CBD Specialist Amazing PR

The London Dispensary - Aromatherapy CBD Candle: Slumber

We thought we’d start our July blog features by discussing the current ‘Buck Moon’. It’s the supermoon that appeared on 3 July and, according to Nasa, is closer than usual with its orbit around the Earth, staying full for up to three days (i.e. .today). See the pic above with the Aromatherapy CBD Candle: Slumber. Research has shown when it’s a full moon; some people take longer to fall asleep or sleep less, even if they’re in a dark room. It’s thought that this lunar phase changes sleep patterns with its heightened energy.

If you know us at The Amazing Blog, then you know how much we value our sleep! After all, sleep is our bodies way of recharging to support healthy brain function and maintain physical health. Having found ourselves listless and majorly sleep-deprived during these past few nights, a comforting thing we like to do is light a candle. This Aromatherapy CBD Candle: Slumber from The London Dispensary, we found particularly helpful to calm, soothe and enhance deep relaxation with its heady mix of botanicals, Not only a winner at the 2023 Beauty Shortlist’s Wellness Awards for ‘Best CBD Candle & Best Candle for Calm & Sleep’ - it’s a winner for us too.

The London Dispensary all began when Jack Oscar Brown, the founder, struggled to find suitable natural and effective wellness products to use on himself. After experimenting with different formulations, he also delved deep into each of their individual properties and benefits. “I sat and thought about all of the areas I had found benefit from over the course of my wellness seeking. Then the concept ‘why don’t we combine all the best parts of each?’ came to mind.” Jack went on to say, “By blending the natural mood-enhancing aromas of aromatherapy, stress-reducing adaptogen ingredients, the focus on helping nootropic fungi, and the healing properties of cannabinoids.” This has created some extraordinary botanical blends targeting ‘wellness from within’ with three specific ranges: Boost, Balance, and Bed. They utilise traditional Eastern and Western ingredients together with CBD and pure essential oils. They are all based on the latest research and scientific studies to ensure safe, effective, multi-sensory experiences. As an eco-business, they only use recyclable, reusable packaging to offset their carbon emissions and also add to this by planting a tree with every review they receive. They help fund socio-economic change worldwide by working with Ecologi, a program where people donate money to help fund projects working to help save the planet. They ensure each element of their supply chain and operations are morally and ethically sound. Manufacturing is done in small batches, which guarantees that blends contain the proper ratios and high enough quantities to be as effective as possible. Being an honest and transparent brand, they even have detailed ISO-accredited laboratory CBD report available here, together with nutritional information regarding their CBD edibles as well as CSPR reports which show the safety of our topicals and wax-based products.

Back to the Aromatherapy CBD Candle: Slumber, we want to share as another of our #amazingfinds, and as one of our favourite CBD-based candles. It’s part of the ‘Bed’ range, with seven different products to help enhance sleep. The candle is blended with essential oils lavender, clary sage, eucalyptus, nutmeg, and ylang-ylang.; these are combined with L-theanine, sleep terpenes and the all-important 100mg of premium CBD per 120ml candle jar. Lavender reduces stress levels, improves quality of sleep and helps with anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Nutmeg brings a warmness that eases tension to support calmness and improve restlessness, along with clary sage to ground the senses by adding a sweet earthy tone and a herbaceous fragrance. Ylang Ylang effectively relieves stress and promotes relaxation with its rich and exotic floral scent.

For aiding sleep, the candle uses sleep terpenes and L-theanine, which are natural compounds that cause drowsiness. The candle combines the best sleep terpenes, the first being linalool, found in lavender plants, and the second being the most prominent of myrcene, found within hemp and lavender plants. These two sleep terpenes have natural properties for relaxation and reduced anxiety, along with L-theanine, an amino acid usually found within green tea that stimulates relaxation, reduces stress and anxiety, and has anti-inflammatory properties for easing pain. L-theanine works in causing more relaxation by increasing the brain waves associated with calmness and less stress and blocks excitatory neurotransmitters to help enhance our soothing ones, such as GABA, a gamma-aminobutyric. CBD in the candle is an essential ingredient as it is a cannabinoid and one of the hundreds of chemicals found within cannabis or hemp plants. It has health benefits due to positive interaction with the body's endocannabinoid system involving cell signalling with a vast network of cell receptors. The body then produces endocannabinoids to bind these cannabinoid receptors to regulate critical functions such as memory, appetite, sleep and balanced energy. The brand uses a CBD isolate extracted from hemp by removing all other compounds within the plant to isolate the cannabinoid for the purest and most potent form of CBD with no fear of any THC extract. CBD is typically a crystalline or powder form with the added advantage of being odourless. They have the complete CBD lab testing available here.

They use their own house blend of sustainable vegetable waxes with soya, coconut, and rapeseed for the wax base. Rapeseed wax is particularly beneficial, being non-toxic, renewable, and biodegradable, with a low carbon footprint. The candle burns with a sustainable cotton and paper wick, and the wax melts at a slow and steady rate, allowing the fragrance to evaporate gently from the wax pool, making the aroma linger for longer and giving an extended burn time of 28 hours. What we love about this 120ml Slumber candle is that it’s 100% natural, hand-poured, and you’re promised an uplifting and comforting floral scent, perfect for winding down at the end of the day. To purchase, see here; it’s currently at a special price of £18 for a limited time.

Honey Heaven : Green Therapy - Firming Anti-Cellulite Body Butter

Our latest CBD discovery at The Amazing Blog is the British brand Honey Heaven's Green Therapy CBD skincare - we tested this Editor’s Choice award-winning Firming Anti-Cellulite Body Butter which we judged on The 2022 Beauty Shortlist’s Wellbeing Awards.

Honey Heaven was founded in 2015 by siblings Silvia and Robert Mocsari. Inspired by their childhood in Hungary, they were keen to share the benefits of local premium organic and unpasteurised honey from their homeland. This is where they have combined their knowledge of medicinal botanicals to produce a range of honey, honey wines and teas with unique recipes passed down through the generations. They have since expanded their range to include CBD products, sourcing their full-spectrum organic CBD virgin hemp supercritical C02 extract from Switzerland, boosted with pure CBD distillate. Honey Heaven's edible products are ethically sourced, 100% natural and organic and made in the UK and do not contain any artificial colours, preservatives, flavourings, sweeteners. The company's motto is, "Nature's choice for a healthier life!"

The Green Therapy CBD Cosmetics range was developed by Silvia in 2020, “I developed our Green Therapy CBD cosmetic range because for a long time I had been searching for a natural anti-ageing product that contained different botanical oils and hyaluronic acid, that could prevent the signs of ageing but moisturise as well. I couldn’t find one and so decided to make my own.” Silvia quickly pointed out that this natural skincare range doesn’t contain their signature organic honey. However, it’s vegan with the exception of the CBD balm, which has beeswax, to thicken the balm and enhance the CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects. It also ensures a non-greasy consistency. Suitable for all skin types, Green Therapy uses a unique blend of herbal oils and CBD to nourish and hydrate the skin.

The Firming Anti-Cellulite Body Butter is one of Honey Heaven's most popular CBD body care products. As a body butter, it’s designed to protect the skin and restore freshness and elasticity. It also has the added benefit of helping to diminish the appearance of cellulite. We particularly liked how it super-hydrated our skin, leaving it soft and supple, and has ingredients that are designed to work together to keep skin looking smooth.

One of the product's key ingredients is Cannabidiol (CBD oil), which as we all know, has numerous health benefits for the skin as it is rich in antioxidants and has many anti-inflammatory properties. Here there is 750mg full-spectrum distillate. CBD oil is believed to help prevent skin ageing because it contains fatty acids, minerals and is full of rich nutrients that all have strong moisturising abilities to pump up the skin. Plus, there is hemp seed oil (which doesn’t contain any CBD), which is rich in nutrients, fatty acids, and valuable bioactive compounds that keep the skin moisturised.

There is shea butter and caprylic/ capric triglyceride, all high in fatty acid content making them an excellent natural emollient and humectant, to lock in moisture. There’s also sunflower seed, and coconut oil, full of skin-calming antioxidants to soften and soothe skin. Cocoa butter is rich in antioxidant polyphenols which aid blood flow to the skin and slow skin ageing by protecting against damage from the sun's harmful UV rays.

Silvia told us, “With this body butter, I was amazed at the results. I loved not only the texture and feel of the product but also the light natural fragrance and colour thanks to the tamanu, sea buckthorn, moringa and the CBD oil we use. I knew I had created something special.” Apart from the fragrance, the tamanu seed oil, sea buckthorn and moringa all have lots of other benefits. The tamanu seed oil helps with the production of collagen and has wound-healing abilities, that can help reduce any scarring. Tamanu oil is also often used to heal sunburns and minor burns. The sea buckthorn helps revive skin cells and smooth any bumpy appearance on the skin and is known as a high-powered anti-ageing defence ingredient. And the Moringa seed oil has vitamin A and C, these compounds have powerful anti-ageing and inflammatory effects, and work to protect skin cells from environmental stresses, such as UV radiation.

Finally, the other two actives here are aloe vera for cooling and soothing and rosehip oil full of emollient properties. Rosehip, like moringa, is full of vitamins A and C to reduce inflammation and irritation in the skin, and also protects it against sun and pollution-induced oxidative stress.

We found that this body butter had exceptional long-lasting and super-hydrating qualities, it kept our skin moisturised and soft - even during the harsh winter months. However, to see the effects of reduced cellulite, we think this need to be used in conjunction with a regular exercise routine. This is something worth remembering, as no cream will ever work to remove cellulite on its own. Cellulite is a build-up of fat under the dermis combined with the weakening of the connective tissue, which in turn creates an orange peel ripple look on the body. It is a harmless and natural condition that affects about 9 out of 10 women - and believe it or not, even some men. And if you’re like us, you’ll probably need to be more disciplined on the diet and exercise front together with using this body butter in order to see any results. Cellulite aside, It’s a wonderful body butter and one we’d order more of, making it another of our #amazingfinds. To purchase Honey Heaven's 150ml Green Therapy Firming Anti-Cellulite Body Butter for £28, see here.

CBD Pure Oils: CALM – CBD Infused Scented Oil

 

Regular readers of The Amazing Blog will know that we can’t resist trying something new from the world of CBD, Today, think ‘room fragrance’. We couldn’t resist trying this CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil, a CBD infused fragranced oil from CBD Pure Oils. A few drops in water either with an ultrasonic aroma diffuser (photo above) or burning in a traditional ceramic one; the combined effects of CBD with essential oils help to transform a room’s ambience.

The CBD Pure Oils story starts in August of 2017 with two friends discovering that they’ve both been using CBD products, on a regular basis for anxiety and pain relief.  This was the moment when Debbie Houghton and Julie Barrett decided to become the founders of a new CBD brand, This way they both could share their CBD experience with others. What started as an idea to provide high-quality CBD products has now turned into a successful and innovative brand.   They described CBD Pure OIls as a place for consumers to “easily access the products they desire and be assured that the CBD products they are buying are pure.”  With transparency at the forefront, the two founders want to ensure that the CBD products they offer are always reliable and pure. To emphasise this brand message, they use EU-approved hemp strains that have been extracted in the UK through a Co2 supercritical extraction process. They’ve also made information on their products available here with the laboratory results giving the strength and purity.  CBD Pure Oils sells a selection of full-spectrum but THC-free CBD products, ranging from oils and topicals to the slightly more unusual home products. Co-founder Denise pointed out, “Having the ability to provide a CBD oil that contains the whole plant, and is full-spectrum, increases ‘the entourage effect’ within our bodies, meaning our customers will get the maximum benefits from our CBD oil.” They’re also proud members of the Cannabis Trade Association, a trade body that aims to foster good work practice, raise standards, increase safety, and monitor the cannabis trade industry in Europe. All products are suitable for vegans, they’re mindful of their carbon footprint, and use recyclable packaging for their products.  

CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil combines essential oils with 20mg of full-spectrum CBD oil, creating an aromatherapy-based room fragrance. This deep scented blend can be broken down into three main notes: the top note is bergamot, the middle note is patchouli, and the base note is amber. As mentioned earlier, this dark amber and bergamot essential oil is infused with full-spectrum CBD, this unusual addition helps to add another dimension raising a further sense of calm, which in turn reduces stress and promotes a feeling of relaxation. The full-spectrum CBD oil means that it retains many of the terpenes and natural plant compounds, like THC. However, the THC in all the products from CBD Pure Oils has been removed by using a Co2 supercritical extraction process. When these terpenes come together with other natural plant compounds, like those found in essential oils, they tend to create an even more amplified effect. The bergamot here is a popular citrus essential oil also known to relax the mind and relieve stress. Patchouli oil, made from the leaves of a patchouli plant, has its own beneficial properties like alleviating pain and easing anxiety, As for the amber oil, made from melted tree resin, it’s known to strengthen memory, soothe the mind, and improve sleep patterns. All these ingredients come together to form this unique CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil. By harnessing the CBD benefits with these essential oils, this infusion creates a feeling of ‘calm’ which when either burnt or vapourised in a diffuser, offers a feeling of almost meditative tranquillity to the surroundings.

To use this CALM - CBD Infused Scented Oil, we simply added five or six drops together with water into our ultrasonic aroma diffuser, which dispersed plumes of fragranced vapour into the air, taking only moments to create a scent-filled room. The best way to describe this dark bergamot and amber aroma is a warm, earthy, sweet scent with a slight touch of citrusy spice - and no smell of hemp!  We found it very mellow and autumnal. Sadly, this little bottle didn’t last long as the scent proved very popular in the office, and became part of our daily home-time routine - stimulating the senses and calming our busy minds!. Yes, it’s another one of our #amazingfinds. The 10 ml CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil (containing 20 mg of CBD oil) can be purchased here for £9.  

1CBD: 20% Silver Edition Pure Hemp CBD Oil

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At The Amazing Blog  we know a good CBD brand when we see one. The last time we reviewed 1CBD was with their delicious CBD infused chocolates created with leading chocolatier Paul Williams from Chocamor here which certainly left us wanting to order more! Today, we are back with another one of their products, the 20% Silver Edition Pure Hemp CBD Oil. This CBD oil, just like the chocolates, is the perfect addition to any CBD lover’s lifestyle.

1CBD, based in North East England, made its debut in 2018 with the help of founders Oman and Oliver. The business partners started their journey after they were previously commissioned to work with another CBD brand. From here, they learned the ins and outs of CBD and saw opportunities to bring their own CBD related products to the market. They wanted to create a brand that kept high-quality control on the cannabidiol (CBD) they use, which is why they only source their broad-spectrum CBD oils from Colorado, home to one of the world’s finest hemp fields. The hemp plants are hand-picked and organically grown outside in the sun with no exposure to artificial UV lights, harmful chemicals, or pesticides. All CBD oils are made in small batches and freshly prepared, ensuring consistency, taste, and potency. Broad-spectrum CBD means zero THC content, and all raw extracts are vigorously tested and HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) analysed by independent laboratories across the USA. HPLC is a highly effective extraction process that results in 0.00% THC, making this method far superior to isolate as nearly all the plant profiles are present, including the plant’s terpenes and amino acids. HPLC is the best and most accurate way to separate and purify the CBD from THC and even THCA, a compound that is usually untraceable using other methods of extraction. All of 1CBD’s products are vegan friendly and gluten-free and range from CBD oils, capsules, balms to edibles.

Today, we are focusing on one of the many CBD oils, the 20% Silver Edition Pure Hemp CBD Oil which contains the highest ‘broad spectrum’ phytocannabinoid CBD oil available today in the UK. Very confusingly, the ‘full spectrum’ mentioned on the packaging refers to only the terpenes, cannabinoids, and amino acids in the oil - not the THC content. 1CBD tells us that this packaging will change shortly to reflect this and say ‘broad spectrum and THC free’. We find taking CBD Oil sublingually is a practical, quick, and easy way to stimulate the endocannabinoid system. Which, as our regular readers will know, we think can help relieve a multitude of health issues, such as anxiety, muscle fatigue, arthritis, migraines, stomach problems, skin conditions, and the list goes on... Here the CBD is extracted from 100% organic hemp seed oil, which is rich in healthy omega-6 and 3 fatty acids where the gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) present in hemp seed oil has been shown to reduce inflammation. Let’s also not forget that it’s full of vitamins C and E, plus all nine of the amino acids responsible for protein production. There is also evidence to show that hemp seed oil is full of arginine, a specific amino acid that produces nitric acid known to reduce blood pressure for improved heart health. What we like about the 1CBD products (mentioned earlier) is that all the raw ingredients are sourced from reputable organic hemp fields in Colorado and tested by a third-party lab for purity. 1CBD has three strengths in the 20% Silver Edition Pure Hemp CBD Oil, and we were sent the 1000mg per 5ml. Again it’s a little confusing as the percentage given on the label which represents the concentration, but the mg gives the strength per ml - go figure?! Actually, we might need to be corrected here by 1CBD. Anyway, there a dosage calculators available if you google. With this Silver Edition Pure Hemp CBD Oil it’s recommended to take 2-4 times per day (no more) by putting 2-6 drops under the tongue, holding for 30 seconds, and swallowing. The oil tastes earthy and has a very robust hempy flavour – therefore, we’d suggest that it might be better for the more practised CBD palate than an uninitiated one! The CBD oil is available in 250mg in 1ml, 1000mg in 5ml, and 2000mg 10ml sizes.All sizes can be purchased here, and the code WELCOME15 will give new customers 15% off their first order. 

1CBD: CBD Infused Chocolates

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Finding delicious CBD infused chocolates has had us all at The Amazing Blog on a bit of a mission. Much as we love CBD, sometimes, when it’s infused in chocolates or gummies, it can have a bit of an earthy or bitter aftertaste. This is where 1CBD have succeeded, where others have failed, as they have very shrewdly invited a master chocolatier to help them create their range of 1CBD CBD Infused Chocolates – and they are delicious!

1CBD launched in 2018 and are based in the North East of England. Started by marketeers and business partners Oman and Oliver, their journey of CBD discovery all began when they were commissioned to develop and work with another CBD brand. From here, they saw opportunities to bring their own CBD related products to market, and so, 1CBD was born. Keeping a high-quality control on the cannabidiols (CBD) that they use, is paramount for the brand, which is why they only source their broad-spectrum CBD oils from Colorado. They feel that the USA has more advanced manufacture and unique C02 extraction techniques, than that of the rest of Europe. Plus, the hemp plants are grown outside in the sunshine with no exposure to artificial UV lights, harmful chemicals or pesticides. All CBD oils are prepared in small batches, always freshly prepared, ensuring consistency, taste and potency. The broad-spectrum here means that there’s zero THC, and all raw extracts are vigorously tested and HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) analysed by independent laboratories across the USA. Products range from CBD oils, capsules, balms to edibles. However, what piqued our interest, was their handmade, ethically sourced CBD Infused Chocolates, that they commissioned with the award-winning master chocolatier Paul Williams from Chocamor of ‘fiendishly good chocolates’ fame, to create on their behalf. The brand said, “What Choc Amor offered that the other chocolatiers didn’t, was the combination of premium quality cocoa in the chocolate, multi award-winning chocolate flavours and the unavoidable fact that their chocolate really does taste amazing!” And we couldn’t wait to try… 

Who doesn’t love chocolate? And with a whopping 20-25g of broad-spectrum (THC-free) 10% phytocannabinoid pure hemp CBD oil in each piece, it made us love them even more! These CBD Infused Chocolates come in 100g bags and contain a total of 300mg of the broad-spectrum CBD. They also tick our sustainability box, with how these stylish cardboard boxes are completely compostable, together with the cellophane bags. With three mouth-watering flavours, it was hard to choose a favourite, chocolatier Paul Williams said, “We decided to launch the range with three of our best-selling flavours, Raspberry Burst, Salt Caramel and Twisted Latte. These flavours combine really well with the CBD oil so that the consumer can enjoy a chocolate sensation, one mouthful at a time.”  What makes this pairing of chocolate and CBD so interesting is they both contain cannabinoids. Together these activate the endocannabinoid receptors, which in turn boost the anandamide levels (aka ‘the chemical of happiness’), and right now, who doesn’t need that? 

All these ingredients have a health benefit. The hemp extract has antioxidants and healthy omega fatty acids, making it great for hair and skin or just stress relief. The cocoa mass not only gives it its flavour but in moderation, it can help keep the heart-healthy. Like the hemp extract, cocoa butter is high in fatty acids, which can help hydrate and nourish the skin. Soya lecithin can raise good cholesterol (HDL) while lowering bad cholesterol (LDL). Natural vanilla flavouring brings a flavour, but it’s also rich in antioxidants. Sugar gives sweetness to the chocolate, and also, according to some scientists is can be beneficial for brain health. The whole milk powder found here is a good source of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium as well vitamins A, D, E and K.

Let’s get back to these chocolates, each one has its own merits.  We loved the dark rich Raspberry Burst for its floral and fruity notes combined with the 60% cocoa solids. There is even a touch of balsamic vinegar and tiny pieces of dried raspberry in each square.  The Salt Caramel Blonde is a 50/50 unique blend of milk and white chocolate. It also has the smallest crunchy salty caramel flakes buried in the chocolate chunks, as well as rich double cream and butter; we savoured every delicious mouthful, especially as a midday pick-me-upLast but not least, was the Milk White this is white chocolate at its very best… with the simple ingredients of single-origin cocoa butter, sugar, milk, soya lecithin and vanilla extract (and of course the CBD) it’s moreish, creamy and not too sweet. I’m not normally a fan of white chocolate, but this was my favourite. I’m ashamed to say, that keeping an eye on the CBD dosage (70g a day), went out the window, as I found myself greedily reaching for yet another square… For CBD novices and aficionados, I would heartily recommend these chocolate treats. They say, “Great for improving cognitive function, feeling energised and absorbing CBD with a fantastically moreish taste.” We say, “Please give us more…” To purchase any of the three CBD Infused Chocolates see here. They are currently on special offer for a limited time only at £9.99