CBD Products We Love for Better Sleep, Managing Travel Stress, and More
By now, most of us have a CBD product or two in our dopp kit. After all, these cannabis plant-derived concoctions are touted as helping with sleep, anxiety, and aches and pains—issues that frequent travelers know a thing or two about.
But CBD can be hard to navigate. Many travelers don't totally understand what it is, legality varies by state, and, honestly, it's hard to figure out which products are actually worth your money. The shortest answers to the above? CBD is one of many active compounds found in the cannabis plant (but not the part that gets you high, that's THC); it's legal on a federal level, which means that the TSA will let you fly with it, though states can set their own rules and restrictions on the ground; and we've rounded up our favorite CBD products right here—with help from our friends, like Vic Styles of Black Girls Smoke, Gossamer magazine co-founder Verena von Pfetten, and a number of our editors.
Read on for our favorite bedtime teas, creams, tinctures, and more—whether you need to fight jet lag, calm travel anxiety, or soothe aches and pains from lugging that overstuffed carry-on around. (If you're traveling internationally, note that international laws around CBD vary widely, and you'll want to check the rules for wherever you're headed before packing any of these products.)
All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Xula Lights Out tincture
Xula is a Latinx- and Black-owned CBD brand that “fuse[s] ancestral herbal knowledge and modern scientific understanding” in creating its products, with an “aim to dignify, amplify, and revive menopausal bodies, trans bodies, differently-abled bodies, nonbinary bodies, and all bodies left out of our society’s gaze.”
There are tinctures specifically for period pains and menopause, for starters, but their popular Zzz! Lights Out tincture is what chef and CBD devotee DeVonn Francis swears by. “I’m a terrible sleeper on any given day and frequent travel makes it super hard to keep a normal work rhythm let alone maintain a sleep schedule,” says Francis. “I take Zzz! Lights Out before a flight, and to help me get back into my sleep groove no matter the time difference.”
Juna Ease drops
As you explore the world of CBD, you’ll find a few sister ingredients like CBN and CBG. Like CBD, they won’t get you high like THC but have a variety of soothing effects.
Molly Mathias, the owner of Go Easy Shop in Dallas and Houston, says that Juna Ease Drops made with a blend of CBD and CBG are her pick for reducing stress on travel days. “Juna Ease Drops contain 600mg CBD and 600 mg of CBG (per bottle) which is a perfect mix for travel as it relaxes you but doesn't make you too sleepy with the CBG—I find CBG better for daytime use than CBD personally!”
Mathias suggested putting this oil in a morning smoothie or coffee, or under your tongue like other tinctures. But her special trick? “You can also put a few drops directly into your bath for some muscle relief—I try to always book a room with a tub.”
Sagely Naturals Calm & Centered roll-on
If you’re an essential oil lover, you can appreciate the beauty—and convenience—of a handy roll-on. Sarah Polansky, the founder of Prismatic Plants, likes to use one from Sagely Naturals Calm & Centered when on the go.
“I’m one of those people that hates just sitting around at the airport which means I end up rushing to get to the gate,” Polansky says. “Once I plop down in a huff trying to get all my stuff squared away under the seat, I need some quick chill.” She says that this roll-on, made with a blend of CBD and “relaxing essential oils” like bergamot, lavender, and chamomile, is the first thing she turns to, rubbing a little behind her ears and onto her wrist points. (For an even deeper chill, she chases it with a dropper full of her Prismatic Plants Good Day elixir.)
Not Pot CBD gummies
When you want to conk out on the flight naturally, these blueberry-flavored CBD gummies have you covered according to Vic Styles, creator of the Black Girls Smoke community and cannabis brand Good Day Flor. “I typically use THC to help me sleep at night, but I can’t travel with it internationally and these gummies are the next best thing,” says Styles. “They are easy to throw in my purse or carry-on, easy to consume, and they work. I take one before bedtime and they help me fall (and stay asleep) effortlessly.”
The gummies are vegan and Not Pot is woman-owned. For Styles, though, the brand loyalty really stems from the Not Pot Bail Fund: “It was created in an effort to support decriminalization and give relief to people of color and communities who have been affected by the war on drugs.”
Botanika Life CBD roller
When that overloaded travel backpack starts to really dig into her shoulders Condé Nast Traveler’s global associate social director, Mercedes Bleth, reaches for her Botanike Life roller. With 1000 mg of full spectrum CBD, lidocaine, and menthol, it offers “instant, cooling pain relief on sore muscles.” It also smells incredible, she says. No-mess application means you can keep moving too. Just roll it on sore spots without worrying about a greasy cream or oil spreading onto your clothing—it dries almost instantly.
CBD Rose Delights
Like classic Turkish delights, these edibles are gummy candies that have been handmade with CBD rosin (which is pressed out of the plant, preserving active ingredients). But they also take the idea of CBD edibles to a whole new level, using high-quality whole ingredients sourced in California, and often made in partnership with big-deal chefs on limited-run recipes. The Los Angeles-based brand has released an apple-passionfruit set of delights made by Dominique Crenn, a “Magical Grapes” concoction by Virgilio Martínez, and a chocolate bar made with 2,714 day-old mole from the team behind Pujol.
Verena von Pfetten, the co-founder of Gossamer magazine which also makes a number of CBD products, says these Turkish delights are her go-to. “These are literally the only CBD edibles I will eat—it's also why we work with Rose to make our Stoned Fruit Delights,” says von Pfetten. “If you're like me and need a sweet snack on airplanes, pack a box. Pop two or three and you'll feel perfectly relaxed wherever you are and wherever you end up."
High Falls Hemp full-spectrum tincture
Some CBD oils just hit differently—and this is one of those. The full-spectrum CBD tincture with terpenes from High Falls Hemp, based in New York's Hudson Valley, is an instantly and noticeably relaxing oil that will really help you get some shut eye. Even better, you can customize the potency from 300 to 3000 mg of CBD per bottle. (They have a guide on their site to help you figure out which concentration and dose is best for you.)
This oil is easy to work into your bedtime routine at home, but on the go it helps with the disrupted sleep that a new place and sounds can bring. Just put a dropper’s-worth under your tongue before bed and count on sleeping soundly through the night—or flight. (Their vegan gummies are pretty great, too.) With no added flavors, the subtle hemp taste is a reminder of how genuinely pure the product is.
Mineral CBD salve
Though sublingual tinctures are the most effective way to absorb CBD, salves are a great way to target sore muscles and joints. Mineral makes a range of gorgeous CBD skincare products (we're also partial to their facial cleanser and body oil) with whole plant CBD oil and a blend of fragrant essential oils. Their extra strength recovery salve is made with hydrating coconut oil, energizing peppermint, and soothing sandalwood, for a thick balm that melts as you rub it on pain points. The compact glass jar seals tight for travel—and the scent is better than any travel-size fragrance you might consider packing.
Tonic Vibes body butter
As far as topical CBD products go, a moisturizing cream with a hit of soothing botanics might be the best of both worlds for busy travelers. “I doubt I'm the only one who suffers from dry hands, especially now that I'm traveling back on planes,” says Go Easy’s Mathias. “This body butter saves my life—it helps bring inflammation and redness down while giving a huge boost of moisture.” Plus, it comes in a small, easy-to-transport tin that you can throw in your bag and whip out at a moment’s notice, allowing this rich blend of shea, mango, and cocoa butters—plus CBD and CBG—to do what they do best.
Even better? Tonic is a woman-owned brand and a woman-owned farm, focused on organic cultivation. “Everything you want your CBD provider to be!” says Mathias.
Dieux Skin Deliverance serum
Gossamer’s Von Pfetten knows that a multitasking product means happier packing—and Dieux’s Deliverance serum with CBD is one she never leaves at home. “I recently streamlined my skincare routine to the barest of essentials, and have found my life easier, my travel dopp kit a lot smaller, and my skin a lot happier,” she says. “Only a handful of products made the cut, and Dieux's Deliverance serum is one of them.”
She says the soothing, moisturizing ingredients in this serum have been a blessing for her skin, especially in the era of face masks (and the skincare problems that come with them). Not only is Dieux committed to ingredient and price transparency, von Pfetten adds, but their co-founder Charlotte Palermino is a “fount of skincare knowledge.” In short, they've got all the key ingredients to a product that won't let you down.
Lord Jones CBD gumdrops
Whether you're new to CBD or a regular consumer, there's always something nice about an incognito product that you can pop in your mouth wherever you are. Lord Jones, which also makes ever-popular body creams and tinctures, sells gorgeous (and giftable) gumdrops that are made by hand, with natural fruit flavors and a solid 20mg of CBD per drop. Bite into one before bed for a great night's sleep, whether you're in a plush hotel bed or spending a night under the stars.
Beam Dream Powder
CBD teas are an easy way to dabble—maybe you aren’t used to the idea of a dropper of oil under your tongue, but cozying up with a warm drink is a welcome end to any travel day. Beam, which makes great CBD oils and capsules, does a sleep-targeted cocoa powder with melatonin that Traveler's destinations editor Shannon McMahon likes. Pack the whole bag, bring the frother (included with your purchase of Beam Dream powder), and whip up a cup of bedtime cocoa by simply adding hot water. In addition to CBD and melatonin, the mix has sleep-supporting vitamins and minerals like magnesium and nano hemp.
Gossamer Dusk oil
Gossamer naturally makes their own CBD oil: two, in fact, named Dawn and Dusk. To no surprise, Dawn is a morning formula, and Dusk is designed for evenings, with the former engineered to give you focus throughout the day and the latter for that solid eight hours of beauty sleep. What travelers will love about Gossamer's Dusk blend, though, is that it won't only help you fall asleep, but stay asleep—perfect should your seat mate begin shifting mid-flight, or for when pre-trip anxiety threatens to wake you up well before your alarm clock goes off.
