About two weeks ago, I gave away an OilScience voucher worth R1000 and now I’ve got ANOTHER one to give away. But before we get into that, as promised, let me tell you how they’re working out for me.

I was given a few of their products a while ago and was super keen to give them a bash. I’ve been working like a dog lately, juggling multiple projects with heavier than usual workloads in a bid to finish earlier in the month. This has meant a string of late nights (many of which have been sleepless) and a sexy li’l eczema outbreak just beneath each eye, something that tends to pop up when I’m burning the candle at both ends. To add to my stress-related woes, I’ve caught the flu that’s been plaguing my office. (Isn’t summer flu the best?!)

On the upside, I’ve become the perfect test monkey for CBD oil, so let me fill you in on how it’s going.

The first product I started trialling was OilScience’s Premium CBD Oil Drops. It contains 1000mg of CBD extract and has a yummy cinnamon flavour. Like everything in the line, it’s 100% natural, vegan-friendly and completely free of THC. (The latter is the psychoactive part of the marijuana plant so OilScience won’t get you high but it does contain cannabinoids that can assist with inflammation and pain.)

Having used the drops every night for just over three weeks I can attest to the fact that it wasn’t a sure fire-fix for insomnia. Sure, there were nights I could get to sleep on my own, but for the most part, I had to reach for a mix of melatonin and GABA on “good” nights and a proper sleeping tablet on bad ones. In all fairness though, I’ve been sky high on ephedrine thanks to the flu. I did notice, however, that my perma-tense shoulder, which had been driving me MAD up until recently, hasn’t bugged me as much. So much so that I cancelled my last acupuncture appointment!

Also, another ‘fun’ thing that happens when I’m overworked or haven’t had enough sleep is that the back of my hands start to buuuurn. It’s always around this time of year – wrap up season – that you’ll find me pressing the back of my hands up against cool walls in between pounding on my laptop. So, because I’ve been expecting it, I’ve been using OilScience’s CBD Rescue Gel as a hand cream. I really like its non-greasy oil-gel texture. Aside from the CBD content, it contains hydrating baobab oil and soothing lavender, which makes it really nice to use before bed. My goal was to see if I could prevent “burn season” and I’m happy to say I’m yet to experience it. I can’t say for certain if it’s due to the anti-inflammatory properties of the gel, the oil I’m consuming or just plain old improved stress management, but either way, I’m not lying in bed at night Googling “early signs of arthritis” and “what are the symptoms of MS”.

Lastly, let’s talk about OilScience’s CBD Skin Restore Cream – a mega-moisturising mix of CBD extract, coconut oil, Shea butter, hemp seed oil and rose geranium oil. While OilScience describes it as a cream, it’s actually got a balm texture – kind of like Arden’s Eight Hour Cream. Also, thanks to to the rose geranium oil, it smells a lot like Iced Zoo biscuits. Yum! I applied it to one of the eczema patches under my eyes and expected it to sting but it didn’t. I also worried the essential oil content might negate any of the CBD benefits, but a quick google revealed rose geranium oil is a super soother for inflammatory skin conditions. Phew! Within two days my untreated patch still stung every time I washed my face, but the treated one didn’t and was barely visible. Clearly, OilScience’s mix went a long way towards helping to restore my skin’s barrier function. It also did a great job of protecting it – during the height of flu horror, I slathered it all over my nose to prevent “nose chap” from all the tissues I was going through. It also makes for a great cuticle treatment and has helped bring my dry, dead nail beds back to life in between Gelish sessions.

Keen to try anything yourself? If you’re feeling lucky you might win that gift card, but you’ll have to get in it to win it so keep your eyes peeled. My comp will be live on Facebook and Instagram around lunchtime. Good luck peeps!

Love, love

Leigh