The Best CBD Creams to Give You a Break From Aches

Aspen Green is one of those brands that get almost everything right. They take high-quality, US-grown and USDA-certified organic hemp, then they use supercritical CO2 extraction on the flowers to maximize potency and purity.

Their products are made in an FDA-registered, cGMP facility and go through full panel lab testing from one of the best labs in the industry.

Their Relief Cooling Cream takes this top-notch hemp and mixes it with purified water, adding menthol and vitamin E to help it absorb as well as possible.

It’s one of the more expensive options out there, but with 1,000 mg of CBD per jar, plenty of THC and minor cannabinoids like CBG and CBC, the cream is well worth the money.

Our expert reviewer commented, “This was the most effective CBD topical I tried. The cooling sensation kicked in within about 30 minutes, and my knee pain dropped to a much more tolerable level. Walking fast or putting pressure still hurt, but it was manageable. The muscle relaxation around the area was noticeable, too.”

He applied it during the day and before bed, noting that relief lasted for around 4 hours before the pain returned. He added:

“The downsides: it made me a little tired after evening use, and the jar only lasted about a week with generous applications 3x/day. That makes it pricey compared to ibuprofen or just icing. Still, if you’re looking at CBD specifically, this was the standout.”

Aspen Green’s COA was a close match to the independent test we commissioned of the Relief Cooling Cream.

• CBD and THC match closely: Our test showed 21.4 mg of CBD per g, basically identical to their test. THC was 0.54 mg/g on our test vs. 0.61 mg/g on theirs.
• Minor differences: We found 0.754 mg/g in our CBC test compared to 0.54 mg/g in their COA. Our report also found 0.124 mg/g of CBDV.

Overall, any differences are tiny and their COA is accurate.

View the COA from CBD Oracle’s independent lab test here.

R&R is another company that goes above and beyond when it comes to quality.

They scored a tiny bit lower than Aspen Green on our evaluation framework, but their hemp quality and manufacturing standards are just as high.

Their USDA certified organic hemp extract is rich in cannabinoids, including THC, CBC, CBN, CBG and CBL, and the cream has added vitamin E to help them absorb through your skin.

The CBD Pain Cream is available in three strengths, but the 5,000 mg CBD option has the most potential for pain relief, and offers fantastic value for money.

The cream does include Arnica Montana, a commonly-used but unregulated supplement, but however it works, it’s a solid option to soothe your aches and pains.

Our expert reviewer commented that the R&R CBD Pain Cream provided real, noticeable relief across different kinds of pain.

He also pointed out that it had a smooth texture, with a fingertip amount being enough to cover an affected area, and that relief lasted for 3 to 4 hours. 

“It wasn’t a total fix, but it took the edge off in a way that let me move around without being as distracted by pain.

The main downside is cost. Using it multiple times a day adds up fast, and I get why some people mention it feels expensive compared to other options. But in terms of pure effectiveness, this is one of the CBD creams that I’d actually keep on hand. It’s not perfect, but something you end up relying on once you find that it works for you.”

cbdMD has a long history of putting out high-quality CBD products, and the Recover Airless Pump is a great example of what they get right.

It’s true broad spectrum, with CBD, CBG, CBN and CBDV in addition to a wide range of terpenes, notably including lots of linalool and myrcene, which have anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effects.

It’s also sold in a pump format, which can be a bit finicky to operate, but overall makes it more convenient to apply than most CBD creams.

It works really well to tackle pain, and the three options for strength make it easier to tailor to your needs. The formula is topped off with histamine dihydrochloride, an FDA-approved treatment for topical pain relief.

Our expert reviewer found this cream very effective overall:

“This cream worked quickly to calm down sore muscles and joint pain. I felt relief within about 15 minutes, and it lasted for about 3 hours. I tried it on my knee and shoulders, and both loosened up enough to move without hurting. The pump is convenient, though a bit finicky at times, and you don’t need much to cover an area.

Compared to typical arthritis gels or OTC pain creams, this hit harder and felt cleaner. No strong medicine smell or side effects. It doesn’t last all day, so reapplication is needed, but for short-term relief it’s one of the more reliable CBD creams I’ve tried.”

PlusCBD is a unique hemp company, because as well as Kentucky-grown US hemp, they also use some crops from the Netherlands in their products.

But the quality is hard to fault, with clean ingredients used throughout and the CO2 extracted oil coming from only the cannabinoid-rich flowers.

Their CBD Pain Relief Penetrating cream takes this base and mixes it with absorption-boosting menthol and pain-relieving camphor to create a powerful solution for aches and pains.

Although it’s one of the least potent options on this list, the combination with the proven pain reliever camphor makes it very effective.

It doesn’t contain other cannabinoids, so it doesn’t benefit from the entourage effect, but it’s a fantastic option if you can’t have THC.

Our expert reviewer commented, “This one gave me short-term relief, enough to make the pain more tolerable but not enough to forget it was there. I’d rate it as “better than nothing,” but it didn’t get me through movement-heavy parts of the day. Felt like something I’d use if the pain was dull or background, but not when it’s sharp.”

CBD Oracle’s independent lab test confirmed the CBD content of the cream matches the manufacturer COA (19.7 vs. 19.2 mg per g).

CBDV was also detected in both tests, with ours putting it at about 0.07 mg per g.

There was a slight disagreement about the presence of CBG, but levels are low regardless. It was detected below the limit of quantification (<0.4 mg/g) in the manufacturer test, but not in Oracle’s.

Overall, the reports agree aside from one low-level minor cannabinoid.

View the COA from CBD Oracle’s independent lab test here.