CBD is incredibly versatile and comes in many different forms. Despite their individual pros and cons, most CBD products only deliver a fraction of the active ingredient to your bloodstream.
Several brands are now claiming that their water-soluble CBD is the answer to this problem and can increase the amount available for use in your body by up to ten times. Unfortunately, because it’s new, there is very little evidence publicly available to back up these claims.
Water-soluble CBD is a recently developed method for dissolving CBD extract in water. Cannabinoids are naturally fat-soluble, which means that the molecules dissolve easily into fatty substances like oils but don’t mix well with water.
That’s why the majority of CBD products are oil-based. The downside of oil-based CBD is that most fats are broken down by enzymes and take longer to pass through your gut into your bloodstream.
Now, CBD companies have discovered that if you expose CBD to a certain type of sound wave, it can vibrate the CBD apart into tiny, microscopic nanoparticles. They can also achieve the same effect by adding emulsifying substances at high pressure or encapsulating the cannabinoids in other microscopic materials.
Once the CBD is in tiny pieces, water molecules can fit in between them, allowing them to mix into water-based liquids.
For CBD oil to be used by your body tissues, it must first be broken down into smaller pieces. The processes that carry out this breakdown are collectively known as the first-pass effect and are responsible for the low bioavailability of orally ingested CBD oil.
The first-pass effect is a two-step process: the gut, then the liver. In the gut, bile and enzymes break fats into tiny pieces so fat-soluble CBD can be absorbed. Those absorbed pieces then travel to the liver, where they are further metabolised, so much of the original CBD is lost before it reaches the bloodstream.
Water-soluble CBD is formulated into much smaller, water-soluble particles that cross the gut lining (or mucous membranes) more easily and require less fat digestion. It still goes through the liver, but because less is lost in the gut stage, more of the original dose is likely to reach circulation.
The main enzyme responsible for the breakdown of fats during the first-pass effect is lipase. It can be found in your gut, gallbladder, and, surprisingly, in your mouth. If you hold CBD oil under your tongue, lingual lipase breaks it down so it can pass into your sublingual blood vessels.
When you hold water-soluble CBD under your tongue, some of it can be absorbed directly. The same is true, often to a greater extent, with water-dispersible CBD, as its small particles spread and coat the mucous membrane more effectively than oil droplets. In practical terms, particle size, formulation, and contact time matter most: use a product that disperses well, place it under the tongue and hold for 60-90 seconds, and avoid swallowing immediately to give it the best chance of being absorbed sublingually.
The claims of increased bioavailability may stem from a 2017 study conducted at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which tested the absorption of THC and CBD from nanospheres. The research was conducted with rats and used carefully constructed molecular packets to encase the cannabinoids, allowing them to dissolve in water.
The results showed an incredible 600% increase in the amount available for use in cells. This shows the incredible potential of water-soluble CBD, but unfortunately, it doesn’t guarantee that all water-soluble CBD preparations will deliver the same results. Since 2020, there have been human and preclinical studies comparing nano/self-emulsifying formulations with standard oils; some human crossover trials report faster absorption and higher early blood levels for specific formulations, but the effect size varies by technology and product.
What these studies also uncovered was that the nano-spheres succeeded because they kept the active ingredient encapsulated until after it had passed through the gut wall. After this point, they begin to break down and release their contents. If the CBD de-emulsifies or leaves its nano-sphere too early or too late, the results will be vastly different.
Consequently, water-soluble products are likely an effective way to increase cannabinoid absorption, but their effectiveness depends on the specific method used to make them and on product stability once they reach the stomach.
Water solubility brings practical benefits. It can be added to water-based foods and drinks without forming an oily layer, it works cleanly in pumps and sprays, and it offers a more pleasant mouthfeel for sublingual use.
As we've already seen, well-made water-dispersible formats often act faster and can give higher blood exposure per mg than the same mg in an oil, but the improvement is product-specific.
Pros:
Cons:
From all the water-soluble CBDs available, we've cherry-picked CBD Brothers Water Soluble Purple Plus Edition because it mixes cleanly, measures precisely and fits the way many of our customers like to use CBD, in a drink or under the tongue.
CBD Brothers Purple Plus Edition comes in a 10ml pump bottle containing 400mg total CBD/CBDa (4%). The formula uses a water-dispersible carrier with whole-plant hemp extract and natural terpenes, with a hint of turmeric for flavour and stability. The metering pump delivers about 0.2 ml per stroke, roughly 8mg CBD/CBDa, so dosing is straightforward and easy to track.
We recommend starting with one pump once a day and watching how you feel for several days before changing the dose. If you do increase, do so slowly and always check the combined CBD from every product you use so you remain within the FSA’s 10mg/day guidance unless you have professional advice otherwise. Many customers add a pump to a glass of still water or juice and sip; others prefer the sublingual route, place the pump under the tongue, hold for 60-90 seconds, then swallow.
We trust CBD Brothers because, as a British pioneering brand, they consistently supply high-quality whole-plant extracts, publish clear product specifications and guidance, and manufacture our Signature Collection, a range we stock and use ourselves. This matters for water-soluble products because actual performance depends on proper formulation and testing.
Water-soluble CBD represents a useful advance in cannabinoid delivery. It can improve ease of use and, for some well-made products, deliver faster, more effective absorption than plain oils, but results depend on the exact formulation and quality control. Choose reputable brands that publish third-party lab certificates and clear dosing guidance, start low and increase slowly only if needed, follow our recommendations on total daily CBD.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Tracked & signed
Orders over £35
Orders over £199
Soil Association certified
Chat, email or call
Tom Russell
Author
Tom Russell writes extensively about CBD oil and other groundbreaking food supplements. He and his wife share their home with two daughters and a lifetime’s collection of books.