How to make CBD Suppositories / Tampons
This recipe is a lifesaver for anyone who isn’t keen on taking chemical meds, and wants direct, on the spot relief as CBD suppositories will give you local muscular relaxation and inflammation relief within around 15-20 minutes.
Suppositories are little ‘bullets’ which can be used internally – meaning, you can either insert them vaginally or rectally (either because you have an issue there or cannot stomach CBD when using it orally).
You can also use them topically,by letting them melt on a painful spot and massaging it into your skin.
The reason why you wouldn’t want to put drops of CBD onto a real tampon is that a tampon is supposed to absorb fluid, and hence will also absorb the CBD thus reducing the effectiveness.
If you instead use a suppository, it will melt and release all the goodness of the CBD for you.
These little gems will activate local receptors much faster compared to ingesting them orally.
You can purchase readily-made ones online in some countries, however they are around $10 each … pretty expensive while you can easily make them yourself.
The best recipe how to make CBD suppositories:
The best way to make CBD suppositories is by using cacao butter, or a mix of cacao butter and coconut oil.
I have seen recipes with coconut oil only, and while coconut oil has a lot of amazing qualities and uses, its melting point of coconut oil is super low – just room temperature will be enough to soften your CBD suppositories, anything warmer will completely melt them. Not so great if you do not keep them refrigerated at all times, or want to have one in your bag.
Cacao butter on the other hand will only melt at body temperature – ok, or on a really hot day in summer. If you want your CBD suppository to melt a little bit faster, mixing coconut oil and cacao butter is the way to go.
Bonus effect: these beauties with also help moisten your skin, so if you have any issues with dryness, CBD suppositories can be super helpful too.
The ingredients to make CBD suppositories:
For 10 suppositories, you will need:
15g cacao butter – around 3 teaspoons
5g coconut oil – around 1 teaspoon
20 drops of 10% CBD oil – I get mine here, it’s organic, full spectrum and grown in Austria
Instructions how to make CBD suppositories:
Melt the cacao butter and coconut oil in a hot water bath (by placing them in a small stainless steel pot or bowl which you then place in another, larger pot filled with hot water).
You can now either
- place 2 drops of CBD in each suppository mould slot and add the melted cacao butter / coconut oil mixture thereafter – a syringe is super useful here to not make a huge mess (trust me, on that one…), or
- add the CBD, stir it all together, and pour the blend into 10 slots of your suppository mould (best if you are using a homemade DIY suppository mold – more on that below)
Place the moulds in your fridge and leave them there until you want to use a CBD suppository.
One note on the CBD dosage:
You may of course adjust the amount of CBD to your needs.
This recipe is quite mild and will deliver 10mg of CBD per portion.
Some ready-made products have up to 100mg per portion, which would be 20 drops in each suppository if you are using 10% CBD.
Conversions:
Many brands also do not tell you a percentage of CBD but milligrams.
So here are some conversions for you, based on 10ml bottles.
If your bottle is bigger, it will be easy to multiply x2 for 20ml, x3 for 30ml, etc. to figure out the mg per bottle.
CBD % = CBD mg = CBD per drop
5 % = 500 mg = 2.5 mg CBD per drop
10 % = 1000 mg = 5 mg CBD per drop
15 % = 1500 mg = 7.5 mg CBD per drop
20 % = 2000 mg = 10 mg CBD per drop
(1 oz = 30 ml / 2 oz = 60 ml)
For CBD suppository molds, you have multiple options:
- One-way plastic molds: not eco-friendly, but an option if you want to be hygienic and gift them to a friend)
- Stainless steel moulds: reusable thus eco-friendly, however quite expensive and often hard to find, plus the only ones I saw online would have less than 10 spaces, which is annoying if you want to make enough to last you for a while
- Silicone moulds: also reusable, but I could not find any small enough for the purpose – I compared the sizes to tampon sizes and all the moulds were way larger.
- Make your own mold!
To make your own mold, you will need 1 cooking spoon with a long, round handle, and some aluminium foil or parchment paper.
Wrap the foil or parchment paper around the handle of the spoon several times, and make sure to seal it off tightly at one end. Then remove the spoon carefully – if you wrapped it tightly and pull too quickly, it will suck the air out and crumple up the foil.
Place your DIY suppository mold in a tall glass or bottle so it won’t tip over.
Fill it with your melted oil-CBD blend and place it in the fridge until firm. Once firm, cut into 10 equally long pieces and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
And there you have it! Super quick, super easy, and absolutely cost friendly.
Next step – how to use CBD suppositories!
Well, they are called suppositories for a reason, and technically, you have two options … giggles aside, here’s what to do:
- Unless it’s a really hot day, you can carry your CBD suppositories with you (if in doubt, prepare them with cacao butter only), however if possible, keep your CBD suppository stash in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to use them as they do melt quickly in your warm hands.
- Wash your hands before applying, then get comfortable and insert the CBD suppository with the pointed end first. You should not need any extra lubrication as the cacao butter is doing that job for you.Vaginally: insert the CBD suppository like a tampon, as far as it will go without causing any discomfort.
Rectally: lie on your side, with the lower leg straightened and the upper leg bent forward. Lift the upper butt cheek and insert the CBD suppository until it passes the muscular sphincter (around 2-3 cm / 1 inch for adults). Hold your buttocks together for several seconds and remain lying down for at least 5 minutes. - If you are not comfortable with this, use a suppository applicator.
- Remain lying down and rest for 5-30 minutes to avoid having it slip out again.
- While everyone is different, the average feedback on noticing the onset of effects is around 15-30 minutes for rectal application and 30-60 minutes for vaginal application.
- Therefore, make sure to record your experiences (e.g. in a journal, on your smartphone) to identify your best practices and patterns, so you can adjust as necessary and keep track of what makes you feel best.
One more tip if you are intending on using your CBD suppository internally:
Keep in mind the melted CBD suppository will melt and eventually find it’s way out again.
So if you can, lay down to insert and stay horizontal for at least 5 to 30 minutes after. It’s also a great option to use them before going to bed, and be comfortable while becoming familiar with potential effects before using them during daytime.
If you are intending on using your CBD suppositories vaginally, a menstrual cup is the perfect companion to prevent any leakage no matter whether you are lying down or out and about. You can find those cups in most drug stores, organic shops or online these days.
Finally, remember that this does not replace proper nutrition and rest as well as daily movement to get oxygen into your body and fully activate a regenerative healing process.
Stay well and happy friends!