[EDITOR’S UPDATE, November 4, 2:20PM PST. Added one customer’s comments and review information below. A clarification was also made regarding the CBD oil’s infusion into the memory foam, not the pillow cover.]
With CBD now being more popular online than Jesus, The Beatles, Beyonce, or Pornhub, it’s no surprise that weed’s second-most famous molecule is ending up in everything from deodorant to cosmetics to sports bras. Now, you can add pillows to that list, too.
Offered by the bedding company Brookstone, the company’s “CBD-Infused Bed Pillow” is currently available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, giving a whole new meaning to that “Beyond” category.
According to the product description, “CBD oil is infused into the pillow,” presumably directly into its 100-percent memory foam material. The product is supposed to help people get a good night’s rest, but let’s unpack that, shall we?
Some studies suggest CBD, a non-intoxicating component of weed, can alleviate anxiety and combat insomnia. But CBD oil applied topically will only affect the outer layer of the skin and hair. There’s some evidence that CBD can facilitate skin healing or hair repair, but more research is needed to confirm these properties.
The best way to get CBD oil from the skin into the bloodstream (where it could encourage better sleep) is with transdermal carriers mixed into the oil. Naturally, oils extracted from weed won’t penetrate the outer skin layers without some additional chemistry.
Yet, nowhere in Brookstone’s or Bed, Bath, and Beyond’s listings mentions if the pillow’s CBD oil contains transdermal agents. In other words, without transdermal additives, like direct application emu oil, the only way this pillow is going to help you sleep is if you suck on it or smoke it. Neither of which are activities you’d do with a pillow.
Gallery — Feel-Good CBD Memes You Can’t Get High On:
What’s the pillow actually like? Professional budtender and cannabis events strategist Andrew Mieure bought one and tried it out. Here’s what he had to say (though, to be fair, he’s only tried it for one night, so far).
“I was left with a stiff neck and a strange smell in my nose,” he told MERRY JANE over text. “Decent quality pillow, albeit, too firm for my liking. The CBD had zero noticeable calming or well-being effects.”
As for the smell, Mieure described it as “manufactured rubber and synthetics.” He added, “It needs to be aired out when it first comes out of the package. It does not smell herbal, or cannabis-like in any way.”
The packaging states that the CBD oil is infused directly into the pillow’s memory foam material, not in the pillow cover. So, the oil is not making direct contact with the skin, most likely.
Another issue with this CBD pillow is that it’s probably a one-shot deal. As in, once you pop it in the laundry after a few weeks of use (you do regularly wash your pillows, right?), you’ll probably wash out whatever CBD oil was infused into the memory foam.
With a listing price of $60, you’re basically paying for an expensive pillow that may or may not freshen your skin. And whether it does or doesn’t, the CBD is going to wash out the second you put it in the washing machine.
For $60, you can realistically buy a whole bottle of potent, CBD-rich tincture, which would likely last much, much longer and work lightyears better than this gimmicky pillow.
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