I'm a skeptic. I've always been one, but being a blogger has made me more of one. With this job, I can often see how "the sausage is made". I know how much money someone is paid to promote a product, how much commission they get from each sale, how to angle items just so to hide flaws. I recognize and have had brands try to get me to use deceptive language like, "made with plant-based materials" (FYI, cardboard and wood pulp are plant-based) or "Uses organic ingredients" (which means more than one of 500 ingredients may be organic) or "research-backed results" (which means they probably did their own survey of maybe 35 people). So when I saw every influencer, blog, website, podcast, and Facebook group tout Equilibria CBD I totally noped out. I've used CBD for inflammation, pain, sleep, and anxiety for years, I can't see how this stuff is any different from what I have taken and dismissed the brand as yet another product that spends a lot on influencer marketing instead of making a product so good it speaks for itself. And then Equilibria reached out asking me to try their products, no strings attached. As someone who uses CBD and pays a pretty penny for it, why would I refuse free product? I said yes... and now I get the Equilibria hype.
My Experience Using CBD
I began using CBD in 2018. A friend started using it and found it helped with mild anxiety while also helping her sleep more soundly. I ordered a bottle from the same company she bought from and also found benefits. I didn't feel drugged, sluggish, or honestly anything. I felt calmer, like drinking half a glass of wine and I wasn't waking up in the middle of the night quite as often. I also found dabbing the CBD tincture on cuts, scrapes, and burns helped the skin feel better and heal faster. I started trying it on sore muscles and found that CBD also helped with that. I would take a dropper of CBD tincture in the morning with my vitamins and supplements, and CBD softgels at night for slow-release results to help me sleep. I like how CBD doesn't interact with anything else I take and unlike pharmaceuticals, I don't have to be exact when I take it or the dosage amount. I purchased CBD-infused lotion and the family used it for aches, bug bites, scratches, burns, and even applied before runs and workouts to keep joints feeling comfortable throughout the activity. While our pup is still young and comfy, we know many who use CBD with their dogs to deal with aches, pains, joint issues, as well as anxiety. Do you know how the dad in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding felt about Windex? That's how I feel about CBD - it is a solution for so many things.
What is CBD and How Does it Work?
For those unfamiliar with CBD, it is an active compound found in cannabis (marijuana) and hemp (a cousin to marijuana). The acronym CBD stands for cannabidiol. The famous active compound in cannabis is THC/delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, which is psychoactive and provides a "high." CBD is not psychoactive and will not provide such a reaction. The CBD you're buying from your organic market or from a website is made from hemp, which is legal in all 50 states per the Farm Bill as it contains less than 0.3% of THC. Hemp cannot get you high; many many years ago I worked for The Body Shop as a trainer; we sold hand and body moisturizers made from hemp. We would regularly tell customers that you would have to smoke a joint the length of a telephone pole to get any sort of "high" from hemp. And it's true, using a hemp-based product will not get you high.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a widespread neuromodulatory system in the human body. Cannabinoids affect the body through the two cannabinoid receptors in the ECS. CB1 Receptors affect our movement, appetite, mood, emotion, as well as other functions. CB2 Receptors affect inflammation and pain. While THC attaches to CB1 Receptors (which is why you get that high feeling and often a case of the munchies), CBD stimulates these receptors so that the body produces its own cannabinoids, known as endocannabinoids. Studies have shown that CBD can help reduce chronic pain by affecting endocannabinoid receptor activity, reducing inflammation, and interacting with neurotransmitters. This has shown in other studies that CBD may help with anxiety, depression, inflammation, and pain. Studies have seen benefits to those with pain from MS, sciatic nerve pain, arthritis, and side effects from cancer treatments. Many say that CBD helps with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and have helped transition through menopause. Many studies have been done on CBD, how it works, whether it can get one high, one can be addicted to it, and if it will affect motor skills. Multiple studies have shown that CBD does not impair motor or psychological functions, nor does it alter the heart rate, blood pressure, or body temperature. I am not a doctor, CBD is not medicine, I am sharing this info but please talk to a doctor, do your own research, and be a major skeptic like me.
CBD Products I Used Prior to Equilibria
I purchased bath salts from Lord Jones and our local organic market. I found the local ones didn't seem as effective so stocked up on Lord Jones during Sephora sales. I've used lotions from Brown Girl Jane, Hollingsworth Hemp, a local company, our organic market's offerings, and Lord Jones, and again the only one that really worked for me was Lord Jones. I got tinctures from a variety of different online retailers and websites and local shops, they all seemed to be the same, so I shopped based on ethics or price. I was happiest with Brown Girl Jane because it was a small Black woman-owned business and the tincture is infused with orange essential oil so it had the best taste and smell. I got softgels from Thrive Market and from our local organic market (it's also sold at Thrive Market), not seeing much of a difference. I tried several CBD skincare products and they all made me breakout, though my husband found them very gentle and moisturizing. I have also tried CBD flower from our local head shop and from Tweedle Farms. The more CBD brands that hit the market, the more skeptical I became of the whole CBD market, even though I had experienced success. I didn't even write about my CBD experiences much here on the blog because I didn't want to look like some woo woo wacko who would consume any trendy ingredient that came on the market.
Equilibria reached out a couple of months ago offering to send product for me to try out. I told them in my reply email that I was skeptical, that my family and I had used CBD for a few years and was curious why Equilibria would be better than what we already was using. They appreciated my honesty and said once I received the product I would be treated like a regular customer so I could share with you what it is like for anyone who chooses to purchase Equilibria.
My Skeptical Equilibria CBD Review
Equilibria asked me my CBD experience and what I mainly use it for. I shared as someone in her 40s, I am starting to experience perimenopausal symptoms like insomnia and erratic sleep, mild hot flashes, anxiety that corresponds with my cycle, and anxiety of living in the middle of a pandemic while being self-employed at home with a kid doing 100% distance learning and worried about the future of our country. You know, the normal stuff! I also began a new fitness routine in March by purchasing a Peloton and doing Peloton's strength workouts and from it experiencing muscle soreness and stiffness. I let Equilibria know what sort of CBD products I currently use and based on that, they sent me their Unflavored Brilliance Box (which includes their Daily Softgels, Daily Drops, and Relief Cream) as well as their Balance Bath Bombs.
The first thing I noticed with Equilibria was the packaging. This is luxe. As someone used to throwing some CBD in the grocery cart with kale and cans of soup this felt more like a spa experience. Elegant, simple, looked less like vitamins or medicine and more like cosmetics or high-end body care. And as someone who gets a lot of press packages nade with weird materials that focus on looking pretty, I appreciated that I could recycle all the shipping materials as well as the bottles and jars for the CBD products.
Equilibria doesn't just send you product and wish you luck. They provide directions of how much to use, when to use, how the product may benefit you. They also offer a one-on-one phone call with a CBD expert a week after you receive your product to check in and see how it's working for you. I know when I started with CBD I was confused and did a heck of a lot of Googling, which sometimes confused me more. Receiving such support and individual instruction is really what sets the brand apart. And keep reading to learn about my phone call!
Honest Equilibria Review: How it Compares to Other CBD Products
I used the softgels at bedtime since they are slower release than drops, used the drops in the morning, the balm as I did my CBD lotion for aches and scrapes, and I didn't use the bath bombs - my husband did. I am not a big bath person while he loves them. I've used our current CBD bath soak only a handful of times while he uses it weekly so I figured he'd be a better test subject. He also tried the drops, softgels, and balm so he could also share his feedback on how they worked compared to what he used prior. Our thoughts:
- Regular Strength Daily Softgels - The Equilibria Regular Strength Softgels are 10mg of CBD each and made from Colorado-grown, activated full-spectrum hemp flower oil CBD concentrate, kosher beef gelatin, MCT oil, vegetable glycerin, and purified water. I really liked these. Smaller than most of the CBD softgels we've tried at the same dosage, they're easy to take and come in an easy to open and close plastic jar that looks more like it contains an elegant night cream. I found them to be the same effectiveness as the ones I had bought from Thrive Market. However, below I will explain what makes Equilibria CBD softgels different.
- Unflavored Regular Strength Daily Drops - The Equilibria Regular Strength Daily Drops is 10mg of CBD per dropper. The drops are made from Colorado-grown, activated full-spectrum hemp flower oil CBD concentrate, and MCT oil. Since these are unflavored, they are more "planty" tasting. Essentially, these drops smell and taste a bit like weed. However, I felt the effects far better than I had with many of the other tinctures I had tried and much better than that one I was currently using. Sure, I didn't like the taste and smell as much, but below I'll explain why that sort of smell and taste is actually a good thing for your CBD product. As for the packaging, it's essentially the same as with any other CBD product - glass bottle with a dropper cap.
- Relief Cream - All the previous CBD salves and lotions I have used have either been a white lotion similar to any other lotion, or else a gritty sticky version of solid coconut oil. Not liking the gritty salve concept, I had stuck with lotions. Equilibria's Relief Cream is made with Colorado-grown, activated full-spectrum hemp flower oil, coconut oil, shea butter, arnica, menthol, lavender, rosemary and it is NOT gritty or sticky or gross feeling. It does feel like a solid coconut oil, but smoother, absorbs better, and IMO smells better than any other CBD lotion I have ever tried. It made me use it more, and a little goes a long way. On the lower back before bed, on the knees before a ride on the bike, on the temples after a presidential debate or town hall, some on the lower abdomen for cramps, a dab on a scrape or bug bite... it works incredibly fast and the results last for hours. We are seriously obsessed as a family with this product.
- Balance Bath Bombs - with 50mg of CBD in each bomb, Equilibria's Balance Bath Bombs are made with sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, coconut oil cleanser, activated full-spectrum hemp flower oil CBD concentrate, avocado oil, potassium bitartrate, essential oil blend, fluorphlogopite, mica, titanium dioxide, tin dioxide, iron oxide, water, coconut oil, and polysorbate 80water. There are four in a package; two are Lavender Lemongrass to supposedly calm and uplift and two are Cardamom Rose which claims to invigorate and soothe. Nowhere on the site does it mention that these bath bombs are glittery. Not Jojo Siwa tween glitter, but your water will have a subtle gold shimmer to it, some of the shimmer will remain on your skin and on your tub after a bath. This shimmer is easy to rinse off both skin and tub, but it's worth noting. Lord Jones is 12 scoops per $65 jar but my husband would use at least two scoops as there is only 20mg of CBD per scoop. Also, Lord Jones has weird things floating in your bath (there are dried flower petals in the salt-based mixture). Equilibria is $45 for 4 bath bombs (or $36 if you subscribe) but it is 50mg in each bomb. So Equilibria is cheaper per bath while actually getting more CBD with each experience and no reconstituted flower petals that stick to your knee and freak you out thinking you're bathing with a dead bug (may or may not be a story of me screaming and trailing CBD-infused bathwater around the house...).
What Happens During an Equilibria Dosage Consultation Call
So my husband and I used the Equilibria products for a week, and then had the free one-on-one consultation with a personal Dosage Specialist. This is a feature that is available to anyone who either purchases Equilibria products, or is gifted Equilibria products and registers them on the Equilibria website. And this call... it made me a hardcore Equilibria fan. The woman I spoke with was previously a hemp farmer and knows her hemp and CBD inside and out. No question is too tough or TMI - marijuana usage, drug and alcohol usage, medications for mental health and physical ailments, neurological issues, anxiety, age, sex, diet, depression, digestion, drug tests... you name it Equilibria's Dosage Specialists have heard it and have also researched it. By listening to me and my experience with Equilibria and previous CBD products, my needs, and more, the Dosage Specialist recommended I try the Extra Strength versions of softgels and daily drops, and that we may prefer the Mindful Mineral Soak to the bath bombs.
What Makes Equilibria CBD Different
Okay, so here is where the skeptic was impressed. Sure, Equilibria is a woman-owned business which makes me happy, and the price is competitive, especially if you sign up for a subscription. But using Equilibria, reading their site, and having that long dosage consultation call, I learned what makes Equilibria different. Please note the content below isn't all from Equilibria; after our call, I did my own research for more detail on the topics we discussed.
- Equilibria is Organic: While many hemp and CBD companies say they are organic, Equilibria sources their CBD from one organic farm in Colorado. Hemp is a plant that is highly absorbent and is often used to clean soil because it will soak up whatever is in the ground. For example, hemp was used to remove heavy metals from the soil at Chernobyl. So it matters not just that hemp isn't just grown organic, but what soil was used for before it became an organic hemp farm. Equilibria did the research, and the land used to grow their organic hemp was previously fallow ground.
- Equilibria is Single Source: A high percentage of CBD products source their hemp from a variety of farms. While those farms may all be organic, they can be growing different strains of hemp, or even the same strains but under different conditions. This variance is why you may be using CBD products from the same company but one order may give you more of a sleepy feel and the next order may make you feel more energized. Since Equilibria sources all their hemp from a single farm, you are going to get a more consistent experience from order to order.
- Equilibria is Grown by Experts: Equilibria's bioscience team has over 30 years of experience in seed genetics.
- Equilibria Prides Itself on Quality: Equilibria's full-spectrum CBD products are GMO, solvent, heavy-metals, pesticide, and herbicide-free. Each plant is hand-harvested and the oil is carefully extracted from flowers only-the purest source of cannabinoids. The brand's specially-formulated hemp oil features 9 cannabinoids & 21 terpenes, which is typically 3-4x the cannabinoids and terpenes found in other mainstream, over-the-counter CBD products and even many products available at dispensaries. Equilibria provides a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for each of its products at this link.
- Equilibria doesn't use stalks, stems, seeds, or isolates: Stalks, stems, and seeds.... you don't need to be a cannabis connoisseur to know using these parts of the plant is going the cheap way. But let's discuss isolates. CBD isolate is the chemical compound remaining after CBD has been extracted from the plant. CBD isolate sounds good because it is just pure CBD without any other aspects of the plant. However, to achieve CBD isolate the plant goes through many "washes" usually with a mixture of hexane and acetic acid. It is then heated to separate the compounds, washed with more chemicals, and again distilled to remove those chemicals. This process makes CBD tasteless and odorless... but it removes what is called the "entourage effect." The effects of CBD are boosted by working synergistically with other compounds in the plant, like terpenes. Terpenes are plant chemicals that give plants a certain smell or taste. Think pinene in pine resin or limonene found in the peel of citrus fruits. CBD products that are labeled as "full spectrum" will have CBD, but also terpenes, flavonoids, and fatty acids to give that "entourage effect" and supposedly improve the effectiveness of the CBD. Equilibria's drops have a plant/earth/weed taste because they are full spectrum CBD.
- Equilibria is Woman-Focused: While Equilibria products can be used by men, what makes the brand different is all their research, their formulations, and the purposes for their products are for women's needs. This isn't just pink-washing, it's finding products to help with menopause and menstrual cramps and researching how it affects pregnancy, childbirth, birth control, breastfeeding, and health issues that affect women. In a world where most science and studies are focused on men, it is refreshing to find a company that prioritizes a woman's needs.
Learning all this really blew my mind and made me start researching other brands I have used. I found that while some had some data about their sourcing and extraction, most kept it super general and made me realize I had no idea what I was consuming. It made me reassess not only my CBD products, but all my vitamins and supplements. I'm picky with what I eat, I should be just as picky with anything else I consume. And all this research made me feel the most confident consuming CBD from Equilibria. Consider this skeptic convinced. Yes, Equilibria has a brilliant marketing campaign where it seems to be EVERYWHERE, but they back that marketing with a product deserving of all the praise, whether that praise is sponsored or spontaneous.
Honest Details About this Equilibria Product Review for My Fellow Skeptics
Equilibria has a referral program; if you use this link and make a purchase, I may make a commission (not all orders will equal a commission). If you use the promo code wardrobeoxygen at checkout, you will get 15% off your first order and Equilibria will be aware that you learned about the product from me. There are other affiliate links in this post for non-Equilibria products; click here to understand how affiliate links work and how blogs and websites make money. I received this initial product from Equilibria for free and they offered to refill my order. I didn't take them up on a refill until after writing this piece because I wanted to be as un-swayed as possible. Equilibria did not expect me to write a review, there was no discussion of a feature or any other promotion in exchange for product, no wording or imagery I was asked to use. Equilibria knows I may write a review because I told them, but they did not review this post or have any idea when it would go live or if I would write it here or share something on a different social platform. I chose to write a full review blog post about Equilibria because it impressed me that much and I felt it was so good it could be a great choice for you. I would have written this even if there wasn't a referral program. My friends are sick of me raving about Equilibria and I figure if I've gotten to be that annoying with talking about a product IRL, it's worthy of a detailed review on Wardrobe Oxygen. I am not a CBD expert, but I will attempt to answer any questions you may have about Equilibria and CBD in the comments.
