The 7 Best CBD Isolate Oils For 2023 (THC-Free)

What is CBD Isolate? 99.9% Pure CBD

There are three different types of CBD oils.

Full-spectrum CBD oils contain the raw extract of the hemp plant. They include dozens of cannabinoids, including, but not limited to, CBD, as well as a variety of terpenes and other phytochemicals.

CBD isolates are the exact opposite — they only have one active ingredient, CBD.

CBD isolates are made by processing full-spectrum extracts to remove everything but the active ingredient. The final product yields a fine white powder continuing 99.9% CBD. The remaining 0.01% is usually water from the atmosphere — it’s impossible to get 100% pure CBD without storing the extract in a vacuum.

This isolate powder is then dissolved into a carrier oil in predetermined doses to produce a CBD oil.

What Are The Advantages of CBD Isolate Oil?

CBD isolates have some distinct advantages over other CBD oils in terms of cost, consistency of the dose, and flavor profiles.

The advantages of CBD isolate oils over full-spectrum counterparts include:

1. Guaranteed THC-Free

The only ingredient in these oils is CBD, so companies can guarantee each bottle is entirely void of any THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana).

2. Comes in Ultra-High Potencies

CBD isolates can pack more CBD into a smaller volume of oil. These are the only products you’re going to find that exceed about 120 mg/mL.

3. Less Likely to Interact With Medications

With fewer active ingredients than full-spectrum products, an isolate is less likely to have a negative interaction with other medications or supplements.

4. Cheaper Than Full-Spectrum

CBD isolates are cheaper to make than full-spectrum products because there’s much less involved with balancing the cannabinoid profiles. They cost between 5 and 10 cents cheaper for every milligram of CBD.

5. No Hemp Flavor

Full-spectrum hemp has a strong flavor profile (thanks to the active terpenes in the oil). For those who don’t like the taste of hemp, CBD isolates have none of these aromatic terpenes.

6. Legal in Most Parts of the World

Many countries allow CBD but ban even trace amounts of THC. In the states, THC levels are limited to 0.3%, and Europe limits it to 0.2%. CBD isolates are legal in both domains.

What Are The Disadvantages of CBD Isolate Oil?

The main disadvantage of a CBD isolate is its strength.

Full-spectrum products leverage the effects of all the active ingredients produced in the plant. They work together to exert even greater overall benefits. This is a concept called the entourage effect. The idea is that the compounded effects of each ingredient are stronger than the sum of the effects of each individual component.

This means if you take the same dose of a CBD isolate and full-spectrum tincture, the full-spectrum product is going to have noticeably stronger effects.

The easy workaround for this is to simply use a higher dose of CBD isolates, which tend to be a little bit cheaper anyway.

Here are the main disadvantages of a CBD isolate oil compared to its full-spectrum equivalents:

• Not as potent as full-spectrum oils at the same dose
• Lacks many of the effects of a full-spectrum oil
• CBD isolate oils are often made from lower-grade hemp

How is CBD Isolate Made?

CBD isolates require a lot of processing.

The processing begins with a full-spectrum extraction using something like supercritical CO2 or ethanol extraction. Sometimes other solvents are used, but the end result is the same for all. The solvents strip away the active ingredients from the hemp plants — leaving behind inert compounds like minerals, plant cell structures, and fibers.

Once the full-spectrum extraction is done, it’s sent through other processes to decarboxylate the CBD. This involves heating the extract to convert the CBDa to CBD.

The next step is winterization. This process removes all the fats and lipids from the extract.

The winterized oil is then pushed through several rounds of short-path distillation to separate the individual components of the extract according to their weight. This step removes compounds like chlorophyll, terpenes, and some of the other cannabinoids.

The final processes involve mixing the extracts with non-polar solvents to remove specific compounds from the oil and remove contaminants.

From here, the CBD content of the extract is so high, simply reducing the temperature can force the CBD to form crystals and fall out of the solution. The solvent’s liquid portion is removed, and the whole sample is placed in a vacuum to evaporate any traces of the solvents used during the extraction process.

The final process yields a fine white powder of pure CBD isolate.

CBD Isolate vs.Full-Spectrum CBD

The difference between CBD isolate and full-spectrum CBD oils are simple — CBD isolate contains pure CBD, full-spectrum products contain all the compounds naturally produced in the raw plant.

There are plenty of other differences between these two products.

Comparing CBD Oil Types:

What To Look For When Shopping For CBD Isolate Oils

When shopping for CBD isolates, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

There’s less to go wrong with a CBD isolate compared to a full-spectrum oil simply due to the extra levels of processing.

A cheap hemp extract can still make a relatively high-quality CBD isolate oil. Conversely, cheap or low-grade hemp plants will always make a poor-quality full-spectrum product. Even if the CBD content was low in the starting sample, it’s concentrated to 99% anyway. This is part of the reason why CBD isolates tend to be cheaper than full-spectrum extracts (it’s possible to use low-quality hemp to make high-grade isolate).

With that said, there are still a few problems to be aware of to avoid wasting money on underpowered or overpriced CBD isolate oils.

1. Assess Cost Per mg Rather Than Total Price

Most people get caught up on the initial cost of a CBD oil. While this is important, it’s much better to find the cost per mg of CBD in the oil instead. This is going to be a much better indicator of value for the oil.

CBD isolates generally cost between 5 and 30 cents per mg of CBD. This works out to around $0.96 to $6.00 per 20 mg dose of CBD.

Cheaper bottles of CBD isolate usually cost closer to 15 cents per milligram — which works out to around $3.00 per dose. This can add up to significantly higher costs if you’re using CBD long-term.

In general, the best value comes from high-concentration CBD oils.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the cost per mg vs. total cost for CBD isolate oils:

As you can see from the examples above, the cost savings are much better when you order the higher potency oils. The lowest potency example above (100 mg CBD oil) would cost nearly $6.00 for a 20 mg dose. This is a common dose, but many people use two or three times this amount. You can see how this could get expensive over time.

With the higher potency bottles, the cost is much more reasonable. The initial cost of the oil is higher, but you’ll save a ton of money long term.

2. Check Third-Party Reports

Third-party testing is the only way for a CBD company to prove the claims they’re making about their products. It’s become the industry standard for transparency over the last couple of years.

Tests are done on samples of a CBD oil batch to check for the presence of contaminants and to assess the THC and CBD levels of the oil.

For third-party testing to work, the testing company needs to have no affiliation with the manufacturer. This allows them to conduct a completely unbiased test on the sample and report exactly what they find.

The reports are then sent back to the manufacturer.

Reputable brands will publish all of these results live on its website. They should be updated for every new batch of CBD extract the company makes.

Companies that don’t provide these results should be questioned. Why don’t they have them? What are they trying to hide?

This testing is critical to avoid ordering cheap, underpowered, or contaminated products from unethical companies — which are relatively common these days and often hard to tell apart from more reputable brands.

3. Order From Reputable Brands Only

Ordering your CBD products from companies that are already well-established in the industry can go a long way in minimizing your risk of ordering ineffective or contaminated products.

Look for brands with a solid track record, plenty of positive customer reviews online, and brand mentions on high-profile media outlets or expert-led websites.

Do a quick google search for the brand and see what sort of reviews pop up.

If you’re finding that most of the reviews are negative, or you’re finding a complete lack of any mention of the brand at all — this is a good indicator the brand isn’t reputable. It’s better to move along to find another source for your oil instead.

4. Look For Flavored Options

CBD isolate oils have no flavor. CBD is completely tasteless, and most CBD isolate oils use a clear MCT oil as the base. So there’s really nothing in here that gives it any sort of flavor profile.

This is a positive point for many people who dislike the natural “herb” or bitter flavor of full-spectrum CBD oils.

Most isolates come with one or more flavor options to choose from. This gives the oil a little more character and makes it a bit easier to use.

Some common flavors companies are using include:

• Mint
• Chocolate
• Assorted fruity flavors
• Vanilla

5. Choosing The Right Potency

CBD isolate oils come in many different potencies — from 100 mg all the way up to 5000 mg per bottle.

This can make shopping for CBD oils confusing ‚— especially when the cost can vary from $30 all the way up to $300 for a bottle or more.

Finding the right potency depends highly on the dose of CBD you’re using (more on this in the next section).

If you’re using a high dose of CBD (over 50 mg of CBD), it makes much more sense to get a potent CBD oil. You’ll need less volume of oil each time for a single dose, and the cost per dose will be much lower in the long run.

Conversely, if you only need a low dose of CBD (less than 20 mg), it’s better to go with something a little less potent. The lower potency will make it easier to get the right dose without going overboard. With that said, you shouldn’t go for any CBD oil under 250 mg.

The most versatile dose is 1000 mg of CBD per 1 oz bottle.

This dose is low enough that it’s easy to hit even single mg doses of CBD while maximizing the value spent for the money.

What’s The Dose of CBD Isolate Oil?

The dose of CBD is different for everybody. Factors like size and weight, desired strength of effects, metabolism, and gut health can all affect the optimal dose of CBD for your body.

You can use our CBD oil dosage calculator below to find the approximate dose based on your weight and desired strength. I recommend starting with the mild dosage for your first dose to see how the oil affects your body individually. Next, move up to the moderate and heavy doses until you find what works best for you.

I should note that CBD isolates tend to be a little weaker dose for dose than a full-spectrum oil, so you may need to increase the dose slightly to get the same benefit level.

You’ll know the oil is working when you start to feel your symptoms disappear. If you take too much, you may feel groggy or tired — which means you should reduce the next dose to the last dose you took that didn’t produce these effects.

CBD Dosage Calculator

Key Takeaways: What’s The Best CBD Isolate Oil?

While we prefer full-spectrum CBD oils for most cases, there are some clear advantages to using a CBD isolate oil instead.

• They’re one of the cheapest forms of CBD oils available
• They’re less likely to interact with medications or supplements
• They provide consistent effects from one bottle to the next
• They’re guaranteed to be completely free from THC
• They’re completely legal in most parts of the world
• They lack the bitter or herby flavor of a full-spectrum CBD oil

Look for a CBD isolate oil with at least 250 mg of CBD per ounce, comes with complete third-party lab tests and comes from a reputable brand name.

The best CBD isolate oils come with a variety of potencies to choose from and often have a selection of interesting flavors as well.

My favorite brand for making CBD isolate oils is Eir Health and Social CBD.

Best CBD Isolate Oils: Product Roundup

Number	Product	Total CBD	Potency	Cost per mg CBD	Link
1	Social CBD Drops	1000 mg	33.33 mg/mL	$0.07	Get a Deal
2	Kiara Naturals Pure CBD Oil	1000 – 3000 mg	100 – 300 mg/mL	$0.06 – $0.08	Get a Deal
3	Eir Health CBD Isolate Oils	1500 – 3000 mg	50 – 100 mg/mL	$0.05 – $0.06	Get a Deal
4	Hemp Bombs CBD Oil	300 – 4000 mg	10 – 133.3 mg/mL	$0.07 – $0.17	Get a Deal
5	CBDistillery CBD Isolate Tinctures	250 – 5000 mg	8.3 mg – 166.66 mg	$0.11 – $0.04	Get a Deal
6	Kat’s Naturals Relax THC-Free Sublingual CBD Oil	50 mg – 300 mg	10 mg/mL	$0.20 – $0.40	Get a Deal
7	Lazarus Naturals THC-Free CBD Isolate Tinctures	750 – 3000 mg	50 mg/mL	$0.04 – $0.05	Get a Deal