Celebrating National CBD Day with OTO Wellbeing
It’s National CBD Day on Sunday 8th August. Although this is a U.S. based holiday, we thought it would be important to raise awareness around what CBD really is; especially as it’s increasing in popularity in the U.K.
OTO’s Marketing Manager, Sienna, kindly joined us for our Wellness Festival earlier this year to do an Instagram Live Q&A directly from our work space Uncommon Borough. Here we’ve broken down her Q&A session where she debunks myths around CBD, the uses for CBD and recommends her favourite CBD products and their benefits.
Can CBD oil be addictive?
“I just want to say once and for all – no. It’s considered safe by the World Health Organisation. It’s legal, non addictive, non psychoactive and non hallucinogenic. It’s often mistaken for its counterpart – THC.”
What is CBD? Where does it come from and how is it produced?
“CBD is a cannabinoid from the cannabis plant and there are many different molecules of the cannabis plant. CBD is made up of carbon oxygen hydrogen. It’s molecular formation that gives it the effect and benefits for the human body. Our bodies naturally produce cannabanoids and these interact with our bodies natural endocannabinoid system. This sounds really complicated but it’s actually there to regulate our physiological functions. CBD has a very similar molecular formation to our bodys natural cannabanoids and so it interacts with this system. CBD tends to come from female cannabis plants, leaves, flowers… especially from the hemp plant which is part of the cannabis plant but has a lower THC content.”
How can CBD help me?
“By interacting with this endocannabinoid system, our bodies natural cannabinoids are often not stored or constant – they get depleted. This tends to happen when you’re overtired, or you’re stressed/anxious. This is where CBD comes in and it brings your body back into balance or homeostasis; so it’s optimal level. Because of this, it can help regular so many different physiological functions such as sleep, stress, anxiety, pain, inflammation. For example, the way it can help with stress and anxiety is through regulating your hormonal imbalances. It can help top up low levels of serotonin – which is your happiness hormones which improves your mood, energy. It can also help your GABA receptors in your brain – CBD can work with them to calm excess brain activity and promote relaxation. What it basically does is brings your body and mind into calm through calming the fight or flight sympathetic nervous system and shifting you into the parasympathetic rest and digest mode.
It can also help with pain and inflammation. When you apply it topically, it reaches the hypodermis which is responsible for mediating pain and inflammation. CBD is highly antioxidant which means it has an anti-inflammatory effect in your muscles and joints. It’s brilliant in skincare as it works with all different skin types – dry, oily, older, younger, eczema, psoriasis. It’s oil balancing and really helps clear pimples and spots. It bonds with free radicals to prevent skin damage, making it highly protective.
I personally can’t live without or sleep CBD drops because it’s incredible to help you sleep. If you suffer from insomnia then it’s likely the 3 main causes of sleeplessness are stress, anxiety and pain. CBD tackles all of these as well as optimises your bodies natural circadian rhythm which is your sleep-wake cycle. By doing this, it’s not a sedative but it helps you feel more tired at night and more awake in the morning.”
How do I know how much CBD is right for me?
“You cannot overdose on CBD. What your body doesn’t need, it will flush out of your system. We have done extensive research, consumer trials, we have an OTO scientist and we have found that 40-60mg daily is the optimum daily dose to have the desired effect for everyday stressors.”
How long does CBD stay in my system?
“With our bodies natural cannabinoids, these aren’t stored or constant. They often get depleted. CBD can step in and help those up. CBD is also metabolised so it’s naturally flushed out of our system. Clinical trials have shown 1-2 days. We recommend usage every day for CBD to have the desired effect.”
There’s lots of CBD brands out there, how do I make sure I’m choosing the right one?
“The truth is that the CBD market is an incredibly confused market. There is a lot of misinformation and a lot of ineffective products and to be quite honest, a lot of poor design. This is why OTO was born. It was born as a rebuttal to this. Our founder Gemma, discovered CBD whilst living out in LA working in the fast-paced fashion industry as a designer. As you can imagine, this caused significant stress and anxiety and sleeplessness. She also suffered from hormonal acne. When she discovered CBD it had the most remarkable effect for her and all of these problems she’s suffered from. Her life was changed and she really fell in love with it. When she flew back to the UK to be closer to her family, she was really disappointed with the products on offer so she set up OTO to bring clarity and quality to the CBD market. OTO as a brand has always aimed to elevate the category as a whole and to get people to take this incredible ingredient seriously. We’ve known that the only way to do that is to create products that actually work. We bring quality products that enhance your daily routines and rituals. They’re lovely to use but also contain the optimum CBD combined with functional botanical extracts to have the desired effects.”
If CBD is helping with my sleep routine like relaxation, will it effect my focus during the day/working hours?
“A lot of the problems that affect your sleep are the same problems hat affect your working day (pain, anxiety, stress). CBD can help for both of these things but also by working with your bodies natural circadian rhythm, it actually optimises your sleep-wake cycle, helping you to feel more tired at night and more awake in the mornings. Not only this, if you’re sleeping better, your focus will be better in the morning. It’s all about combining it with the right ingredients to have the desired effect. Our focus pillar combines CBD with ingredients like Ylang-Ylang, Peppermint, rosemary – really invigorating essential oils and fragrances to help you concentrate and energise.”
Are there any groups of people that should avoid CBD?
“There hasn’t been enough research done on pregnancy and CBD. Out of caution, we recommend pregnant women do not use CBD. We also recommend consulting a doctor if you’re on medication to be on the safe side.”
You have a variety of products on offer, which ones would you suggest to begin with for someone who has no experience with CBD?
“I think CBD is such an under tapped marketspace and it’s such an incredible ingredient but a lot of people are a bit nervous to try out due to it’s association with the cannabis plant. I think the first question to ask is ‘may you feel more comfortable applying it topically rather than ingesting CBD?’
In terms applying topically, I couldn’t recommend the first ever product we launched with our roll on pulse point oils enough. They are incredible, they smell delightful – kind of like a perfume. They are designed to be used on your pulse points; so that is your wrists, and your temples. This is where your blood is closest to the surface so it’s easily absorbed into your blood stream and acts really fast. They’re mixed with essential oils that will calm you down and make you feel really present, in the moment. The CBD works but it’s not so invasive for certain people that have never tried CBD. However, other people I’ve spoken to feel more comfortable ingesting it because they feel more satisfied that they’re receiving the benefits. It’s totally about what you’re comfortable with. We understand that CBD can be slightly confusing, OTO was designed all around your daily rhythms and rituals so it’s all about the natural flow of the day.
Our ritual serum is game changing. I used to suffer from hormonal acne on my chin and through using this CBD serum, it has completely transformed my skin and it is that most gorgeous morning moment (you can also use it at night time). It’s a lovely blue colour and gorgeous texture that is amazing and smells like a mini spa moment. It gives you a gorgeous glow on your neck.”
Is there anything else we should know about OTO?
“Our three pillars are:
Focus – the morning moment designed to help you concentrate, and feel energised to work.
Amplify – enhancing shared social moments to help you feel present and build lasting memories
Balance – helping you wind down before bed and find quiet and calm for a good nights rest.”
To learn more about OTO wellbeing, head over to their website and their FAQ’s. Their products are available to purchase on their online store.
You can also follow OTO on Instagram.
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