A carrier oil is a little bit like what it sounds like, a vehicle to deliver another substance.

If you’ve ever used essential oils, you may know about using another oil to help dilute the very strong effects of the pure essence of a plant. Some oils may harm you if they are not put with another substance which usually helps you absorb it. Kind of like lemonade… which is a delicious drink but sucking on a lemon is a bit uncomfortable. Hemp and CBD oils are the same way. Pure CBD oil of a very high concentration can often be a solid crystalized mass if not diluted. This is important because you can’t put a dropper of something solid under your tongue and it wouldn’t absorb well if you did. It may also burn the back of your throat a little (we know, we tried it.)

Most CBD oils in the marketplace today use one kind of carrier or another. Some use hemp oil, olive oil, avocado oil or coconut oil. At Mend, we’ve chosen a unique form of refined coconut oil that contains only the smallest particles of oil, called ‘medium chain triglycerides’ or MCT. There are various grades of MCT, but we have selected a sustainable organic MCT that contains only the two smallest particle types (C8 & C10) and not any of the larger c12 particles.

They’re called carrier oils because they deliver the CBD and botanical extracts directly to your cells.

MCT Coconut oil, especially C8, is such a small particle, that your body can absorb it directly into your bloodstream where it can be used for fuel directly, bypassing your liver and digestive system, making it an altogether more efficient carrier. If you’ve heard of Bulleproof Brainfuel, that product is made entirely of C8 coconut oil because it’s so accessible by your body and can ‘fuel your brain’ and other energy needs without waiting for a meal to be digested. We’ve taken this same concept and applied it to the delivery of CBD so that you can absorb as much of it as possible without the loss that occurs when substances are metabolized. This how we avoid ‘First Pass Metabolism’ which refers to the way your liver filters the things you eat and converts them to useable elements.

Another import aspect of our both our carrier oil and our hemp oil extracts is that they are certified organic. This is important because of how chemical fertilizers and pesticides ride in on the botanicals and produce we consume. Organically grown oils don’t contain these noxious chemicals and are likely healthier, more robust plants which allows them to contain more nutrients and flavor. (Now you know why they’re so much more expensive.) At Mend, we always source organic ingredients whenever possible so that we’re creating the most beneficial plant medicines possible.