The Best CBD Cream
For Pain Relief in 2025

We’ve tried a lot of formulas over the years, and Medterra continues to stand out with some of the best CBD creams for targeted relief. Their Pain Relief Cream remains one of our top picks for easing muscle and joint discomfort.

It blends CBD with Arnica and Menthol, which we found delivers a noticeable cooling effect and helps us unwind after long workdays or tough workouts. You can choose between 500mg and 1000mg strengths, depending on how much relief you need, and both options have been consistently reliable for us.

If you want something a little lighter, we also like Medterra’s Rapid Recovery Cream. It’s a similar formula but comes in more flexible potencies: 250mg, 500mg, 750mg, and 1000mg. We reach for this one when we need quick support without a heavy cream texture.

Both the Pain Relief and Rapid Recovery formulas are available as roll-on CBD topicals, which we find travel-friendly and easy to apply without getting our hands messy.

Medterra also offers a Manuka Honey Healing Cream. While we don’t typically use this one for pain management, manuka honey has documented antibacterial properties that may support wound care and help protect irritated skin. It’s the priciest of Medterra’s topicals on a per-milligram basis, but if skin health is your priority, it may still be worth exploring.

We also tested CBDistillery’s full-spectrum CBDol Balm, and it earns a solid spot on our list of the best CBD creams for pain relief. The formula comes in a 500mg salve, made from soy-free shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax, with a proprietary blend of essential oils (eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, arnica, and more) that give it a distinct cooling and warming effect.

One of the things we liked most: it felt very soothing and penetrated the skin without feeling greasy. When we applied it to sore joints or tight muscles, we noticed relief within 20-30 minutes, and that effect lasted for a few hours. The presence of multiple botanicals provides a nuanced sensory experience that’s both calming and effective.

That said, it’s not perfect. The 1-oz container is quite small compared to other topicals. So, if you’re using it on larger areas, you might go through it faster than you’d expect. Also, the scent can be polarizing. Some in our team described it as slightly medicinal or “off,” especially if you’re sensitive to strong essential oil blends.

You can save on this topical by using our CBDistillery coupon codes.

We’ve had good experiences with Elixinol’s CBD topicals, especially if you live an active lifestyle and want support for workout-related soreness. The brand currently offers two formulas:

• Active Sports Gel – 1000mg or 2000mg
• Active Recovery Balm – 500mg

The Active Sports Gel stood out to us for pre-workout use. It combines CBD with Capsaicin, Arnica, and a blend of eucalyptus, peppermint, chamomile, and cassia bark oils. When we applied it before intense exercise, we felt a warming sensation that eased tension and helped us move more comfortably. If you deal with stiff joints or tight muscles before training, this gel can offer reliable support.

For post-workout relief, we usually reach for the Active Recovery Balm. It also features Capsaicin and Arnica, but it goes a step further by adding menthol crystals, lavender, and avocado oil. That mix gave us a cooling effect first, followed by deeper relief as the CBD absorbed into the skin. In our tests, it worked well for tenderness and general muscle fatigue after long runs or heavy lifts.

Both formulas use full-plant hemp extracts and are third-party lab tested, which gives us confidence in their purity and potency. Pricing generally ranges from $39.99 to $89.99, depending on the strength you choose.

We really like NuLeaf Naturals’ full-spectrum CBD Balm, especially for folks who are new to CBD topicals and want a clean, high-quality option. In our testing, its simplicity is what shines. It’s made with just two ingredients: full-spectrum hemp extract and organic shea butter.

This balm comes in three potencies: 300mg (0.5 oz), 600mg (1.0 oz), or 900mg (1.5 oz), which gives you a few size and strength options depending on how much you need. We found the texture rich and moisturizing but not greasy, and its unscented formulation feels very gentle (great for sensitive skin or people who don’t like strong fragrances).

Because it’s full-spectrum, you get the “entourage effect” from cannabinoids and terpenes working together, which we felt helped with general skin comfort and mild discomfort. Every batch is third-party lab tested, and NuLeaf provides Certificates of Analysis (CoAs) so we could verify purity and potency.

One limitation: you can’t pick arbitrary potencies. Instead of choosing a specific strength, you’re choosing a jar size. So, if you want a lower or higher dose than what they offer, you’re out of luck.

We also tried FOCL’s Deep Relief Cooling Cream. It combines broad-spectrum hemp extract (so THC-free) with a host of botanical ingredients (camphor bark oil, aloe vera, shea butter, arnica, eucalyptus, wintergreen oil, and menthol) to deliver really effective soothing relief.

When we applied it to sore muscles or stiff joints, the cooling impact from the menthol and eucalyptus was immediate. The camphor added a deeper, penetrating comfort, while arnica helped ease swelling, and aloe soothed our skin. Over multiple uses, it felt like a fast-acting, reliable topical that helped take the edge off discomfort.

The price point really stood out to us: you can get a 1000mg jar for $39, which is very competitive among premium CBD topicals. FOCL also supports cost savings through a subscription program (20% off) and occasional bundle deals.

On the flip side, the scent might not be for everyone: given the mix of menthol, wintergreen, and camphor, some in our team described it as strongly “medicinal.”

We’ve tested a lot of CBD topicals over the years, and cbdMD Freeze Pain Relief Roll-On remains one of the best topical cannabidiol solutions.

The 1500mg strength delivered some of the most consistent relief for muscle tension and joint discomfort. If you’re dealing with more intense or chronic pain, there’s also a 3000mg option that gave us a noticeably stronger effect. For milder needs, the 300mg and 750mg versions are still solid choices.

The roll-on format is especially convenient. We like that we can shake it and apply it directly to sore spots without getting product on our hands. It worked well for targeted areas (stiff neck, lower back pain, post-workout muscle strain, and arthritis flare-ups).

This formula contains broad-spectrum hemp extract, which means you get CBD along with other beneficial cannabinoids like cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabinol (CBN), but zero THC. So, there are no intoxicating effects.

The relief comes mainly from a combination of these cannabinoids and 4% menthol, which gave us that cooling “icy” sensation within seconds. We typically used it up to four times per day when discomfort spiked, and it absorbed quickly without leaving a sticky residue.

If you’re interested in this product, you can use our cbdMD coupon to save.

We were impressed by the pain relief topicals developed through the partnership between Charlotte’s Web and CBDMedic.

This line includes targeted formulas for arthritis discomfort, active sports recovery, and foot and ankle pain, and we found that each one delivered relief specific to the issue we were trying to manage. The balms also left our skin feeling softer, which makes sense given Charlotte’s Web’s focus on moisturizing plant-based ingredients.

The blends are made with broad-spectrum hemp extract along with menthol, camphor, and botanical moisturizing oils, and we liked that a little product went a long way. We typically felt the cooling effect within a few minutes of application.

Charlotte’s Web products are also reasonably priced compared to other premium CBD topicals, which makes them a strong option if you want reliable relief without going over budget. Beyond these pain relief creams, the company offers a large catalog including CBD oils, capsules, gummies, and pet products, so it’s easy to keep everything in one place if you prefer a single trusted brand.

When we tested Green Roads Muscle & Joint Relief Cream, the first thing we noticed was its texture. It’s smooth, non-greasy, and easy to rub in without leaving that heavy, waxy feeling some topicals have.

Each ounce contains 150mg of broad-spectrum CBD sourced from American-grown hemp, and we could immediately tell the formulation was thoughtfully made.

As we applied it, the combination of chamomile extract and lavender oil delivered a calming, spa-like scent. It wasn’t overpowering, but just enough to make the experience feel comforting, especially after a long workday or an intense gym session.

Green Roads offers this cream in 150mg and 350mg strengths, and recently introduced a 750mg roll-on option. We appreciate having dosing flexibility; some days call for a lighter application, while other times we want a more concentrated formula. Because the company was founded by a pharmacist, we felt confident in the consistency and safety of the product, which matters when you’re using a topical for regular relief.

After using it multiple times, we found this Muscle & Joint Relief Cream to be especially effective for back pain. The relief wasn’t instant like a menthol-heavy product, but it built gradually and left our muscles feeling noticeably more at ease.

When we tried SOL CBD Hemp-Infused Balm, we were impressed by how thoughtfully the formula was crafted. It blends CBD oil with more than a dozen essential oils and natural herbal extracts, giving it a rich, earthy aroma that immediately stood out from the other topicals we reviewed.

One ingredient that really caught our attention is ucuuba butter. This is a lesser-known but powerful botanical with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It’s traditionally used to support skin conditions, such as eczema, acne, arthritis, rheumatism, and even skin ulcerations, which adds another layer of benefit beyond muscle relief.

The balm has a smooth, creamy texture that melts quickly into the skin. During testing, we found it be one of the most pleasant to rub on, to the point where we agreed it could double as a fantastic massage balm. It has a clean, natural scent (noticeable, but not overpowering), which made it a favorite for evening wind-down routines.

In terms of relief, we did experience some improvements in muscle tension and minor soreness, but we found it wasn’t as strong as some of the higher-potency CBD pain creams we tested. On the plus side, it comes in a larger container, which means it lasts longer. However, the tradeoff is that it contains less CBD per ounce than the other topicals in our lineup.

We also appreciated that SOL CBD backs its balms with a 60-day money-back guarantee, which is always reassuring when you’re trying a product for the first time.