Full spectrum vs broad spectrum vs isolate CBD: what's the difference?

Full-spectrum CBD keeps the hemp plant's natural range of cannabinoids, including traces of THC. Broad-spectrum CBD also contains several cannabinoids, but it is THC-free. CBD isolate is purified CBD on its own. Choose full-spectrum for the whole-plant profile and broad-spectrum if you want no THC. Either way, check the batch certificate.

"Full spectrum", "broad spectrum" and "isolate" describe what is in the extract besides CBD. This guide explains the three types, shows the real cannabinoid profiles of our current oils, sums up what research says about the entourage effect, and helps you choose. Our oils are sold as cosmetics for use on the skin. Always follow the directions on your label.

What is the difference between full spectrum, broad spectrum and isolate CBD?

These are industry terms rather than legal categories. A European study of 14 CBD oils found wide differences in cannabinoid profiles between products, and 9 of the 14 differed notably from their declared CBD content (Pavlovic et al., 2018). The label tells you the type. The batch certificate shows what is actually in the bottle.

What is full-spectrum CBD oil?

A full-spectrum extract keeps the cannabinoids that the hemp plant makes alongside CBD. Besides CBD, these include CBG (cannabigerol), CBC (cannabichromene), CBN (cannabinol), CBDV (cannabidivarin) and a natural trace of THC. Hemp extracts also carry terpenes, the aroma compounds of the plant.

Our full-spectrum oils have a THC specification under 0.2%, and every published report is below that. Each oil's THC value is printed on the label, with the batch number.

Our two full-spectrum 30 ml blends go further. Zermatt Balance combines CBD, CBG, CBN, CBC and CBDA, and St. Moritz Restore combines CBD, CBG and CBC. You can see those cannabinoids on their current reports in the table below. If you want to read about the individual compounds, see our guides to CBG and CBN.

What is broad-spectrum CBD, and is it THC-free?

Broad-spectrum CBD keeps CBD and other cannabinoids, but without THC. That makes it the choice for people who like a multi-cannabinoid oil and want no THC at all, for example because they are drug-tested at work.

We call our broad-spectrum oils "THC-free". They have a 0% THC specification, and their batch reports show THC as not detected. Lugano Clarity combines CBD and CBG, and Lucerne Calm combines CBD, CBG and CBDA. Our classic THC-free oils also keep other cannabinoids, such as CBG and CBC, as their reports on the test results page show.

Research on THC-free products is encouraging. In a 2025 study, 20 healthy adults took a commercial broad-spectrum CBD product by mouth every day for two weeks, about 34 mg of CBD a day. Neither THC nor its breakdown products could be detected in their urine at the end (Zvorsky et al., 2025). That study used another company's product, not ours. If testing is your main concern, our guide CBD and drug tests explains how tests work and what to choose.

What is CBD isolate?

CBD isolate is CBD purified from the other plant compounds. It is usually a white crystalline powder, which is then mixed into a carrier oil or another product. It contains no other cannabinoids and no terpenes.

People choose isolate when they want CBD and nothing else. In a controlled study, 100 mg of pure CBD, swallowed or vaporised, did not produce a confirmed positive urine test at standard workplace cut-offs (Spindle et al., 2020).

We don't make isolate oils. For customers who want no THC, we make THC-free broad-spectrum oils, which keep other cannabinoids as well as CBD.

What is in our oils? Cannabinoid profiles from our lab reports

This table shows the current batch reports for our four 30 ml blends. All four were analysed on 8 April 2026. The report shows each value after complete decarboxylation, so the CBDA in a formula is counted within the CBD figure.

The chart shows that "THC-free" does not have to mean "CBD only". Both types in our range carry other cannabinoids. The full-spectrum oils add the plant's natural THC trace and a wider mix, and the THC-free oils add CBG without THC.

Is full spectrum better than isolate? What the entourage effect research shows

The idea behind choosing full or broad spectrum is the "entourage effect": the theory that plant compounds work better together than alone. The research is still developing, and it points in more than one direction.

• Where the term comes from. A research team in Jerusalem that included Raphael Mechoulam coined "entourage effect" in 1998. They found that fatty compounds in the body, which do nothing on their own, strengthened the effect of the body's own cannabinoid 2-AG (Ben-Shabat et al., 1998).
• The plant hypothesis. A 2011 review proposed that cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG and CBC, and terpenes such as limonene, myrcene and linalool, may work together in cannabis extracts. The author also set out how such effects could be tested in future experiments (Russo, 2011).
• An animal study. In mice, purified CBD worked best at a middle dose and less well at higher doses (a "bell-shaped" response). A CBD-rich plant extract gave a response that kept rising with the dose, and the authors suggest other components in the extract work with CBD (Gallily et al., 2015).
• Observational data in people. A 2018 analysis pooled reports from 670 people with treatment-resistant epilepsy who used CBD products. People on CBD-rich extracts reached similar responder rates to those on purified CBD at about a quarter of the average dose: 6.0 against 25.3 mg per kg a day. (Responders had at least halved their seizures: 37% with extracts, 42% with purified CBD.) The extract group also reported improvement more often (71% against 46%) and reported side effects less often. The authors say controlled trials are needed to confirm the difference (Pamplona et al., 2018; doses as corrected in the corrigendum).
• How it might work. Two laboratory studies tested common cannabis terpenes on the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors and found no direct effect, alone or combined with THC or CBD. The researchers conclude that if an entourage effect exists, it works through other targets in the body (Santiago et al., 2019; Finlay et al., 2020).

In short: there are promising signals for whole-plant extracts, and scientists are still working out how and when compounds combine. The studies above looked at other products, used in medical or laboratory settings. They do not describe our cosmetic oils, which are for use on the skin. For the full story, read our guide to the entourage effect.

Which should you choose?

• You want the whole hemp profile: choose full spectrum. It keeps the plant's own cannabinoids, including its natural THC trace.
• You want other cannabinoids but no THC: choose THC-free broad spectrum. This is also the simple choice if you are tested for drugs at work or at the roadside. See CBD and drug tests.
• You compete in sport: WADA allows CBD, but prohibits all other natural and synthetic cannabinoids in competition (WADA Prohibited List 2026, S8). Full- and broad-spectrum oils both contain some, such as CBG. Check with your national anti-doping agency before using any cannabinoid product.
• You want CBD and nothing else: that is isolate. We don't make isolate oils.

How can you check the type on a lab report?

A certificate of analysis (COA) lists the cannabinoids measured in one batch. To check the type:

1. Match the batch. The batch number on your bottle should match the report.
2. Find the THC line. A full-spectrum oil shows a small Δ9-THC value. A THC-free oil shows "n.d." (not detected) or 0.00.
3. Look for other cannabinoids. CBG, CBC or CBN values mean a full- or broad-spectrum oil. An isolate shows CBD and little else.
4. Compare the CBD value with the label. It should be close to the stated percentage.

Every production batch is tested, and we publish the certificates of analysis on our test results page.

Compare full-spectrum and THC-free versions in our CBD oil collection.