CBD/Hemp Oil & Hemp Seed Oil: What’s The Difference?
With CBD and the entire hemp industry gaining so much attention recently, it can be easy to confuse or misunderstand some common terminology that is frequently used. To make your shopping experience easier and more transparent, we want to help clear up any confusion surrounding CBD, hemp, and hemp oil in this concise and informative guide.
To begin, let’s clarify one of the most common misconceptions: Hemp and marijuana are two different plants. While they are in the same plant family, they are different plant strains and have different structures. CBD products on the market today are derived from hemp, not marijuana, and are completely legal as long as they contain no more than .3% THC.
With that clarification, we can now discuss the difference between two common ingredients that sound similar, yet are very different: hemp oil and hemp seed oil.
Hemp Oil vs. Hemp Seed Oil
Because they sound almost identical, everyday consumers can unknowingly confuse these two ingredients. Here’s the best way to distinguish the difference so you can purchase products to accommodate your specific health and wellness goals.
Hemp oil is:
- The concentrated ingredient that is the result of extracting the numerous beneficial compounds (like cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids) from the leaves, flowers, and stems of the whole, fully-grown hemp plant.
- The robust blend of ingredients featuring a potent mix of cannabinoids like CBD (cannabidiol), CBG (cannabigerol), CBC (cannabichromene), and more. The concentrated oil can be sold in full-spectrum formula (contains up to .3% THC) and broad-spectrum formula (contains no THC), both of which are legal, non-addictive, and non-psychoactive.
Hemp oil is used:
- In a wide range of wellness products aimed at improving everyday life and bodily functions holistically. When consumed or inhaled, natural CBD products containing rich hemp oil are known to engage with the body’s endocannabinoid system to help promote homeostasis naturally. When applied to the skin topically, the dynamic compounds penetrate deeply to offer support and relief to targeted areas of the body that are uncomfortable or fatigued.
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Hemp seed oil is:
- The moisturizing ingredient that is created by cold-pressing the seed of a hemp plant, extracting the nourishing oil from within.
- Not a robust blend of wellness-evoking ingredients, and does not contain CBD or any other similar compounds. Cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids are only present in the hemp plant after photosynthesis takes place, so hemp seed oil does not interact with the endocannabinoid system as it doesn’t contain cannabinoids.
Hemp seed oil is used:
- Primarily as a hydrating ingredient. The concentrated oils from the cold-pressed seed offer many moisturizing benefits.
The bottom line: Hemp oil and hemp seed oil are different. If you are seeking a wide range of long-lasting, dependable wellness benefits, reach for high-quality products featuring hemp oil, not hemp seed oil.