Advertisement

15 best CBD oils to help boost your mood, add relaxation and manage symptoms

Ruby Deevoy
·12-min read
CBD oil is a daily supplement and should be taken two-three times a day (The Independent)
CBD oil is a daily supplement and should be taken two-three times a day (The Independent)

CBD oil is not a panacea, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it was. Because over the past 50 years, thousands of studies have demonstrated the immense and widespread therapeutic value of this cannabis-derived molecule.

This is in part down to the unique interaction CBD (or cannabidiol) has with the endocannabinoid system – a major physiological system which regulates all bodily processes, from sleep, to pain transmission to mood. But this just one of many ways CBD can support the body, and this molecule is only one of over 140 other cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids which are also present in some whole plant and raw CBD oils.

While there are hundreds of CBD products available, they are not made equal. Choosing a high-quality product will help you find the results you seek (which hopefully this list will help with), as will taking it the right way.

Consistency is key – you can’t expect to take CBD oil once or twice and have your life transformed. This is a daily supplement, to ideally take two-three times a day, to support your body in regaining equilibrium. Start by taking a few drops each time. Hold the oil under your tongue for at least two minutes to aid absorption.

To further enhance the effects, take directly after eating fatty food (as CBD oil is fat soluble) or after brushing your teeth (which boosts blood flow to the mouth). Gradually build up the amount you take, drop by drop, until you find a dose that helps you feel great.

Read more:

How we tested

Well over 100 products have been tested over the course of a year, on 10 people with varying conditions and symptoms, including menopausal symptoms, insomnia, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, arthritis and chronic fatigue.

Each person has tested a large number of CBD oils, comparing every bottle in a journal. When one really stands out, a second bottle was then tested on another individual with the same health or well-being concern. The “winners”’ were picked out of the products that tested well on both.

The best CBD oils for 2022 are:

Ardoa Amber 42

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

This brand has a wide range of products to choose from, and every single one tested exceptionally well – even a chocolate and skin cream, which was very effective for relieving the discomfort of arthritis. But this oil was consistently voted the winner for sleep, anxiety, depression, PTSD, arthritis and menopausal symptoms. The Amber 42 (available with and without a very low, legal limit of THC) was a great pick overall, vastly improving sleep quality, hot flashes and arthritis pain in a matter of days. And we also like that there are a variety of formulations to choose from that have been made to suit different needs.

Buy now £69.99, Ardoa.arket.co.uk

Mindful Extracts 500mg

Best: For anxiety

Rating: 10/10

This is a truly amazing CBD oil. We had a miriad of testers trial this oil and each found that the gentle, patchouli-like flavour dramatically reduced stress, anxiety and migraines in a wonderfully uplifting way. More specifically, one tester, who suffers from dementia after an ischemic stroke, even found that a large dose of the 2,000mg oil helped them to stand up, walk across the room and have a semi-lucid conversation within 10 minutes of taking it. While we can’t claim that everyone who uses this oil will get the same results, our range of testers really reaped the benefits.

Buy now £36.99, Midfulextracts.co.uk

Dreem Distillery CBD night drops

Best: For sleep

Rating: 9/10

We tested a number of CBD oils that were great for sleep, but testers came back time and again reporting that this one “knocked them out” – not only helping them fall asleep faster, but stay asleep too. Even one tester with PTSD-induced sleep disturbances found this to be effective. The lovely, delicate earthy mint flavour makes it a pleasure to take too. It loses a point for price, because it’s undoubtedly an expensive option but it does work very well.

Buy now £160.00, Dreemdistillery.co.uk

Sweet Pink whole plant 5% CBD oil

Best: For budget

Rating: 9/10

Although this oil is low in price it is incredibly high in quality. As a whole plant oil, you’re getting cannabis as nature intended (but with naturally legal limits of THC, which won’t get you high). It is slightly harsh to take, but this is usually the way with this type of top-level oil and it’s definitely worth it – our testers found it was great for a wide range of needs, from anxiety to sleep. Furthermore, by purchasing this oil you’re directly supporting the founder’s daughter’s life-saving medical cannabis prescription.

Buy now £35.00, Sweetpinkcbd.co.uk

Diablo CBD oil 1000mg 10%

Best: For stress

Rating: 9/10

This raw, full spectrum CBD oil is a great example of a CBD product that enables you to take advantage of the entourage effect – all parts of the hemp plant working together in synergy to deliver the very best therapeutic benefit. It’s organic and contains CBDa, which is the molecule shown in recent studies to potentially prevent the transmission of Covid.

This isn’t a fluffy wellbeing product though – it’s quite strong in flavour and harsh to take, but the results are worth it. Our testers found this oil to be particularly effective for combatting stress, both acute and chronic. A couple of testers found this oil was so good it actually managed to stop a panic attack in its tracks.

Unfortunately this CBD oil is out of stock at the moment, but you can sign up for the brand’s newsletter or follow its social media channels for any updates. And, its 5 per cent CBD oil is still available (£36, Cbdiablo.co.uk) if you prefer to give that one a go instead.

Buy now £56.00, Cbdiablo.co.uk

Bud & Tender premium 10% CBD oil

Best: For arthritis

Rating: 9/10

This is a CBD oil you can use with absolute confidence, thanks to the incredibly thorough lab reports it has made available. All CBD products must have been third party tested, but usually, go for the very basic cannabinoid content – some only check for CBD and THC. This brand on the other hand has tested for a wide range of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids, as well as heavy metals and mycotoxins. It’s made the reports available for all customers to see, which can help you make a more informed decision. The reports show this has a nice level of CBG, as well as CBD, which might be why our testers found this to be so great for reducing the pain and inflammation of arthritis, which improved the longer they used it.

Buy now £80.00, Budandtender.com

Hempen cold pressed CBD oil

Best: For long covid

Rating: 9/10

A fantastic oil made by a company with a cause. This brand really understands the hemp plant and spearheads campaigns to promote sustainable, authentic, ethical production of both hemp and CBD products in the UK. And it shows.

As an organic, cold-pressed, raw oil, this is another product that showcases the brilliance of the whole plant, with a wide range of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids present. Our testers found this to be very effective for promoting better sleep, feeling less anxious and depressed and for managing the symptoms of long covid.

Buy now £36.00, Hempen.co.uk

Lady A morning tincture

Best: For energy

Rating: 9/10

Did you know that CBD oil can help promote higher energy levels, as well as relax you? One study in fact dubbed it a “wake-promoting agent”, making it potentially very useful for people who are after a pick-me-up. This sweet, citrusy blend looks, feels and tastes like a luxury option. But it has also been chosen by the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society as a product it suggests prescribing doctors should recommend as an over the counter alternative to a cannabis (or cannabinoid) prescription. Our testers found the oil helped them wake up and stay focused throughout the day, with one even finding they could forgo their morning coffee after using the oil capsules.

Buy now £60.00, Ladya.health

Amma Life boost 10%

Best: For PTSD

Rating: 9/10

Our testers with PTSD felt as though this oil “stopped the cascade in its tracks and provided much-needed respite from symptoms”. While a few others on this list also had this effect, the Amma Life boost oil did so in a way that was described as extremely comforting and warm. It may seem unusual to speak about a supplement that can be so different in this quite emotional way, but the effects of this high level of CBD product can be very nuanced, as our testers noticed throughout.

Buy now £59.99, Ammalife.co.uk

Potyque CBD oil 10%

Best: For menstruation

Rating: 10/10

Cramps, depression, mood swings, breakouts… periods can come with all sorts of unpleasantness. But CBD oil can help keep your hormones on a more even keel. When taken throughout the month (not just during menstruation, it’s key to have CBD accumulated in your system before you start your period) Potyque reduced all nasty symptoms. Two testers, who usually get very bad PMT and pains, found that after taking the oil for a month they were barely noticeable.

Buy now £75.00, Potyque.com

Voice of Nature synergy raw 5%

Best: For wellbeing

Rating: 9/10

Wellbeing scores for all testers dramatically improved with daily use of this oil, with all noting that they felt far happier in general, less easily stressed and wer able to handle stress better when it did occur. As with all CBD oils, the benefits became more and more noticeable the longer the oil was used. The only downside to this oil is the flavour, as it is a very strong hemp taste. But that’s the price you pay for a great whole plant product.

Buy now £34.99, Voiceofnature.co.uk

The Good Level CBD oil 4% 1200mg

Best: For menopause

Rating: 9/10

For a change, this CBD product uses olive oil as a carrier oil, rather than the usual hemp or MCT. As for the benefits, they were found to be widespread by our testers. One found this actually relieved some mild symptoms of Omicron, another felt it was very helpful for stress and PTSD, while a number of others reported that it helped tremendously with challenging menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood disturbances and brain fog. Perhaps welcome news for many now that there’s an HRT shortage in the UK.

Buy now £49.99, Thegoodlevel.com

Cheerful Buddha naturally flavoured CBD drops 10%

Best: For taste

Rating: 8/10

As well as being a very decent CBD oil, which tested well for general stress and wellbeing, this one also has the most incredible chocolate-hazelnut flavour. If you fancy a novel way of using your CBD, it makes a delicious addition to hot chocolate (although, it’s not water soluble so it doesn’t mix in!). As an extra perk, our testers found they craved sugary treats much less when taking this oil, as their sweet tooth felt satisfied after taking their dose, despite being sugar free and naturally flavoured.

Buy now £34.99, Cheerfulbuddha.co.uk

Charlotte’s Web 600mg (6%) organic full spectrum CBD oil

Best: For mood

Rating: 10/10

This brand famously created the first medical CBD oil for a young girl, Charlotte Figi, whose plight famously brought the life-saving benefits of cannabis to the world. Today, it supplies a range of over the counter products which are, as you might imagine, very, very good. Our testers found this one was amazing for anxiety, depression and focus, and noticed that with ongoing use, their mood was vastly improved.

Buy now £49.99, Savagecabbage.co.uk

iCBD global ichill XL

Best: For feeling calm

Rating: 9/10

This high strength whole plant oil has been blended with apricot kernel, turmeric, black pepper, lemon, lime, and strawberry seed oils. And these extra ingredients not only make for a very pleasant taste, but also offer enhanced bioavailability (the amount that actually gets to work in your body) and additional antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Our testers found that after using this oil they felt calmer within 10 minutes, even when they had been feeling very upset or worked up beforehand.

Buy now £99.00, Icbdglobal.com

The verdict: CBD oils

Overall, the winner has to be Ardoa – not just for the product featured here, but for the entire range. It was consistently voted best for everything, by everyone. For a cheaper option that also excels, Mindful Extracts takes the win. A delicate flavour, affordable price and astonishing results.

Voucher codes

For the latest health and wellness offers, try the link below:

Give yourself a post-exercise boost with the best vegan protein powders