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How to Use Terpenes

Using terpenes is not nearly as complicated as you may believe. It does require a lot of care and attention to detail, but the information you need to learn how is readily available. The only materials that you will need are a carrier oil, terpenes, mixing equipment, and a safe workspace. As long as you follow the instructions and work safely, you can learn how to use them as you need.

What are Terpenes and What Do They Do?

The most common use for terpenes is in the production of essential oils. Plant material is combined with terpenes before being filtered and distilled to produce the final oil that you buy for your diffuser, massage oils, or other personal care. These substances are found in the flowers of plants and are completely natural.

Terpenes are also able to enhance your CBD oil experience because they can increase the potency of cannabis. Whether you are looking to create an oil that addresses specific health needs or wish to have complete control over the dosage of cannabis oil, terpenes allow you to produce oils, lotions, and other products that are hand-tailored to your needs.

What You Need to Know Before Working with Terpenes

Terpenes are highly concentrated, so it is best to err on the side of caution when determining the composition of your mix. They are also highly flammable, so you will want to create a safe workspace for yourself that is away from sparks, excessive heat, or an open flame. Finally, you never want to microwave terpenes. There are safer heating methods that we will explain below.

We recommend that you use protective equipment when working with terpenes, such as goggles and long sleeves. It would also be a good idea to have an eye washing station nearby in the event that you do get any of the material into your eyes. If you do, you will want to rinse your eyes immediately.

You will also need the following equipment.

  • Glass containers to mix your product in. The size you will require depends on the amount of product you intend to mix.
  • A digital scale. Measurements are extremely important, so you want to have an accurate scale that is able to measure in 0.01-gram increments.
  • Pipettes. These will help you with your measuring and are available in a lot of different sizes.
  • Syringes. Glass syringes are the best for working with terpenes because terpenes will not react with glass and the glass can be heated easily.
  • Magnetic stirrers. We recommend a magnetic stirrer for all terpene mixing, regardless of what you are making.
  • A hot plate. This is how you will heat your terpenes. You should never use an open flame or microwave to do so. You can also use a magnetic mixer that heats the solution by stirring it with a magnetic bar.
  • Rotor-Stator Homegenizer. You will need this to blend your final product. Make sure that you are aware of how much the one you are using can hold and process.
  • The terpene you have chosen and a carrier oil or lotion.

How to Mix Terpenes Properly

Make sure that you do proper math when determining the ratio of terpenes to your carrier ingredients. Having a conversion table is a good way to make sure that your calculations are accurate. You will want to make sure that the amount of terpenes diluted into your carrier is never more than 10% of the total material. We recommend beginning at a 5% ratio and seeing how you respond to the compound before using more in the future. If 5% proves to be too much, you can always walk it back to as low as 1%. We recommend warming terpenes to 80 degrees Celsius when mixing them with raw concentrate and using one to two drops per half a gram if you are making solids.

The type of terpenes you use matter. Make sure you understand whether it is water-soluble or not. Do not attempt to make edibles with terpenes that are not water solvent, as this will not end well. Oil-soluble terpenes are only appropriate when used to make oils, tinctures, and lotions. You can also mix them with alcohol.

What You Can Make with Terpenes

Once you know how to use terpenes, there are a lot of things that you can make with them. Feel free to experiment for yourself, but here are some ideas you can start with.

  • Terpene cocktails. All you need to do is mix your favorite alcoholic beverage with a single drop of your terpenes, and you will be able to enjoy its effects.
  • Edibles. If you enjoy cooking or baking, you can mix terpenes into your food. There are many recipes available that include cakes, brownies, homemade candies, and more.
  • Skincare products. It is possible to make topical solutions with your terpenes. The most common example is lotion, which you can use as a topical cream to treat inflammation or pain.
  • E-juice products. If you know how to mix your own juice, you can add terpenes to the blend to produce your desired effect.

There really isn’t a limit on what you can produce using terpenes. We recommend that you experiment and explore the possibilities for yourself. Just make sure that you do adequate research beforehand so that you get your concentrations and dosing right when using terpenes with CBD oil and cannabis products.

Explore Our Terpene Products

True Extracts has over 280 blends available for you to try. All of our products are natural and organic, so you can be sure that you are not purchasing a product with additives, solvents, pesticides, or other nasty chemicals. Our blends can be used to treat depression, anxiety, inflammation, pain, restlessness, tension, and much more.

All of our products are cannabis-free, and legal for sale across the United States. You may definitely mix terpenes with CBD products, but we recommend first researching the legality of cannabis products where you live. If you are new to terpenes or to our products, we recommend trying one of our sample packs so that you can learn what you enjoy most. Place and order today, or if you have questions, give us a call at 480-663-3205.