Phoria is a natural wellness CBD company — sister company to vape juice brand, Cannavape. Its catalog consists of high strength salves, lotions and massage oils, tinctures, and capsules.
If you’re looking for a high potency CBD salve, we recommend Phoria — with 35.33 mg/g of CBD at an excellent value.
Another product worth looking at is the build your own tincture formula. Phoria offers some carrier oils we haven’t come across on the CBD market, and for the price tag, we think it’s worth a shot.
In this review, we’ll put Phoria under the microscope. What do they do well? Where could they improve?
Mission/Charity4/5
Phoria isn’t associated with any charitable organizations, but we still think it delivers on its mission to produce potent CBD products using the best technologies in the industry.
The company’s product lineup is a clear reflection of this — potent topicals and unique tincture blends that highlight full-spectrum nano-emulsion CBD.
Hemp Source4/5
These products are made with industrial hemp crops, grown and processed in the San Luis Valley, Colorado.
Phoria receives a 4 out of 5 in this department due to the lack of organic certification. While it does promise to use organic growing practices, Phoria wasn’t able to provide a certificate to substantiate this claim.
Product Range4/5
While Phoria may not have a massive product range, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from in the three product categories — topicals, capsules, and tinctures.
We especially love the option to design your own CBD tincture by selecting the potency, oil, and flavoring. It makes experimenting with strengths and carrier oil bases a breeze when you can get all your oils from one company.
Safety4/5
Phoria claims that all its products are lab tested for heavy metals, solvents, and microbial contamination. However, we were unable to get ahold of these results.
You can never be too careful when shopping for CBD — there are plenty of dodgy companies out there looking to make a quick buck by cutting corners at the expense of its products safety.
Customer Service4/5
Phoria offers pretty standard customer service. If you’re unhappy with your order, you’ve got 14 days to contact the team and request for a refund or exchange, as long as the product is unopened.
We’re docking a point here because Phoria has been quite unresponsive to our inquiries regarding its Certificate of Analysis for the contamination reports.
Phoria
is the sister company of Cannavape — a company that specializes in premium
sub-ohm vape juices. Both companies use industrial hemp crops grown and
processed in their home state of Colorado.
Phoria
doesn’t offer any vape products but instead, markets itself as a natural
wellness brand. Its catalog consists of gentler uses of CBD extracts via gel
capsules, tinctures, and topical CBD made with full-spectrum extracts for a
more holistic approach to CBD supplementation to heal inside and out.
Where
Does Phoria Source Its Hemp?
Phoria
uses industrial hemp from the San Luis
Valley in Colorado — the top hemp producing state in the US — growing
12,000 acres of industrial hemp in 2019!
This
is convenient because Phoria is headquartered at the American epicenter of it
all. Colorado is known for its progressive cannabis culture, having legalized
recreational marijuana use all the way back in 2014.
Today,
Colorado remains at the forefront of hemp agriculture, taking pride in its
world-renowned growing and processing practices.
Salves
are herbal-infused oils mixed into beeswax. In traditional herbal medicine,
salves are used to treat minor skin irritations such as burns, rashes,
splinters, boils — or anything else affecting the skin and connective tissue
below.
Phoria CBD Salves have one of the highest CBD concentrations we’ve seen on the market, containing 2000 mg of CBD in a 60 mL tin container.
On
top of being one of the strongest salves on the market, they ring in at an
excellent value, priced at $49.99 — that’s $0.02 per mg of CBD (the average
lies between $0.26 – $0.36)!
Phoria
keeps this recipe simple — hemp seed oil, jojoba oil, organic beeswax, shea
butter, nano-emulsified full-spectrum CBD oil, and a blend of essential oils
for fragrance and complementary therapeutic effects.
Phoriahas four scents in its lightweight
coconut oil-based lotion suitable for daily use to hydrate, protect, and
nourish the skin without leaving a greasy or sticky residue.
The CannaFreeze blend stands out the most for us. It has a mix of essential oils that add a heating and cooling sensation to the skin, thanks to its compelling blend of essential oils (cinnamon leaf, eucalyptus, ginger root, black pepper oil, peppermint, ravensara, and spearmint).
These lotions come in two sizes — 118 mL (4 oz) or 236 mL (8 oz) with 2000 mg of full-spectrum CBD in each flip-top bottle.
There are five scents to choose from in
the Phoria CBD lotion collection:
The massage oils are made from cold-pressed plant oils that maintain natural botanical benefits (vitamins, unsaturated acids, and essential oils). The oils are enriched even further with vitamin E and C to nourish and improve the texture of the skin.
It’s suitable for extremely dry skin for daily
use and is an excellent massage oil. The oils are silky while still allowing
enough grip for deep massage.
Like all Phoria products, the massage oil
contains full-spectrum CBD with 2000 mg in every
118 mL (4 oz) flip-top bottle.
There
are five scents to choose from in the Phoria massage oil collection:
As the name suggests, this tincture is made
with cold-pressed hemp seed oil as the base and nano-emulsion full-spectrum CBD.
Nano-emulsion is a fancy way to say they’ve
refined the CBD into extremely tiny particles so that it appears to dissolve in water (even though cannabinoids are
naturally hydrophobic). This technique is said to increase the bioavailability
of the cannabinoid in the body.
Phoria offers an excellent range of potencies
at stellar prices. The stronger you go, the more value you get per milligram of
CBD.
B)
Phoria CBD Tincture with DHA Oil + CBD Oil Nano Tincture
DHA or docosahexaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty
acid. We need omega-3 for brain development along with many other vital
processes in the body from protein synthesis
and for maintaining a healthy heart.
Now, what does that have to do with CBD
tincture?
Phoria produced an offbeat tincture made with
chromista oil, which is extracted from cultured algae — untouched by the
sea for an unpolluted source of DHA.
The idea behind this product is that the
chromista oil may provide other benefits alongside CBD supplementation with
nutrient-rich omega-3 DHA without the fishy flavor. One of the only problems of
getting all the benefits DHA has to offer in this product is dosing the right
amount with CBD. There’s not enough DHA per serving alongside CBD (without
risking the side-effects of too much CBD), but this oil still makes for an intriguing pairing.
These oils are made with full-spectrum CBD and
come in 30 mL (1 fl oz) or 60 mL (2 fl oz) amber bottles with the same strength
options to choose from (300 mg, 1000 mg, 2000 mg, and 5000 mg) as the other
tinctures.
If you go with the 5000 mg bottle, a little goes
a long way, and you’re getting the best deal for your dollar at only $0.02 per
mg of CBD.
If
you’re into the natural wellness and supplement space, you may be familiar with
MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil. It’s a healthy fat that is easily digested
in the body and is linked to many health benefits.
Regular
MCT oil is usually made up of four medium-chain fatty acids (C6, C8, C10,
C12) — C8, also known as caprylic
acid, has eight carbon molecules. C8 MCT oil, therefore, only contains caprylic
acid processed from coconut oil.
Many
keto dieters prefer C8 because it’s easier to process in the body, while still
maintaining a palatable flavor (C6 is even easier to digest but has a rancid
flavor).
According
to Phoria, C8 MCT oil gives you four times more ketone energy over regular MCT
oils, better cognitive function, and suppresses food cravings. While this may
be true for C8 MCT, 1 – 2 mL doses alongside CBD likely won’t give you those
benefits.
Here,
we see yet another unique tincture offering from Phoria— we’ve only seen a
handful of turmeric-infused CBD oils so far.
In
Ayurvedic medicines, the turmeric root has been used for its active therapeutic ingredient,
curcumin — potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. In the culinary
space, turmeric is known for its vibrant yellow color in curry dishes.
While
we think this idea is off to a good start, you need a large dose of curcumin to
really take advantage of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
You’re simply not getting enough curcumin in 1 mL doses of CBD tincture here
— but that seems to be the theme with the other carrier oils as well.
Curcumin
is also notoriously difficult for the body to absorb, which is why you’ll often
find curcumin supplements paired with black pepper to enhance its absorption. This
tincture doesn’t include black pepper extract to increase its effectiveness —
but we still think it’s worth the try nonetheless at these price points.
Just
like Cannavapes offers customization in its CBD vape juices, Phoria allows you
to create your own CBD tincture blends, and it’s well worth shopping with
Phoria for this feature alone.
Let’s
break down your options:
1. Choose your CBD strength, which will determine the price and
bottle size of your tincture:
300 mg
— 30 mL ($29.99)
1000 mg — 30 mL ($49.99)
2000 mg — 60 mL ($69.99)
5000 mg
— 60 mL($99.99)
2. Next, select your base oil:
Hemp seed oil
C8 MCT oil
DHA oil
Turmeric oil + C8 MCT oil
Oil of oregano + C8 MCT oil
C60 + Olive Oil (+$20.00)
C60
stands for carbon-60 — 60 carbon atoms arranged in a unique shape. This is a
bit of a controversial ingredient. Many people swear by its health benefits,
including increased longevity (thanks to its powerful antioxidant properties),
improved immune function, and supports cognitive function.
Most
studies relating to C60 olive oil benefits relate to certain mammals. However,
there aren’t enough human studies to substantiate these claims — it still
makes for an appealing option for a tincture base if you’re willing to dish out
an extra $20.
Just
a note on dosing C60 — we found the general consensus on the web for
dosage is roughly around 5 mL of oil
(but this can vary depending on weight, age, metabolism, etc.) For this reason,
when combining C60 with CBD, perhaps a lower strength is more appropriate, to
get the best of both compounds.
Now
back to building your own tincture with Phoria.
3. The last step is to select your flavoring. This isn’t offered in any of the
categories mentioned earlier of CBD tinctures. They’re all unflavored
(naturally flavored with the base oils).
You can select from two essential oil
flavors:
Lemon oil
Peppermint oil
Or choose from 16 terpene blends from
popular cannabis strains:
Birthday Cake
Strawberry Cough
Apple Jack
Blue Dream
Blueberry Afgoo
Cherry Pie
Clementine
Banana Kush
Fruity Pebbles OG
Pineapple Express
Sunset Sherbet
Trainwreck
Cannalope Haze
Granddaddy Purp
Grape Ape
Skywalker OG
Each
cannabis strain has a unique terpene profile — the fragrant compounds found in
plants. For example, myrcene is a common cannabis terpene, and it’s abundant in
citrus fruits. Myrcene’s benefits include relaxation and anti-inflammatory properties.
You
have an ample range of combinations to play within the build-your-own tincture
option — and again, it’s incredibly affordable.
*You will need to add $20 to the bottle price
if you select the C60 + Olive Oil base
Get
back to basics with CBD capsules. You’ve got two choices here — 18-count or the
72-count bottle. Both contain 25 mg of full-spectrum CBD with MCT coconut oil.
Unfortunately,
the capsule itself isn’t vegan-friendly. It’s made with a gelatin and vegetable
glycerin base, but it does make for a fast-dissolving pill.
What
Does Phoria Do Well?
1.
High Strength CBD Topicals
One
of the biggest issues we come across shopping for CBD topicals is the dismal
CBD strengths in formulas.
For
minor skin irritations, we recommend at least 5 mg/mL of CBD. The other
skin-nourishing ingredients in the lotion, cream, or salve should help to
alleviate symptoms.
If you’re looking for something stronger to provide pain relief, soothe sore muscles, or an SOS for skin problems, you’ll need something that has more CBD.
Phoria’s
salves have a CBD potency of 35.33 mg/g, while its lotions and oils have 16.9
mg/mL. This brand delivers its promise of offering some of the most potent CBD
topicals on the market.
2.
Fully Customizable CBD Tinctures
One
of the highlights of this brand for us is the ability to customize your CBD
tincture with distinctive base oils and flavors.
Phoria
presents itself as a natural wellness brand. The best demonstration of this is
in the base oils it offers — this brand goes above and beyond your typical
carrier oils with offerings including, DHA oil, C8 MCT oil, C60 olive oil, and
turmeric curcumin oil to the menu.
You
can also select from 18 flavors for a more palatable tincture.
3.
Very Competitive Pricing
For
the sake of easily comparing product pricing across different brands, we stick
to the metric of cost per mg of CBD.
Of
course, this is a rough estimate as there is a lot that goes into the pricing
of a product — the quality of hemp, additional ingredients, certifications,
third-party lab testing, etc.
Phoria’s
product catalog is competitively priced, and we highly recommend its topicals
and tinctures for anyone on a budget. For premium full-spectrum CBD extracts,
you can expect to pay a little more, but that’s not the case here.
For
some perspective, we’ll lay out the price of per mg of CBD for each category
next to the average on the market.
Product
Category
Phoria’s
Price (per mg of CBD)
Average
Competitors Price (per mg of CBD)
Topicals
$0.02
$0.26 – $0.36
Tincture
$0.02 – $0.10
$0.10 – $0.16
Capsules
$0.06 – $0.11
$0.12 – $0.20
Why
do Phoria’s products cost significantly less than the average competitors?
Phoria
is able to do this because it’s part of a larger CBD company identity that
wholesales CBD products. Purchasing large quantities will reduce the overall
price of the CBD extract and other ingredients. Phoria has decided to pass on
these savings to the customer.
Where
Could Phoria Improve?
1. Make Complete Third-Party Testing Available
Throughout
the Phoria site, you’ll find the statement that the products are tested for
quality control. While you can find the Certificate of Analysis that test for cannabinoid
profile and potency, there aren’t any tests that prove they’ve tested the CBD
extract for contamination (solvents, heavy metals, microbial, etc.).
This
is important because contaminations can ruin the benefits CBD has to offer and
can be potentially dangerous.
We’re
a little less concerned about Phoria’s CBD extract only because the extracts
used for its sister company, Cannavape, are tested for contaminants, and it
uses the same hemp source.
Still,
it’s best practice for quality assurance to show they’ve tested for every batch
of Phoria’s products.
2.
The Dosing of the Carrier Oils (For Tinctures) Are Not Considered
While
we appreciate the fact that Phoria offers unique base oils for its tinctures
(like chromista oil, C8 MCT oil, turmeric curcumin oil), it completely glosses
over the fact that you need to take substantial doses of these oils (more than
1 or 2 mL). However, doing so could put you over your desired CBD dose, which
may lead to undesirable side effects.
Don’t
get us wrong — these carrier oils are unique and do, in fact, have their
own health benefits.
However,
we’re skeptical of its potential to act as a useful daily supplement alongside
CBD. You’re simply not getting enough of the active compounds in the carrier
oil to take advantage of their full benefits without going over your CBD
dosage.
Safety & Third-Party Testing
All product packaging is marked with a batch
number to cross-reference third-party lab results. The CoA is available for
every product on the website. However, only the cannabinoid profile and potency
is provided.
We
consider this incomplete third-party lab testing.
Phoria mentions on the website that it tests for contamination, and if it does,
we’d like to see the results.
Phoria’s Shipping & Return Policy
Phoria
ships internationally with USPS or FedEx.
You’ll receive the tracking number for your
via. email. The cost of shipping is determined on the destination of the
package.
Be sure you’re aware of your country’s CBD
regulations — the Phoria catalog uses full-spectrum CBD that can have up to
(0.3% THC), making it illegal in many parts of the world.
If your order hasn’t been shipped, you can
cancel your order — However, Phoria is pretty speedy with their shipping (same
day shipping Monday – Friday).
The policy doesn’t allow for returns, but if
you run into a problem with your product like the product comes to your door
damaged or something’s just not right, you can reach out to the customer
service team via email or on its Facebook page.
Final Verdict: Competitive Prices & All-Around Great Products
If
shopping on a budget is your main concern, Phoria is your best bet. The price
per mg of full-spectrum CBD in each product is offered at a fraction of the
price of popular competitors.
Because
it’s priced cheap, doesn’t mean the product themselves are low-quality. Phoria
comes from the same CBD industry leaders who created Cannavape, Cannastick, and
Hemp Wholesaler.
We
highly recommend the Phoria salves — they’re high strength, contain simple
natural ingredients, and come in a variety of scents.
The
other offering we highly recommend you check out are the custom blend
tinctures. Again, they’re priced at a killer deal and come in several unique
carrier oils (DHA, C8 MCT, oregano oil +
MCT, and C60 + olive oil), plus you can add your favorite terpene flavor
to the blend.
Where
we dock points mostly lies in the fact that we can’t get ahold of Phoria’s
complete third-party lab tests that check for product contamination. While we
can attest to the quality of Phoria’s sister brand, Cannavapes, when it comes
to CBD testing, we want to ensure Phoria meets the same standards.