After spending a long, exhausting day in the sun, I decided to shower off with Wildflower’s CBD soap to see what, if any, effects I noticed. The bar fit perfectly in my hand; it was smaller than a regular bar of soap but larger than a hotel sample size. My first observation was that it had a nice vanilla, musky scent to it that reminded me of a well-dressed businessman. Surprisingly, I didn’t pick up even the slightest whiff of the herb. The brown bar of soap seemed to be glycerin-based, as evidenced by its translucent, gummy appearance. Normally I’d never purchase a glycerin-based soap bar because it can be very drying and leave a film on your skin. But for the sake of trying out this brand, I hopped in the shower with big hopes and low expectations.

My initial observation was that it had a really good lather. It did not require much soap to get a thick, creamy foam. The scent of vanilla and musk remained strong throughout my shower and even lingered a bit after toweling off without being strong enough to overpower my body butter. I’d definitely recommend having some sort of lotion or moisturizer ready to apply after using this soap because while it doesn’t leave your skin super dry, it does leave your skin feeling a bit tight. While rinsing this soap from my skin, I did notice a thin film that required a little more time rinsing away than my regular cleansers.

Since I had been out in the sun for a long time, my skin was extra sensitive. One amazing bonus of this soap was that it did provide the soothing topical relief I typically expect from a CBD product. It was even gentle enough to use on my face, which I continued to do for three days straight to confirm it didn’t cause any allergic reactions or breakout. Obviously, a CBD soap isn’t going to have the same chance to penetrate your skin as, say, a CBD lotion or patch, so don’t expect to experience any long-lasting benefits from this product. Whatever benefits you do get are sure to be short-lived.

“Sure, CBD might have amazing beauty and health benefits, but you need to apply it in the right form to get the most out of it.”

Based on my personal and professional experience with both weed and high-end skincare products, I don’t believe you need to use this particular soap to get the soothing benefits you might be looking for. Even at your local drugstore, you can find a number of products to help with pain relief, bug bites, blemishes, sunburns, and skin sensitivity. Shea Moisture and Dr. Bronner’s are solid brands and so are the the smaller, local brands, Alaffia and Avenue South. They’re also guaranteed to cost less—at $10 a pop, Wildflower’s CBD soap bars are expensive considering they’re little more than nice-smelling soaps with some added CBD. Sure, CBD might have amazing beauty and health benefits, but you need to apply it in the right form to get the most out of it. I’d recommend Lord Jones’ high-CBD topical as it’s great for sunburns and mild skin irritations. And if you’re looking for hemp-based beauty products, I’d recommend trying Cannabis Basics or, again, Dr. Bronner’s as both are hemp-based and blended with other amazing essential oils.

When entering the world of THC or CBD-infused products, it pays to think critically before purchasing. Beyond having fancy packaging and novelty appeal, many products are being pushed out to market that don’t make much sense in terms of topicals. While things like CBD soap and THC chapstick seem alluring, the delivery method is not compatible with the science behind topicals, making them largely ineffective. If you are someone who likes novelty items and would buy anything infused with the herb, Wildflower’s CBD soap might be for you. Then again, you could just as easily check out hemp-based alternatives that will get you the same benefits for a fraction of the cost.