After evaluating nearly 1,000 CBD products from the largest and most established CBD brands in the U.S., shopCBD produced exciting lab results that showcase an unbiased assortment of reliable and trustworthy CBD. The company wanted to evaluate CBD products on the market to ensure they were safe and truly contained the labeled cannabinoids. shopCBD’s lab results showed that 43% of products contain less CBD than advertised, and among products deemed dangerous for human consumption, 52% contained arsenic or lead. These results were particularly alarming with products tailored for body and skin care, where 42% of products contained elevated levels of contaminants such as pesticides or heavy metals.

For those concerned about choosing the right body and skincare products, there are several brands that safely and reliably provide muscle and joint relief; soften skin; and offer a natural remedy to sunburns. Here are 8 tested options that include creams, balms, and sprays:

1. Medterra CBD Rapid Cooling Cream

Bearing a long list of incredibly powerful plant extracts and oils that will help to relieve your aches and pains, CBD Rapid Cooling Cream 750mg by Medterra contains menthol, arnica, rosemary, ginger root, and 750mg of CBD isolate. When you rub this cream onto the skin, you will detect a hint of a minty aroma. The texture is also adequate for fast absorption and relief.  

2. Green Roads Muscle & Joint Heat Relief

Providing a similar sensation to a conventional icy hot pain cream with the addition of 750mg of broad-spectrum CBD, Green Roads Muscle & Joint Heat Relief contains menthol and arnica. This roll-on will help to reduce pain and inflammation; improve circulation; as well as reduce headaches and migraine pain.

3. cbdMD Freeze Pain Relief Roller

Containing powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients such as arnica and menthol along with 750mg of broad spectrum CBD, the cbdMD Freeze Pain Relief Roller has the cooling sensation of menthol along with the moisturizing properties of aloe vera and vitamin E. This roller is a good choice for those that have aches and pains or catch sunburns.

4. Plant People Salve Plant Balm

The Plant People Salve Plant Balm is a beeswax based CBD salve that helps to create a calming effect on the skin using strong essential oils, along with 420mg of cannabinoids per container. A bonus to this product is soft and silky skin.

5. Social CBD Hemp Derived CBD Muscle Rub

Some of the ingredients included in the Social CBD Hemp Derived CBD Muscle Rub include arnica montana, menthol, tea tree, MSM, and 250mg of CBD. The rub absorbs fast into the skin and embellishes the surface with moisture rich aloe vera and vitamin E.

6. Papa & Barkley CBD Hemp Balm

This Colorado farm-based product, Papa & Barkley CBD Hemp Balm, prides itself on being made from all-natural ingredients including beeswax and essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint. The balm creates warming and cooling sensations when rubbed onto the skin.

7. PlusCBD Extra Strength Balm

Your back or neck aching is a serious distraction, but you can use PlusCBD’s extra strength CBD balm, created to soothe muscle aches. Some of the properties of the balm include hydrating plant oils; medicinal essential oils; 100mg of full-spectrum CBD; and willow bark, which has been called nature’s aspirin.

8. Vertly Cooling Body Spray

Those that engage in active workouts will benefit from the lavender and lemongrass scented Vertly Cooling Body Spray solution which relieves sore muscles. Some of the anti-inflammatory ingredients include Vertly Cooling Body Spray comfrey, peppermint, MSM, magnesium, and 125mg of full-spectrum CBD.

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• One in three young adults have at least one risk factor that could result in severe COVID-19 infections, a new study found.
• The researchers determined that smoking was the most prevalent risk factor for people in their late teens and 20s.
• Other factors like underlying diseases or genetic differences could also put young people at risk of severe infection.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

It’s become almost common knowledge that young people are less vulnerable to severe coronavirus infections.

Adults from 18 to 49 made up around 25% of hospitalized coronavirus patients in March, whereas those 65 and older represented around 43%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adults 18 to 44 years old made up just 2% of coronavirus deaths from February to May, while people 65 and above represented nearly 80%.

But certain factors that can put anyone at risk of serious illness, regardless of age. A new study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco determined that one in three young adults ages 18 to 25 are vulnerable to severe COVID-19 cases.

Patients were considered vulnerable if they had least one risk factor, including a smoking habit or chronic illness like heart disease, diabetes, asthma, obesity, autoimmune disease, or liver problems.

The researchers discovered that smoking was by far the most prevalent risk factor for people in their late teens and 20s. Of the roughly 8,400 young adults in the study, around 25% said they had smoked tobacco, e-cigarettes, or cigars in the last 30 days.

By contrast, only about 16% reported having a chronic illness. Asthma was by far the most common: Around 9% of young adults reported that they were asthmatic. That’s compared to around 12% who said they’d smoked tobacco in the last 30 days and around 7% who said they’d used e-cigarettes.

“The risk of being medically vulnerable is halved when smokers, including e-cigarette users, are removed from the sample,” the researchers wrote. Only about one in six young adults who didn’t smoke were vulnerable to severe COVID-19 illness, the study found.

The findings came just days after the World Health Organization warned about the link between smoking and severe coronavirus cases.

“Smoking kills 8 million people a year, but if users need more motivation to kick the habit, the pandemic provides the right incentive,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing on Friday. “Evidence reveals that smokers are more vulnerable than non-smokers to developing a severe case of COVID-19.”

Smoking habits differ among men and women

The UCSF study found that the risk of severe coronavirus infections from smoking or e-cigarette use was highest among young, white males with lower incomes who were uninsured for at least part of the year. 

Research has shown that white people are more likely to be daily smokers compared to other racial groups, though people of color face other coronavirus risk factors that weren’t included in the study. Black and Hispanic people, for instance, are more likely to hold service-industry jobs that increase their risk of coronavirus exposure. The results may also be skewed by the fact that the study examined far more white adults (55%) than Hispanic (22%) or Black (13%) adults.

Around 16% of the young adults who reported smoking in the study were men. Only 9% were young women. 

But women in the study had higher rates of asthma and autoimmune conditions like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. On the whole, that mostly offset the fact that fewer women smoke: 30% of young women in the study were vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infections compared to 33% of young men.

Genetic factors could also increase the risk severe infection

Since the coronavirus attacks the respiratory system first, patients who already suffer from smoking-related lung damage or inflammation could develop more severe respiratory problems as a result of COVID-19.

Research also suggests that smokers have higher expressions of ACE-2 receptors — the cell receptors that the coronavirus uses to invade the body — in their airways. People with more ACE2 receptors seem to have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection as well.

But even young patients without a smoking habit or underlying health conditions could still be at risk of a serious case of COVID-19. People ages 18 to 29 make up more than four times as many coronavirus hospitalizations as they did a few months ago: around 38 hospitalizations out of every 100,000 people as of July 4, compared to nine hospitalizations out of every 100,000 people on April 18.

Some young, healthy patients have also reported feeling sick for several months, with lasting symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath. That could be the result of genetic differences that result in a higher expression of ACE2 receptors or that trigger a more aggressive immune response.

But unlike many risk factors, smoking is one that can be prevented.

“Efforts to reduce smoking and e-cigarette use among young adults would likely reduce their medical vulnerability to severe illness,” the UCSF researchers wrote. Their findings, they added, underscore “the importance of smoking prevention and mitigation.”

Unless you’re a regular cannabis user, you might be surprised to learn that the plant itself is basically just that — a plant. It’s not until you put cannabis under high heat that the process of decarboxylation breaks down that raw form into the psychoactive compounds that can actually benefit the body. 

This unlocking process is why most people smoke cannabis and take in benefits like CBD, which is being studied as a natural alternative pain and symptom reliever for those who suffer from anxiety, depression, acne, heart disease, and even cancer.

Of course, the heating process under an open flame or even when cannabis is baked in an oven is often uneven and haphazard, causing the loss of over 50 percent of the available cannabinoids. The Ardent Flex All-in-One Portable Kitchen handles the whole process seamlessly while retaining those psychoactive properties that most users seek.

The Ardent is a device created to decarb cannabis with a single button press. Just put up to 4 ounces of your herb inside, hit the button, and in 90 minutes, you’ve got fully baked cannabis or help with a maximum potency, ready to be used in your own edibles, topicals, suppositories and more for a fraction of the price they’d cost at the dispensary.

The hyper-concentrated cannabis is particularly important for medical marijuana patients, but every cannabis enthusiast can benefit from the decarbed herb, even if they use a vaporizer. The Ardent also heats the plant enough to kill any spores or microbes inside that could adversely impact your health.

The whole unit is less than 18 inches tall and can easily sit unobtrusively on a kitchen counter for regular use. And unlike smoking or oven baking, the Ardent produces little to no smell, one of the biggest detractors from most decarboxylation processes. The base also detaches for easy cleanup.

Regularly $350, you can save $50 off the price of the Ardent Flex All-In-One Portable Kitchen right now with this deal, cutting your total down to just $299.99.

Prices are subject to change.

Do you have your stay-at-home essentials? Here are some you may have missed.