiration date—it's often printed on the bottom of the bottle or on the outside label. Generally, a high-quality CBD oil should have a shelf-life of 1-2 years. But there are a few things you can do to ensure your oil stays fresh for as long as possible:

CBD comes in different forms, so how can you tell if hemp CBD oil in tincture form is for you over a hemp CBD gummy or capsule? The short answer: It depends on the delivery format you prefer, benefits you're looking for (i.e., something to help support joints or sleep), how quickly you need results (hemp CBD oil tinctures taken under the tongue work faster than capsules or gummies), and personal preference (for example, some hemp CBD oils can have a potent plant taste, while hemp CBD gummies taste more like candy). 

As far as benefits go, research shows hemp CBD can be beneficial for those evoking calm. Taking hemp CBD oil before bed can help promote relaxation by working with the human body's endocannabinoid system to restore balance in the body and mind.*

But while hemp CBD oil could potentially work for many adults, integrative health pharmacist Swathi Varanasi, Pharm.D., says there are a select few populations she would not recommend hemp CBD oil to. These include anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medications that could interact with the hemp cannabinoids, or those with other specific medical concerns. This list is not comprehensive, however, which is why Varanasi suggests speaking to an integrative health and/or cannabis specialist if you are interested in incorporating hemp CBD into your daily routine.

If you're considering incorporating hemp CBD into your daily wellness routine, you might want to consider trying hemp CBD oil. These ingestible, plant-powered formulas can be wildly beneficial for the overall health of your body and mind.