CBD cream or balm: 6 things to check before you buy
In France, a CBD cream, balm or gel can be sold legally as a cosmetic as long as it promises no effect on any disease. Since 26 March 2026, the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has considered CBD safe up to 0.19% in a product applied to the skin, and THC up to 0.00025% as an impurity. This benchmark has no legal force yet, and it remains the best reference for judging a product.
Key takeaways
- A CBD cosmetic comes under Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, outside the novel food regime, so it stays on sale after 15 May 2026.
- In a 50 ml jar, the 0.19% EU benchmark comes to 95 mg of CBD.
- On an INCI list, "Cannabidiol" is CBD, while "Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil" is a seed oil with no significant cannabinoid content.
- "Soothes eczema" and "anti-inflammatory" are claims no cosmetic may make.
- The same opinion rates CBD a weak to moderate skin sensitiser, so reactive skin calls for care.
The framework: a cosmetic, neither food nor medicine
Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 defines a cosmetic by what it does: it cleans, perfumes, changes the appearance of, protects or keeps in good condition the outer parts of the body. Article 20 forbids attributing to a product "characteristics or functions which it does not have". Any product that claims to treat a skin disease is therefore outside the cosmetic framework.
CBD has belonged in that framework since 2021. The French interministerial drug agency MILDECA notes that the EU database of cosmetic ingredients (CosIng) was amended in February 2021, after the Kanavape ruling, to include pure CBD. Annex II of the regulation still bans the narcotics listed in the 1961 Convention.
A product that is not swallowed falls outside the novel food regime. CBD creams and balms are therefore still on sale, while CBD foods were withdrawn on 15 May 2026, as CBD regulation in 2026 explains in detail. The finished product must still respect the 0.30% Δ⁹-THC threshold set by the decree (arrêté) of 30 December 2021. Article 17 of the cosmetics regulation also tolerates a small, unintended trace of a prohibited substance when it is technically unavoidable and safe.
The 0.19% benchmark: what the 2026 EU opinion says
The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) gives the European Commission its advice on cosmetic ingredients. Its final opinion on cannabidiol, adopted on 26 March 2026 (reference SCCS/1685/25), sets out two figures:
| Question put to the committee | Answer | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Safe concentration of CBD | Up to 0.19% in skin or oral products | 1.9 mg of CBD per gram of product |
| THC tolerated as an impurity | Up to 0.00025% | 2.5 mg of THC per kilo of product |
By the committee's own account, its assessment relies on limited data from few respondents, concerns pure CBD only and leaves inhaled products aside. It adds that CBD crosses the skin poorly. In the human studies it cites, absorption through the skin was 48 to 160 times lower than by mouth.
To see where a product stands, turn the stated amount into a percentage. For a cream whose density is close to 1, the formula is short: percentage = mg of CBD ÷ (volume in ml × 10). A 50 ml jar labelled 500 mg of CBD thus comes to 1%, five times the EU benchmark.
On its own, an SCCS opinion bans nothing. The Commission may then write a maximum concentration into the annexes of the regulation. Until it does, a product above 0.19% remains legal, though it exceeds what the committee could judge safe on the data available.
Cream, balm, gel, stick: what really changes
The four formats share one legal status. Their bases differ, and with them the texture and the points to watch.
| Format | Base | Texture | Point to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cream | Emulsion of water and oil | Light to rich, absorbs quickly | Usually contains preservatives, since there is water |
| Balm | Waxes and plant butters, no water | Dense, leaves a film | Rich: best for hands, elbows, feet |
| Gel | Gelled water phase | Cool | Often combined with menthol or camphor: test on a small area first |
| Stick | Solid base | Precise application | Small size: check the strength per gram |
CBD is lipophilic, meaning it dissolves in fats, so balms and massage oils often carry it. For oils, see CBD massage oil: INCI, dilution, storage.
The 6 things to check on the label
- Find the INCI name of CBD. Ingredients are listed under the international INCI nomenclature, by descending weight, and below 1% the order is free. "Cannabidiol" is CBD. "Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil" is a seed oil, a fat with no significant cannabinoid content. A "hemp" product listing only this oil has no CBD in it, a difference explained in CBD oil or hemp seed oil.
- Look for the strength, in mg and in %. No text makes it compulsory. A serious seller states it in mg per container, which lets you do the calculation above; without a figure, you cannot compare the product with the 0.19% benchmark.
- Ask for the certificate of analysis. It should give the batch number, the CBD content and the Δ⁹-THC line, plus the absence of HHC, H4CBD or THCP if the laboratory tested for them. Each line is explained in our guide to reading a certificate of analysis, and the laboratory page describes the measurement methods.
- Read the claims. Regulation (EU) 655/2013 sets six common criteria for every cosmetic claim: legal compliance, truthfulness, evidential support, honesty, fairness and informed decision-making. "Moisturises", "comfortable texture" and "for dry skin" are acceptable. "Anti-inflammatory", "painkiller", "relieves arthritis" and "soothes eczema" are wording reserved for medicines. Our article on six criteria for an authorised claim gives the exact limits.
- Check the mandatory label details. Under article 19 of Regulation 1223/2009, the packaging must carry the name and address of the responsible person and the nominal content. It must also give the date of minimum durability or the period after opening (the open-jar symbol), precautions for use, the batch number, the product's function if not obvious, and the ingredient list. Without a batch number, a product cannot be traced or recalled.
- Look at fragrance and allergens. The word "parfum" can cover several allergenic substances, and some of them must be named in the list. What changes in 2026 is explained in our article on fragrance allergens.
Sensitive skin, pregnancy, drug tests: precautions
For reactive skin, note that the SCCS opinion classes CBD as a category 1B skin sensitiser, which means weak to moderate. It bases this on several non-animal test methods and a guinea pig test. If your skin reacts easily, pick a fragrance-free formula and start on a small area. CBD cosmetics and sensitive skin goes further into the subject.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding call for more caution. In March 2025, ANSES proposed classifying CBD as toxic to reproduction, category 1B, and the proposal is still under review at EU level. If it is adopted, article 15 of the cosmetics regulation would in principle ban CBD in cosmetics, unless an exemption is granted. CBD and reproductive toxicity sets out the full picture; as a precaution, ask your doctor or midwife.
On drug tests, little CBD passes through the skin, and roadside tests look for THC only. Still, no source guarantees a negative result with a product that contains THC. CBD and saliva tests explains how the tests work.
If redness, itching or swelling appears, stop using the product. Tell the responsible person named on the packaging and report the effect to Anses, which runs cosmetovigilance in France. The product is still a cosmetic, and for a skin condition it is no substitute for a dermatologist's advice, as our article on CBD, eczema and psoriasis points out.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 governs them, outside the novel food regime, and they stay on sale after 15 May 2026, provided they hold no more than 0.30% Δ⁹-THC and make no therapeutic claim.
No legal limit exists yet. The EU opinion of 26 March 2026 considers CBD safe up to 0.19%, which is 95 mg in a 50 ml jar. A product above that is still allowed, though it exceeds the benchmark.
Nothing shows it does. No dose-effect relationship has been validated for use on the skin, and CBD penetrates the skin poorly. A higher strength mostly raises exposure.
Search for "Cannabidiol". "Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil" is hemp seed oil, which holds no significant cannabinoid.
Empty the jar, then follow the Info-tri sorting label printed on the packaging, which tells you which part goes in which bin. Having hemp in the formula changes nothing in the sorting instructions.
Written by the Phytogrammes team
Each journal article draws on cited primary sources: ANSM, EFSA, EUR-Lex and peer-reviewed publications. Product profiles are distinguished from documented laboratory results. Our approach.
Article published on . CBD is not a medicine.