Why has my CBD oil crystallised?

by for the Ageless Team January 26, 2023

Why has my CBD oil crystallised

Have you ever gone to take your daily serving of CBD and found that it has begun to crystalise? If so, don’t despair, this is actually a fairly common occurrence with a simple fix. When you purchase a high-strength CBD oil (25% CBD or above) it may granulate or “crystallise” in the winter months. It won’t affect the overall quality of your oil, but it will make it more of a challenge to take an accurate amount. Here we explain ways in which you can prevent this from happening and what to do if your oil has crystalised.

CBD crystallisation fast facts

  • Crystals appear in CBD oil when the extract separates from the carrier oil due to low temperatures.
  • Higher-strength oils are more likely to crystallise in the winter.
  • CBD crystals can be dissolved easily by warming the bottle before use.
  • Reverting crystallised CBD to liquid doesn’t affect the quality of the oil.
  • Keeping your CBD oil at room temperature can help to avoid crystallisation.

What is CBD crystallisation?

CBD oils are made by mixing hemp extract with a carrier such as MCT or hemp seed oil. When the extract and the carrier oil separate, the CBD molecules begin to join together and form crystals, if found in high enough quantities. These CBD crystals look grainy, similar to the small sugar clusters that form when liquid caramel hardens.

Why does CBD crystallise?

Cold winter weather country

In its purest form, CBD is a solid crystal-like substance. When you purchase an oil, the CBD, additional cannabinoids, and plant nutrients have been dissolved in a carrier to make consuming it easier. But on occasion, you may find that there are small shimmering crystals in your bottle.

This happens for two main reasons:

  1. The oil has been stored in cold conditions. Ideally, CBD oil should be stored at room temperature (about 17-20°C). When it is stored in the fridge or your home is too cold, these substances can separate.
  2. If your oil is left standing for too long, the CBD extract unmixes from the carrier oil and again CBD crystals appear.

How to check whether your oil has crystallised

  1. Hold the bottle up to a window or in front of a light and look closely to see if you can spot any crystals.
  2. Open the bottle and check whether the oil flows in and out of the pipette easily. If you find the pipette gets blocked or see any small lumps, then your oil has crystalised.

Turning your crystallised oil back to liquid

Serving hot water in mug

If your CBD oil has crystallised, this is easily remedied without affecting its quality. It is important to follow these steps before using the oil.

  1. Place the closed bottle in a mug and cover it to the plastic rim with warm water. Do not use boiling water as too much heat can vaporise some of the valuable terpenes and plant nutrients that contribute to its effectiveness.
  2. After a minute, gently swirl the bottle to aid in remixing the carrier oil with the CBD.
  3. Inspect the bottle visually to see if all the crystals have melted. You can also try filling and emptying the pipette to see if flow is improved.
  4. If there are no remaining crystals, then the oil is ready to be used. If some remain, repeat steps 1 through 3. Usually, doing these 1 to 3 times will revert any CBD crystals back to liquid form.

Other methods you can use include warming the bottle in your hands and even using a hair dryer to gently raise the temperature. Do not put the bottle in a microwave, you have far less control over the temperature and could cause the oil to degrade.

What if the crystals don’t dissolve?

Pouring olive oil

CBD crystals will dissolve into the carrier oil when exposed to heat. If the crystals don’t dissolve, there is either not enough heat or not enough carrier oil to mix them.

If you have consumed CBD from a crystallised bottle by mistake, you may have used up much of the carrier oil, which means there could now be more CBD content than when you purchased it. This will make it harder to dissolve any crystals.

If so, you’ll need to add a little more carrier oil before attempting to dissolve the crystals again. If you do not have MCT or hemp seed oil at home, a little olive oil can be used.

How do you stop CBD from crystallising?

To keep CBD oil liquid, store the bottle at room temperature. Do not store it in the fridge, outdoors or in a cold space.

CBD crystals are innocuous and may even look pretty, but they can become a nuisance if not dealt with. If you do find your oil has crystallised, pop the bottle into some warm water for a few minutes and gently remix before consuming.

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for the Ageless Team
for the Ageless Team

Author

We are a small but mighty team of experienced natural health researchers. We follow strict selection criteria and test everything we retail: from ground-breaking food supplements to natural skincare products. Our main area of expertise is CBD.


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