How to Make CBD Cream at Home

5 min readApr 15, 2020

The finished product — ready to be used on aches & pains

“I wonder if CBD cream is effective?” I remember asking myself this question years ago when I bought my first jar at a fancy supermarket. Years later (or rather, a few months ago) when I visited a friend, Anne, in Seattle, she suggested I try a cream she and her husband use often. The magic of “I wonder” showed up again shortly after: Another friend suggested we go to his friend’s place — because this friend (Dave) offered to show us how to make homemade CBD cream! Before I go on about sharing the how-to and my adventure of making CBD cream with you, let’s look at CBD creams in general.

Take a close look at the ingredient list of what you’re buying…can you figure out everything?

In an earlier post, “ What is CBG? “ we learned more about the cannabis plant and how hemp is grown to feature a majority of CBD and a minority of THC. Federal legal limits allow up to .33% of delta THC in CBD plants. Don’t worry — even if your lotion or cream has THC, you most likely won’t get “that kind of high” as if you ingested it. This is because the cannabinoids can’t breach the bloodstream through the skin. (Side note: because the FDA has “approved” CBD for a prescription drug, they now consider CBD a drug. They won’t approve drugs added foods and beauty products. Their is a bill being considered in Congress to address this issue.)

The more you know

When investing in CBD creams (or other products), it is important to do your best to learn how much is in the product (the more there is, the more potent and potentially effective) and if possible, the source. Full spectrum (whole plant hemp) is generally thought of as better for you, because you are getting the benefit of the “ entourage effect. “ This means that all parts (all the CBD, CBG, THCs etc) of the hemp plant work better together than when isolated.

Is CBD good for you?

Why use a CBD cream/lotion/salve? Basically, it’s the latest (yet oldest) natural pain reliever for a range of things like cramps, muscle pain, and arthritis. It also has anti-inflammatory properties making it useful for skin issues like psoriasis. You may notice in commercially made products other ingredients that also have pain relieving benefits. One of the underlying beliefs not often mentioned, is that the cannabinoids work to help balance you through your endocannabinoid receptor system. When you are aligned, your body works better. Better body by bud butter? Why not?

Meet Dave

Dave Wills owns Freshops, a company that sells hops and rhizomes to beer makers all over the globe. He also makes his own brew, Oregon Trail Ales.

Tests for hemp has become a big part of the farmer’s life, to make sure a field hasn’t gone “hot” (too much THC). If that happens, they have to burn the entire crop! Better cream brands give you access to their test results.

The CBD Cream Recipe

Dave used a recipe he created from his research and from friend’s sharing their knowledge. Dave believes everyone should be able to make their own CBD cream, and is excited to share this adventure with all you! This recipe, tripled, filled about 57 four-ounce jelly jars. While Dave used ingredients such as DMSO, essential oils and vitamin E, feel free to follow your curiosity and inner scientist to include other elements (many like lavender!)

Disclaimer: I only endorse you making infused CBD products at home if recreational or medical marijuana is legal in your state, and you have any required cards and/or licenses to do so! Additionally, some links are for affiliates, and I may earn revenue through your purchases.

Ingredients

48 oz coconut oil
12 oz MCT fractionated coconut oil
12 oz hemp bud, organic and tested for CBD levels
2.5 oz DMSO (about 4% of total volume of infused oil)
10 drops Grand Fir Essential Oil
10–15 drops Tea Tree Oil
10 drops Vitamin E

The coconut oil base being warmed to a liquid state

The MCT oil is the same stuff people put in their Bullet Coffee. However, this fractionated coconut oil also keeps the CBD cream from getting too hard in the future. Some recipes call for bees wax to make their CDB cream more of a salve or paste.

Dave used the digital scale to make sure he put in exactly equal amounts into each crock pot. There are many places consumers can buy CBD raw material. I do know that legal CBD industrial hemp can be sent through the USPS (except to a few certain states).

I had never heard of DMSO before, and Dave tells me it’s a byproduct of wood. It used to be used on horses as a type of liniment. While not completely FDA approved, people use it to enhance medicines going through their skin and in some cases as a type of pain relief. Dave says he includes it so the CBD can more effectively reach its target of your pain point. I don’t know much about it, so do your research before deciding for yourself if you want to use it.

Dave likes the benefits of each of these oils. Tea Tree is one of those natural remedies that has many uses, including being anti-bacterial. Dave loves the smell of Grand Fir Oil, which makes sense living among all the Christmas trees in Oregon! Research ones you’d like to include!

Equipment

Crock Pot
Ninja Blender
2 quart glass measuring cup
Meat thermometer
Cheese cloth or bag
Antique lard press (not at all necessary, but fun!)
20 (ish) 4 oz Ball Jars (or whatever containers you want to have your final cream in — feel free to recycle other containers. Makes great gifts, or sell at your local farmers market)

The process to make the CBD cream

There are lots of ways to make CBD topicals. One way could be using a cannabutter machine and replacing butter with oil. I’ve been told Levo is a good brand. Another thing to consider is whether you decide to decarboxylate or not. (I had to look this one up! “What is Decarboxylation?”) Or take your dried hemp and grind it up. Dave took his buds and put them in the Ninja blender with the coconut oil.

The next step is putting the heated coconut oil, the MCT and the hemp into the crock pot. Set it at low, and wait for the temperature to reach 240F.