This Way to a Highly Prepared Holiday Season

Look, like it or love it, the holidays are upon us. As in, ’tis the season to channel your inner Tasmanian Devil just to get through it all. A stressful time, some may say. A season to spend inordinate amounts of time with family, choosing perfect gifts, maxing out the CCs, eating foods and drinking drinks that leave us slower and without a skip in our regular step. It’s a few weeks to burn the midnight oil, to wrap up the year at work, to possess continuous holiday cheer (even around the people we do *not* prefer), and to prepare to unplug (which is remarkably stressful unto itself). And all of this, in the name of the holidays.

Well, fine: Bring. It. On.

This year’s a cool year because, arguably, it's still one of the first where cannabis really hit its mainstream stride. And that means the holidays are probably going to look — and feel — a little different. For one, if you’ve spent the last however many years hiding your cannabis consumption, this will be your coming out party. But if you’re new to cannabis, it will also be an especially good year to experiment with both your boundaries and those of the people in your orbit.

Let your freak flag fly, as it were.

Roll out the cannabis products at the in-laws and field a barrage of cheeky questions. Show your mom the way to the CBD aisle. And if ever a person rubbernecks you at an office party because you’ve pulled out a vape, blow smoke in their face (figuratively). Because this year is the first year that the shame cloud that’s followed cannabis consumers for decades — that’s put people in jail for non-violent crimes — now hangs firmly over their heads instead. And if that isn’t the best part, there’s the fact that cannabis really can make high stress times more manageable — nay, fun even.

So, in preparation for the next few cuckoo bananas weeks, we’ve put together a highly prepared stash, complete with everything you need to slide ever so gracefully into (and out of) this holiday season. And to do it all with a skip your regular step, a little less inflammation, a rainbow aura that’s the envy of all your friends, the dewiest skin since your little bum was fresh from the womb, and a generally well-rested way.

Happy holidays and welcome to the high road.

Plant People Balm

It’s always nice to know who makes the products you buy and to know they’re your kind of people. Plant People are just that. The founders come by their obsession with CBD honestly: One of them is an award-winning chef, so it’s no surprise that their products are not only well-made, but good for us too. Plant People's high-potency full spectrum spectrum salve with supporting botanicals soothes sore muscles, sprains and bruises, stiff joints and promotes skin circulation. It is formatted with organic, full spectrum hemp extract, high in CBD, and activating botanicals.

Apothecanna Calming Creme

The best time to moisturize your skin is as soon as your get out of the shower—ideally when it's still damp. The soothing combination of lavender, chamomile, CBD, and frankincense extract in Apothecanna's Calming Body Creme makes moisturizing a full-on sensory experience while also chilling you out. And no, cannabis-infused topicals will not make you high.

Vertly CBD Infused Lip Butter

Vertly’s infused balm is deliciously moisturizing, healing, and protective. Made with coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, cacao, CBD, jojoba oil, vitamin E, peppermint, and vanilla, this balm is entirely plant-based. Plus, the woman behind the Vertly magic just happens to be a former beauty editor, so she knows what she’s talking about.

Foria Awaken Arousal Oil

Unless you’ve been blessed with a vagina that self-lubricates on command, then you’re probably on the lube tip. You’ve tried them all—the ones that'll do and the terrible ones. But have you found one that is actually great? Just like our mouths, our vaginas are delicate orifices that deserve clean stuff only. Foria Awaken’s CBD-infused lube is all that—a completely natural coconut-oil-based lubricant that’s as good to eat as it is to spray on your fancy bits.

Lord Jones High CBD Tincture

The body's endocannabinoid system is responsible for maintaining the body’s equilibrium or homeostasis—which is fancy speak for regulating things like pain, appetite, sleep, immune function, and stress. This phytocannabinoid rich hemp oil is a great supplement for this system. The CBD activates internal receptors to release the body’s stressors, engage the mind, lift the spirit, and promote overall well-being.

Ildi Pekar CBD Mask

This stuff doesn’t come cheap, but if ever you were going to shell out on a decadent treatment for your face, let this be the one. Possibly the first CBD mask of its kind—and developed by the facialist to the impossibly beautiful Miranda Kerr—this is a magical blend of highly concentrated ingredients that can target, correct, and actually prevent cell damage.

Frigg Face Potion

Since your skin is a sponge, not a shield, it’s your job to make sure you’re not putting anything weird on it. Frigg’s face potion is a staple for any clean beauty routine. Made with highly nourishing, responsibly sourced plant ingredients—squalene, sea buckthorn oil, meadowfoam seed oil, argan oil, vitamin E, and more—this hydrating oil is one of our fave ways to refresh and protect skin while tackling puffiness and dryness.