Black Sheep Dispensaries: CBD Full Spectrum Supplements

Have you felt a bit ‘wobbly’ recently? In these uncertain times, we at The Amazing Blog have been searching out natural products to help steady our nerves, take the edge off and generally give us some uninterrupted sleep. As regular readers will know, we’re big fans of CBD (see here) not only for its calming effects but also for its anti-inflammatory and skin-boosting qualities. As we approach Christmas (and the anticipation of a further lockdown in the New Year), we’re just so pleased to introduce you to  Black Sheep Dispensaries and their supplements, which we have to hand!

Black Sheep Dispensaries was founded in 2015 with a vision to provide honest, affordable, organic, natural cannabis products for the consumer. Kimberley Brown and her co-founder have a wealth of knowledge on the cannabis plant which includes a Bachelor of Science Degree whereby a study was made into the link between cannabis and mental health as well as two diplomas in Medical Cannabis. In 2017 Black Sheep Dispensaries officially launched with their product range and over the past few years have developed new products, clothes and accessories. Through personal experience, cannabinoids have been used to treat anxiety which was a contributing driving force to create a company based on a product which had a positive impact upon their life. As the company has developed connections have been made throughout the sporting industry which includes boxing, mixed martial arts, football, basketball, snowboarding, motor cross as well as actors and the general public across a wide span of age groups. The customer base and connections made have further driven Black Sheep Dispensaries to become pioneers within the industry by continuing to grow, develop and provide for every different type of consumer. They are continually completing research and development with a vision to be pioneers within the cannabis industry by bringing new and exciting products to market.  Products currently include edibles, vapes, wax crumbles and balms all of which are made with organic hemp.  Black Sheep Dispensaries uses the whole plant with full spectrum cannabis sativa plant, where it’s extracted using a supercritical CO2 extraction. This gives their products the cannabinoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, Omega-3,6, fatty acids, and amino acids; all of which encourage the entourage effect.

They very kindly sent us three of the products to try. The 1 ml Whole Plant Cannabis Sativa Extract Syringe 1000mg was a first for us, as we’ve never tried a cannabis sativa extract in a syringe before. Having both CBD and CBDA it offers even more health benefits than your regular CBD. For those new to CBDA (cannabidiolic acid), it’s a raw form or predecessor to CBD. It has been used in many medical trials as an anti-inflammatory, anti-depression and anti-nausea for cancer patients and also deemed effective in medical trials for seizure treatment (see here). Whereas, the CBD present, offers all-round pain relief, anti-anxiety and improved sleep. Recently we learnt that it has antidiabetic and enhanced bone healing properties too! With full-spectrum CBD, terpenoids, flavonoids, omega 3-6-9 fatty acids, and amino acids; this Extract offers you all the goodness that you could want from a CBD supplement. We think this is a great way to take CBD. For novices, we should say that this Extract does have a bit of a ‘kick’ but not in an unpleasant way. It’s quick and easy to take, we put a tiny rice-sized amount onto our finger and then massage into your mouth. This is extremely good value at a mere £10 for 1ml here as with this Extract Syringe, a little goes a long way!  

 We also received the 1000mg CBD & CBDA Oral Dropper in 10ml  which comes as an oil in a black bottle with dropper.  Again, this is made up full-spectrum CBD plant extract together with the CBDA (as discussed above) and diluted with organic hemp seed oil.  It has the strength of 14% which is erring on the low side, so good for the initiating any CBD newbies. The percentages of CBD tend to start around 10% and up to 50% for the most potent. They recommend no more than the maximum dose of 200mg so you might want to go here to see the calculator when taking. See here to purchase the Oral Drops at £35. 

Finally, we have the third product which is their 100mg Full Spectrum CBD Capsules. For those of you wanting to try CBD but not keen on the hempy taste, these will be for you. They have 14mg of CBD per capsule, with a breakdown of 11.7% CBD and 2.5% CBDA with the same 14% of CBD + CBDA as the Oral Dropper. However, here the capsules are combined with organic MCT (coconut oil) in a vegan capsule. To purchase  30 capsules for £35 see here . We agree with Kimberley Brown, the co-founder who said: “We believe cannabinoids play an important role within the body and by introducing daily cannabinoids to your everyday diet and routine you not only treat existing ailments but prevent others from arising.” As they say, prevention is better than cure!

Essential Drops Bathroom Aromatics - Pomegranate & Lychee

Do you need to take your bathroom fragrance from drab to fab? Finding a natural scent to put down the loo is something of a rarity. In our search in the office bathroom looking for a product to cover up the delicate issue of ‘nasty smells’ at best, all we could find was some rather unpleasant cheap air freshener that filled the place with fumes, that when you accidentally breathed them in, they almost made us choke! At The Amazing Blog we were thrilled to be given a natural aromatic deodoriser that delivers botanical freshness and neutralised unwanted pongs - leaving the bathroom smelling sweet. We often talk about essential oils; however, this one from Essential Drops Bathroom Aromatics is specifically designed for one purpose – the loo!

Essential Drops Bathroom Aromatics is a British brand that is formulated by Bruce Green who is also known for his skincare brand SOS Serum Skincare which we have reviewed here. Green specialises in skincare and is a chartered scientist, a chartered chemist, and a fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry. He is a man with great expertise and has contributed to the formulations of many cosmetic brands in the UK & North America, and he also sits on several EU advisory committees. This brand is his first foray into the world of bathroom fragrance. These Essential Drops are excellent for eliminating unwanted and unpleasant smells, helping to maintain a fresh sweet fragranced bathroom by only using natural essential oils. This means that there are no artificial ingredients, they’re cruelty-free, vegan and locally produced. By sourcing their ingredients from reputable local suppliers, they can deliver high-quality products every time. We also like that their glass bottles are recyclable. They currently have a range of three different scent combinations: Grapefruit & Kumquat, Ginger & Black Pepper and Pomegranate & Lychee (which we are featuring today). 

The Pomegranate & Lychee comes in a frosted recyclable 50 ml glass bottle with a pipette top. Each bottle can last around 50-100 uses depending on the frequency and amount you use. You can either drop one full pipette or 3-4 drops directly from the bottle into the bowl before or after flushing. If you want to make your bathroom smell more like an at-home spa, you could use the Essential Drops in both your loo and hand basin, bringing an uplifting fragrance to the entire room. These drops create an almost like a film-like surface (which flushes away) allowing the water to trap the unpleasant odours whilst releasing the good ones! We love that there are only three ingredients here in total, with the essential fruit oils of pomegranate and lychee in a grapeseed oil base. To get rid of those lingering bathroom whiffs and start your lockdown spa day at home, purchase your Essential Drops Bathroom Aromatics in Pomegranate & Lychee here for £18.00 or £50 for the full collection of all three here.

Black Ink - CBD Infused Coffee

We’ve previously introduced CBD oil, skincare and a few edibles; today we’d like to talk about another way of getting your daily dose of CBD, that we’ve been experiencing at The Amazing Blog. It’s one that’s perfect for the coffee enthusiast, or for those who want to try CBD, but dislike the earthy taste of hemp. Welcome Black Ink CBD Coffee.

Black Ink CBD Coffee is founded by Irish entrepreneur Gavin RC Moore and is now one of the leading CBD coffee brands here in the UK and Ireland. It owes its reputation to its premium-quality organically certified Arabica coffee beans, and its full-spectrum infused European CBD. The coffee beans are grown on the Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, which is what gives the beans their world-renowned flavour. You’re probably wondering what purpose there is to mix CBD and coffee. Well, CBD and caffeine each have similar beneficial properties, some of which include mood-lifting and antioxidant effects. Because of these shared properties, caffeine and CBD enhance each other. As most of our regular readers will know, the real benefit of taking CBD is to calm anxiety and nerves and help soothe pain, as it has a ‘relaxing’ effect. As surprising as it may be, this is where the CBD comes into play; its relaxing effect balances the stimulant of the caffeine, helping to eliminate the jitters and anxiety. Now, you might be wondering how you are going to get your usual morning pick-me-up if there is CBD inside. Rest assured, the CBD will not completely overpower the caffeine, so you will still be able to get that alertness from your morning coffee, the caffeine’s ‘drawbacks’ are simply balanced. The result is a pretty good feeling of being energised but relaxed all at the same time, a sort of ‘serene concentration’.

The girls at the office have been having this as their morning coffee, and say that the coffee tastes rich and smooth with a touch of very well-rounded nuttiness and subtle berry flavours. However, interestingly not with a trace of hempiness! It’s an almost identical match to pure Arabica coffee, with no bitter aftertaste. On the safety and ethical sides, you’ll be pleased to know that this product is third-party lab tested, that the grains and hemp used for the blends are organic and that their packaging is entirely recyclable. Each pack has 200g of CBD-infused ground coffee beans and should make about 20 cups. A cup of coffee includes approximately 10mg of CBD which provides you with your morning wellness nutrients (it takes about 20 minutes for these to spread through the body).  We used our trusty Aeropress for single cups. They suggest brewing your coffee in a cafetiere, by adding about 10-15g of Black Ink CBD Infused Coffee per person, pour near-boiling water, stir, and cover. Wait about 3-4 minutes, then push the strainer down. Your CBD-infused cup of coffee is now ready! Even though this is the traditional way to make it, you can also drink it as a cold brew. Like any other coffee, it should be kept in a sealed container in a cool, dry place and away from direct sunlight to last. Remember, it needs to be consumed with three weeks from opening to get the full benefits from the fresh ingredients. If you want to make BLACK INK CBD Infused Coffee part of your morning routine, you can purchase the pack of 200g for £30 here. You can also turn it into a monthly subscription and save up to 10%.

Naturopathica CBD+ Turmeric Capsules

We’re back again on the CBD trail, this time at The Amazing Blog it’s with a range of capsules that have just launched. However, these are not just any capsules they are CBD+ Turmeric combined from Naturopathica.

In a partnership between CBD brand Elixinol and supplement brand Pharmacare, they created  Naturopathica with a range of CBD+ capsules. These are a selection of six different CBD + products, each one has a different health benefit and also addresses a specific issue, i.e. they’re appropriately named Digestion, Mind, Night, Wellbeing, Turmeric and Unwind. With 5mg of CBD per capsule, they say that these are ‘super-concentrated’ with full-spectrum CBD that’s sourced here in the UK. It’s worth remembering that the optimal dose of CBD to take will always depend on a range of factors: Bodyweight, the condition being treated and the individual’s body chemistry.

We chose the Naturopathica CBD+ Turmeric which focuses on healthy joint and cartilage function. Both turmeric and CBD come from plants with a long list of impressive qualities.  Taking this supplement is a must for anyone who has an active lifestyle or suffers from arthritis. Other than the CBD, the two main ingredients are curcumin and vitamin C. Curcumin is found in turmeric which contains over 100 different chemical compounds. However, one that stands out is the curcumin, it’s proven to alleviate both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and has both antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties. The vitamin C here is one of the most important vitamins for helping maintain a healthy body function. It has numerous benefits including boosting the immune system, lowering blood pressure, collagen formation and reducing fatigue. Naturopathic even have a lab report that you can read on these ingredients here. Probably the best-known beneficial effect of the combination of this 5mg CBD and 265mg of turmeric is their mutual ability to quell inflammation. We have only taken this supplement for 30 days and can’t honestly say that we’ve noticed any difference, we think that it needs at least 60-90 days to be able to monitor properly any changes in the body. The capsules are easy to take, and as a regular curcumin capsule-popper, I might be persuaded to swap my daily 500mg with this; however, I might have to double the dose!  If you’d like to try these, then see here to buy the CBD+ Turmeric Capsules at £39.99 for 30 capsules.

CAVARA Premium Anti-Aging Rose Quartz Face Roller

We have a saying at The Amazing Blog of ‘happy skin, happy self’. A clear and healthy complexion is something that we don’t take for granted. Even though we’re very spoilt and get lots of natural lotions and potions to test, we never tired of skincare; and face rollers are an area that we’ve just started to explore. However, today’s face roller, it is not just any face roller, it’s made of rose quartz which is cool to the touch, alleviates puffiness and feels healing to the skin. Meet the Premium Anti-Aging Rose Quartz Face Roller by CAVARA.

CAVARA is a British company that offers high-quality anti-ageing skincare devices.  This Premium Anti-Aging Rose Quartz Face Roller is their first skincare device to launch. It’s a transformational beauty tool that helps to achieve a glowing and youthful complexion and is where the use of holistic crystals meets a modern-day skincare regime. The rose quartz is thought to help shrink pores because of its natural cooling properties. The question we had is why rose quartz and not jade? Rose quartz stays cooler than the commonly used jade face roller which by its adaptive nature, tends to remain warm on contact with the skin. Also, because jade is a soft stone, and might not stand up to general wear and tear whereas a rose quartz face roller is more robust. We like how the brand is passionate about their product and how they say: “We recognise your power to actualise intention and create the skin and life of your dreams. CAVARA is centred on the possibility to manifest your best self in order to live your best life.” And that’s why we couldn’t wait to try it!

Let’s talk about the actual rose quartz itself. This is a powerful crystal open to love, self-care and heart healing. It is made up of quartz and the addition of manganese and titanium which gives a pink colour. It’s one of the most well-known and popular crystals because it works with love and is strongly attached to both the heart and throat chakras. But it’s not a stone that simply rests in romance. It’s for all kinds of love from healing communication with family to developing deeper bonds with lovers and friends. It purifies and opens the heart at all levels to promote love, self-love, friendship, deep inner healing and feelings of peace. Therefore, helping to rid any negative emotional stresses that might have an impact on the skin and accelerate ageing. Calming and reassuring, it helps to comfort in times of sadness. Rose quartz has been used as far back as the ancient Greeks and Egyptians who used it as part of their routine to maintain youth and beauty believing in its potent skin benefits.

This sculptural looking Premium Anti-Aging Rose Quartz Face Roller is made up of two different sized quartz rollers on either end, all held in place with elegant brass fixtures. The small roller is intended to be used on the more sensitive areas such as under the eyes or your throat, whereas the bigger roller is for the rest of the face, neck and decolletage. We found that it was excellent for getting back the colour in our cheeks and for bringing more oxygen to the skin. It also helps to relieve tension, which can often build up in the facial muscles. Best of all, it helped to boost the skin’s elasticity, improve lymphatic drainage and stimulate cell turnover. We found our skin looked more vibrant, toned with reduced inflammation, all benefits from its cooling effect. This facial roller brought a soothing sensation and was brilliant for using first thing in the morning, banishing any puffiness prior to our skincare routine and makeup. This facial roller is often used by skincare professionals and alike, who say when refrigerated, the rollers will provide a small amount of relief from swelling in the same way that an ice cube facial would, although with less mess! We used it by without any serum or creams and started by rolling from the centre of the face in an outward direction, where the positive and uplifting effects were instantaneous. It’s easy to maintain by cleaning with warm water and gentle soap, and on our rose quartz journey, we also learned that to ‘recharge’ the powers of rose quartz, you simply leave it out under moonlight (because this crystal’s yin energy is connected to the moon). Is this spurring you on to purchase? Then see here for £49.99.