CBD Best Practice: How to Find the Right CBD Dose for You

As a CBD noobie, it can be confusing to know the right dose of CBD you should take. At least one study has indicated that CBD has a reasonably favorable safety profile, although the researchers do make a the standard call for more research into the area. So we’ve created a helpful guide below to help you understand some of the basic principles of CBD use and some simple best practices to ensure to get the best out of your Soulsome CBD oil.

How Should I take CBD oil?

Is it better to take CBD oil under your tongue or swallow it? This is a question of bioavailability–the amount of a substance absorbed by the body through the ingestion method. For example, if you were to have an intravenous injection at your doctor’s office, you would receive 100% of the substance or drug in your bloodstream. Bioavailability is 100% in this case. If you were to swallow the same medication in pill or capsule form, it would first have to pass through your digestive system, where certain elements would naturally be stripped away by your metabolism, reducing the bioavailability significantly.

For CBD ingestion, the two most common pathways are sublingual (under the tongue) and swallowing (in the form of candy, like a gummy). So which method has the best bioavailability? The under-the-tongue method beats swallowing every time. How? Well, when you take a few drops of CBD oil and hold them under your tongue for 30-60 seconds, the CBD is absorbed by the tissues beneath the tongue and sent directly to the bloodstream. This is by far the most effective way of taking CBD oil orally. CBD taken in the form of gummies is far less effective. It must first pass through the digestive system, where it must be processed and broken down by our digestion and the various enzymes and other elements of our metabolism. During this process, much of the CBD we have ingested is eliminated by our body, which has two principal drawbacks: 

1. It takes longer for the CBD to work because it has to first pass through the digestive system.
2. A great deal of the CBD is lost to our digestive system and effectively wasted as our bodies simply eliminate it.

When it comes to the question of “How do I take CBD oil,” there really is no question: Under your tongue for 30-60 seconds is the most effective and healthiest way to go.

Which Concentration of CBD Oil do I take? 1200mg, 2400mg or 4800mg?

Soulsome offers three different strengths of CBD oil: 1200mg, 2400mg, and 4800mg (listed in increasing strengths). When selecting the strength that is right for you, there are a few things to bear in mind:

1. All of Soulsomes’s CBD oil bottles are the same size: 1fl oz (30ml).
2. The 1200mg, 2400mg, or 4800mg concentration indicates the concentrated amount of CBD oil contained in each Soulsome bottle. 4800mg is the strongest “Papa Bear” dose, 2400mg is a medium “Mama Bear” dose, and 1200mg is the lightest “Baby bear” dose.
3. Lighter CBD doses bring a feeling of clarity and focus when you take them. Stronger CBD doses have a more sedating, “sleepy” effect. Need to be focused? A lighter dose should help here. For a more sedating, “sleepier” effect at bedtime, try a stronger dose.
4. It is best practice to start with the lightest “baby bear” dose you can and slowly work your way up to a stronger dose if you need to. This way, you can avoid accidentally ingesting too much and feeling the effects of sedation when you need to be sharp and focused.

Wait, How much CBD oil is in a Soulsome Dropper?

The Soulsome dropper is the same for each bottle 1 milliliter (ml). Depending on the concentration of each bottle (1200mg, 2400mg, or 4800mg), that 1mg dropper will deliver a different dose to you. For example, a full dropper of the 1200mg concentration will provide 40mg of CBD. Half the dropper of the same bottle will deliver 20mg of CBD. If you were to use a stronger concentration, say the 4800mg bottle, a full, 1ml dropper will give you 160mg of CBD, ½ a dropper would give you 80mg of CBD, and ¼ dropper would give 40mg.

Below is a table showing the relative amounts of CBD you can expect from each concentration of Soulsome CBD oil.

Concentration / Dropper	1200mg	2400mg	4800mg
¼ Dropper (0.25 ml)	10mg	20mg	40mg
½ Dropper (0.5 ml)	20mg	40mg	80mg
¾ Dropper (0.75 ml)	30mg	60mg	120mg
Full dropper (1 ml)	40mg	80mg	160mg
Total CBD concentration	40mg / 1ml	80mg / 1ml	160mg / 1ml

A matter of taste and dosing

We recently received an email from one of our Soulsome CBD customers with a unique dosing hack we wish we had thought of. Thanks to their quick wits and insight, we can pass this useful trick along to you too. This customer used the 2400mg CBD concentration and was getting effective results by using one full dropper (1ml) as they required it. The customer admitted to having a delicate palate and often struggled with intense flavors like the earthy, grassy taste of pure CBD oil. So instead of switching to a highly processed, flavored oil, our ingenious customer simply switched up their concentration (to the 4800mg bottle) and brought down their dose (½ a dropper), which gave them the exact same (80mg) effects with half the taste! Not to brag, but Soulsome has the cleverest customers by far!

Each Dose is Unique Because Each Person has a Unique Endocannabinoid System

Each person is unique with a unique metabolism and way of reacting to CBD. Therefore, our CBD best-practice recommendation is to start with the lowest dose and gradually increase the dose (if required) to ensure the desired result. Another thing to bear in mind is the time of day you plan to take your CBD oil. For example, if you are taking it before bed where sedation should not be a problem–or a possible goal of yours–you might find that you can use a higher dose of CBD. On the other hand, if you are taking it before going to the gym, you may definitely want to consider a lighter dose which may help you stay focused and not feel sedated during an active gym session.

Your specific dose is going to be relative to you and your needs of CBD. Bear in mind that where a friend might report that they use X amount for condition Y, we would encourage you to find your own “Goldilocks” dose amount to ensure that you derive the maximum benefit from your CBD oil without any adverse side effects. Again, start with a smaller dose and slowly, gradually work your way up to a stronger dose if you need to. Finding your “Goldilocks Dose” for your unique system and needs might take a little trial and error, which is why we recommend starting small at first. With CBD, it is probably best to err on the side of caution and be safer with a lower dose as you find your way to your ideal dose.

Finding the Right CBD Dose: Example 1

Let’s say, for example, you’ve discussed using CBD oil with your doctor, and they agree that it may help you sleep better at night. You’ve just purchased the 2400mg bottle of Soulsome CBD oil, and you are thinking about the best dose to use before you go to bed.

You could start with half a dropper (the Soulsome dropper can hold up to 1mg of Soulsome CBD oil) which should provide you with a dose of 40mg of CBD. If you find that this dose helped a little, but you think a stronger dose might be more beneficial, you could try ¾ of a dropper–which should give you around 60mg of CBD. Finally, if you were to feel that you still needed more, you could increase the amount to a full dropper of 80mg of CBD. 

The way Soulsome’s three concentrations have been created is to ensure that you have a simple dose solution at whichever concentration point you require. So, if–from the above example–you feel that even with a full dropper (1mg of CBD oil), you still aren’t feeling the desired effects, you can always move up to the 4800mg strength oil. However, if you do, be sure to start again with a small dose like ¼ of a dropper (40mg) or ½ a dropper (80mg) before moving to a higher dose.

Finding the Right CBD Dose: Example 2

In this example, you’ve discussed using CBD oil with your doctor, as a way to help with feeling anxious during the day. Your healthcare professional has discussed the pros and cons with you, and you are both in agreement that this is a good choice for managing the effects of this unwanted anxiety. You’ve purchased a 1200mg bottle of Soulsome CBD oil and are wondering how much you can take.

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: START SMALL AND PROCEED SLOWLY. Try a ¼ or a ½ filled dropper under the tongue and wait for 30 to 60 minutes to ensure that the oil has had sufficient time to act on your system. Are you still feeling anxious? No? Stop right there; you’ve found your “Goldilocks dose”– not so strong it sedates you, and not so light that it has little to no effect. 

One more option here would be to try your CBD on a weekend day where you have no commitments or pressing engagements. Try the dose you think is right and see how you feel. Are you drowsy? Are you still focused? Could you run a mile right now or feel like spending the day on the couch? It might be helpful to keep a little journal of your CBD use to track the kind of effect you received from a particular dose.

How do I know CBD is working?

CBD is not The Emperor’s New Clothes; it does work, and a ton of new scientific research is currently being driven at how it works–so there are still many unknowns. However, if you have taken CBD oil and are wondering if it is working or when it might start working, bear a few things in mind:

1. Each person will experience CBD differently, and what takes one person 30 minutes to feel might take a full hour for another person who has a slower metabolism. So be patient.
2. You may observe a big difference immediately. Or you may not. Observe how CBD works for you and your specific case. Don’t be too concerned with how it works for others–it’s you that matters here.
3. If you don’t observe a change, it might help to think about what you can observe. Ask yourself questions like: Am I drowsy? Is the pain I felt before the CBD still there? If so, is it the same as it was? How has it changed? Am I still drumming my foot with my usual anxiety, or has that stopped? In short, your experience of CBD might bring changes that aren’t easily quantifiable but do provide a difference in the quality of your experience. CBD is not a panacea, so manage your expectations and watch for its effects and any changes you may experience carefully. You may want to provide this sort of feedback to your healthcare professional as you learn more about how CBD affects you and how it may be benefiting you.