CBD isolate is literally pure CBD. It’s the powder form of the substance, extracted from hemp or cannabis plants and stripped away of all other materials until a powder of 99 percent pure cannabidiol is left.

It’s used by many companies to make CBD products, mixing it into other substances to the correct proportion for the product in question.

But how is it made? And what’s so great about it?

How To Get CBD Isolate

Getting CBD isolate is a multi-step process, as you first have to extract CBD from the plant source – meaning either hemp or marijuana – which will typically render out first as an waxy extract. However, this compound isn’t CBD alone; there are trace amounts of other compounds such as terpenes, flavonoids, chlorophyll and others.

That extract, which is full spectrum CBD, can be used in and of itself to make CBD oil and other products, and many companies producing CBD oil do so.

Full spectrum CBD oil must be further refined to produce CBD isolate. Think of it kind of like the process for making distilled spirits. The first step is always to make a fermented mash, basically just like beer, wine or hard cider, which is then refined (distilled) to produce pure ethanol.

The process used to further refine full spectrum CBD oil is called winterization. It’s a form of freeze distillation, where a substance is treated with a solvent (often enough, ethanol) and then subjected to sufficiently cold temperatures. What happens to oils in this process is they break down into their constituent components, including CBD as well as the terpenes, flavonoids and so on.

This process filters out the waxes, oils and other compounds, leaving pure CBD powder.It can be further treated to become crystalline, but usually is produced as a powder.

What Are The Benefits Of Pure CBD Isolate?

Pure CBD isolate can be used to make any CBD product from oils to edibles to balms and all points in between. In some regards, it offers the manufacturer or DIY enthusiast – you can buy it yourself to make your own CBD products – the ability to control CBD content.

However, full spectrum CBD can as well, and there’s some evidence to suggest that the terpenes and flavonoids of full spectrum CBD have beneficial effects as well.

CBD isolate can be suspended in oil, but unlike the waxy full spectrum CBD extract does require more frequent mixing and shaking as the powdery particles will sink to the bottom. CBD isolate powder is best-suited for making CBD edibles and topical applications such as balms, lotions and rubs, as it’s easier to mix the powder in.

However, again, full spectrum CBD extract can be as well; it’s just slightly easier with powder.

Crystalline CBD isolate is most frequently used in CBD vape pens, as the crystals themselves are more easily vaporized than powder; it has few other applications as powdery isolate and full spectrum extract are better suited for making tinctures, topical rubs and edibles.