INTERVIEW: How To Get Started With CBD – We Talk Dosing, Best Brands & Skincare Picks With Heavens Please

Welcome to Part 2 of our interview with Denise Tam, the enlightened founder of Hong Kong’s premier CBD destination Heavens Please and the city’s resident expert on all things CBD, where we talk about dosing, how to get started, why CBD skincare is taking off and how Denise discovered the magic of cannabidiol. Missed Part 1? Read it here.

When Did You Discover CBD?

My partner Terry and I have always been fascinated by plants. As spiritual practitioners, we are especially interested in entheogens [‘a class of psychoactive substances that induce any type of spiritual experience aimed at development or sacred use’] and focused on holistic healing.

Cannabis has been used by various cultures all over the world since ancient times. This is what intrigued us to further explore the plant, and led us to the discovery of CBD and its many benefits by healing through a holistic way.

How Did You End Up Starting Heavens Please?

The answer is twofold: 1) We are highly aware of the need for healing in a high-stress society like Hong Kong and 2) We realised that consumers are being more conscious and shifting away from pharmaceuticals.

CBD is a powerful compound, and we see the benefits it can bring to people’s lives. After experiencing the effects first hand, I’m in awe of how versatile it is.

As we’ve discussed, CBD comes from Cannabis, an indigenous plant people have been using to cure themselves for centuries, until the early 20th century when it began to be banned by governments. Now there’s a revival happening. People are shifting back to natural, clean products instead of synthetics.

We created Heavens Please as a gateway to introduce the Cannabis plant to the public, to transform people’s daily rituals by enabling them to incorporate CBD into their daily lives through different products such as skincare, coffee, and bath & body care, along with tinctures [CBD only]. We are also focused on education, helping people understand the healing power of plants and hopefully, helping to lessen the stigma of this amazing plant.

Tell Us More About The Brands You Feature on Heavens Please

At Heavens Please, we want to raise awareness about the ingredients we ingest/consume on a daily basis. Most of us slather so many products on our skin, consume all kinds of food and take all sorts of prescription drugs every day without thinking and without realising that we are absorbing so many toxins through our daily habits.

We choose to offer clean, natural products, ones created with ingredients that are ethically sourced, organically grown and made with the health of our bodies and the planet in mind. Many of them are eco-certified, grown according to biodynamic farming practices and strongly focused on sustainability. It’s important to us that the brands we work with cause as little environmental impact as possible. Since all our products are plant based, they are also all vegan, cruelty-free- no animal testing here!

We really love all the brands we carry! Yuyo Botanics was founded in Tennessee by two badass female entrepreneurs- and they literally deliver their products from farm to (vanity) table. Their hemp farm employs biodynamic farming practices and they also work with the state government on pushing hemp legalization with more community contributions. The founder of Khus + Khus, also a female-led brand, creates her skincare products according to the principles of Herbalism, Aromatherapy and Ayurveda. These products are all created with care of human and the environment in mind, focusing on a holistic basis. 

Why Has CBD Skincare Become So Popular?

With oral CBD, such as tincture/oils/edibles, which take about 5 – 20 minutes to feel an effect, you can tackle a wide range of issues including everything from psychiatric conditions and gut disorders to autoimmune conditions, neurological conditions and metabolic dysfunction. 

However, since our skin is our largest organ, and has loads of CB receptors that can effectively absorb CBD, CBD has become a powerful ingredient and a new star in skincare. With topical creams/balms, research suggests that CBD can tackle inflammation, increase cell turnover and reduce pain, not to mention that it’s also a strong antioxidant. Using CBD on your face and body can also help with acne, post workout muscle tensions, sunburns and any chronic joint/muscle pain.

What Are Your Favorite Products?

It’s hard to choose because I love them all but if I have to, these are my top three:

Yuyo Botanics – PM Formula

This takes care of everything – it’s neuro-protective, promotes deep relaxation for the best sleep and helps with general pain management.

Khus + Khus – SEN Face Serummy

Your face will be able to breathe in this face serum 😉 This serum brightens even the dullest complexion and works for all skin types. I have sensitive skin and can attest to the fact that there’s no chance of breakouts! I also find it very calming.

Life Flower Care – Goodess Elixir 

Our favourite and also our customers’ top pick; this elixir is perfect for relieving menstrual cramps/headaches and works well as a light perfume to soothe nerves

How Do I Choose The Right CBD Product?

When it comes to choosing a CBD product, there are different factors to take in such as:

• What issues do you want to address? 
• How severe are your issues? 
• What CBD format is acceptable to you i.e. topical or ingestion? 
• Will you choose a Broad Spectrum or Isolate-based product?
• What are the other ingredients in the formulation if you are opting for a blend or skincare – are there other plants that will create a synergestic effect and are you allergic to them?

While there is extensive scientific research on CBD and other cannabinoids, we still do not have a definite idea on how exactly they work to eliminate diseases. There will surely be more clinical studies done in the near future on the cannabis plant, especially as regulations are relaxing across the globe. The best way to to get started to is try it out for yourself and test what works. And remember, if you have serious concerns, please do consult a licensed doctor.

Topical Application vs. Ingesting: What’s The Difference?

The biggest difference between topical application and ingestion of CBD is that topical creams can target a specific area for a more precise and fast-acting relief, while ingestion works on your whole body to create balance, and to bring you back to homeostasis, so it may take longer to have an effect on the intended area.

How Does Dosing Work?

Honestly, there is no general guideline on how much CBD a should beginner start with. It is not like with prescribed medications, as currently it is seen and treated as dietary supplement. Because everyone’s metabolism is different, how much CBD to start with also depends on how serious the ailments you want to treat are.

For example, if you have trouble sleeping, you would need a different amount than someone experiencing anxiety or arthritis. Whether the CBD product is broad spectrum, an isolate or a botanical blend (the latter which involves other plants that may interact with the CBD) also affects how much you need, so we always recommend for people to experiment with the dosage until they find what works for them.

How Much CBD Should A Beginner Start With?

Generally speaking, most CBD oils will recommend half a dropper (usually around 0.5ml). Concentrations tend to vary between 300mg and 1,000mg per bottle, depends on the bottle size (normally 10ml – 30ml). So for example, with our Yuyo Botanics PM Formula (900mg concentration in a 30ml bottle), you are looking at a dose of 15mg per half dropper. 

For most people, you can start with as little as 5mg, depending on the conditions you want to address and you can take once or twice a day. In more serious cases, such as chronic pain/ anxiety, you can dose whenever you feel it’s needed.

Remember: it’s a plant, so there is no overdosing to worry about. Even if you dosed up to 1,200mg a day, the “worst” that will will happen is that you will feel super relaxed. There are no known withdrawal effects if you stop taking it since it is not addictive.

So to summarise: note your dosing time, the conditions you want to address, your dosage and then see how you feel. Tweak your dosage as needed. Gradually in time you may start to take less, since as CBD accumulates in your body, it eventually reaches an optimum level and you won’t need as much. 

Shop Hong Kong’s best CBD products at Heavens Please.

Lead images courtesy of Green Queen; all product images courtesy of Heavens Please. This post is a Green Queen Partner Post.