How to Use a CBD Spray Properly (and 3 Mistakes Most People Make)

By AJ, Sports Nutritionist at BulletCBD · Updated 27 October 2026

Quick answer: Here is how to use a CBD spray properly: shake the bottle, spray once under your tongue or inside your cheek, hold it for 60 to 90 seconds before swallowing, and take it at the same time each day, ideally with a meal. Know how many milligrams each spray delivers so you can keep the FSA's 10mg daily advice in mind. Our 6000mg Mint CBD Oil Spray is built for exactly this kind of simple, repeatable routine.

Sprays are the easiest CBD format to carry, and the easiest to use carelessly. A quick blast on the way out of the door, swallowed straight away, at a different time every day, is not a routine. Getting it right takes two minutes, and it is the difference between a product you use consistently and one forgotten at the bottom of your kit bag.

How to use a CBD spray: a step-by-step routine

Shake, spray under the tongue, hold, swallow, and repeat at the same time tomorrow.

1. Shake the bottle. CBD is carried in oil, and a quick shake keeps every spray consistent.
2. Prime a new pump. The first one or two presses into a tissue give you a full, even mist.
3. Spray once under your tongue or inside your cheek. Aim for the soft tissue, not the back of the throat.
4. Hold it for 60 to 90 seconds. With the fresh mint of our 6000mg spray, this is easier than it sounds.
5. Swallow and note the time. Pick a moment you already have in your day.
6. Cap it and store it upright, away from heat and sunlight. Our guide to storing CBD oil properly covers the details.

For every BulletCBD format, see our how to take guide.

What are the 3 mistakes most people make with a CBD spray?

Swallowing straight away, guessing the amount, and using it at random times.

Mistake 1: Swallowing immediately

Spraying at the back of your throat and swallowing turns a spray into a slightly more expensive drink. Holding the oil in your mouth for a minute is the habit that makes the format worth having. Scientists are still working out how much CBD the mouth lining absorbs, but holding it costs you nothing.

Mistake 2: Not knowing the milligrams per spray

"Two sprays" means very different things across brands. On our 1000mg Orange CBD Oil Spray, one spray is about 12mg; on the 6000mg Mint Spray it is about 20mg. The Food Standards Agency advises healthy adults to limit CBD from food to 10mg a day, and its Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Robin May, said in 2023 that "healthy adults should take no more than 10mg of CBD a day." A single spray of either product is above that figure, so read the serving guidance on your label. Our guide to CBD serving sizes and the FSA 10mg advice shows how to work it out for any product.

Mistake 3: Using it whenever you remember

A spray used on Monday morning, Wednesday night and not at all at the weekend is hard to judge. Attach it to something you already do daily: your first coffee, your post-training shake or your evening meal. Taking it with food is worth considering, for reasons the research makes clear.

What does the research say about how CBD from a spray is absorbed?

Early research suggests that when you take CBD, and whether you have eaten, may matter as much as the format itself.

A 2018 systematic review led by Sophie Millar at the University of Nottingham, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, gathered around two dozen human studies on how CBD moves through the body. In studies of oromucosal (mouth) sprays, blood CBD levels peaked roughly 1.6 to 4.2 hours after dosing. The authors noted that no study had measured the absolute bioavailability of CBD taken by mouth or spray, and that the evidence came from small, varied studies, many testing CBD alongside THC.

The review also highlighted a striking food effect. In one study of 12 men given a 10mg spray, total CBD exposure was about five times higher after eating than when fasted, though it peaked later. As the authors summarised: "Cmax is increased during fed states and in lipid formulations."

A 2019 University of Minnesota study in Epilepsia explored the same question with swallowed capsules of 99% pure CBD. In eight adults with drug-resistant epilepsy, a high-fat breakfast was linked to about four times the total exposure compared with an empty stomach. It was small and pharmaceutical rather than athletic, but lead researcher Angela Birnbaum put it plainly: "The type of food can make a large difference in the amount of CBD that gets absorbed into the body."

Researchers are also exploring CBD around training. A 2024 double-blind crossover study by Eduard Isenmann and colleagues in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition gave 17 well-trained athletes 60mg of CBD after each session of a six-day high-intensity block. Only the CBD oil condition was associated with lower myoglobin, a marker of muscle damage, versus placebo. The sample was small, the protocol short, and 60mg is six times the FSA's daily advice, so it is an early signal, not a recommendation.

The fair summary: the idea that a spray lets CBD bypass digestion is plausible, but human data comparing sprays with swallowed oils is thin. What the studies do point to is that timing, food and consistency make a difference.

When is the best time to use a CBD spray?

The best time is one you can repeat every day, ideally with a meal.

Moment in your day	Why it works as a habit	BulletCBD fit
Breakfast or first coffee	Easy to remember; pairs CBD with food	6000mg Mint Spray, plus Pure C8 MCT Oil in your coffee
Post-training meal or shake	Anchors CBD to the start of your recovery routine	6000mg Mint Spray from your kit bag
Evening meal	Fits a wind-down routine before screens go off	1000mg Orange Spray, or a 10mg gummy

If you want some fat with breakfast, a teaspoon of Bullet Organics Pure C8 MCT Oil stirred into coffee or oats is easy. It is the same coconut-derived C8 oil that carries our isolate sprays, unflavoured, and it stays liquid in the fridge. It contains no CBD itself. And if you would rather skip the milligram maths, each BulletCBD gummy is exactly 10mg.

Frequently asked questions

Should I spray CBD under my tongue or on my cheek?

Either works. Under the tongue is most common, but the inside of the cheek suits people who feel the urge to swallow quickly. Holding it for 60 to 90 seconds is what matters.

How many sprays of CBD should I take?

Check the milligrams per spray on your label: about 12mg on our 1000mg Orange Spray and about 20mg on the 6000mg Mint Spray. The FSA advises healthy adults to limit CBD to 10mg a day.

Is there research on how CBD sprays are absorbed?

Yes, but it is limited. A 2018 University of Nottingham review found CBD from sprays peaked in the blood within about 1.6 to 4.2 hours, and one small study linked eating beforehand to much higher absorption.

Can drug-tested athletes use a CBD spray?

WADA removed CBD from its prohibited list in 2018, but THC is still prohibited. A 99%+ pure isolate such as our 6000mg Mint Spray is the lowest-risk choice, though no product can guarantee a test result. Check the batch lab report and your governing body's rules.

Which BulletCBD spray suits your routine?

For most active people, the 6000mg Mint Spray is the place to start.

• 6000mg Mint CBD Oil Spray, 30ml (£34.95): 99%+ pure isolate in C8 MCT oil, fresh mint, 0.0% THC, about 300 sprays. At roughly 0.58p per mg it is the best value in our range, and the natural pick for tested athletes.
• 1000mg Orange CBD Oil Spray, 10ml (£20.00): broad-spectrum, natural orange, a smaller bottle for first-time spray users.
• Pure C8 MCT Oil, 500ml (£18.99): not a CBD product, but the easy morning partner for coffee, shakes or oats.

Every BulletCBD spray is made in the UK, vegan, on the FSA public list, and tested batch by batch in-house and then by independent labs.

The bottom line

Knowing how to use a CBD spray comes down to four habits: shake it, spray under your tongue, hold it for a minute, and take it at the same time each day with food. Know your milligrams per spray and keep the FSA's 10mg advice in mind. The absorption research is young, but it points to timing and consistency, which is exactly what a metered spray makes easy. Recovery is where progress actually happens. For the full kit, The Bullet Box brings the 6000mg Mint Spray, 1000mg Gummies and Pure C8 MCT Oil together for £65.99 instead of £83.93, with free UK delivery.

CBD food supplements are not suitable for under-18s, or for anyone pregnant or breastfeeding. If you take medication, speak to your GP or pharmacist before use. This article is general information, not medical advice. Sources: Millar SA et al. (2018), "A Systematic Review on the Pharmacokinetics of Cannabidiol in Humans", Frontiers in Pharmacology; Birnbaum AK et al. (2019), food effect on CBD oral capsules, Epilepsia, University of Minnesota (quote via Neuroscience News, August 2019); Isenmann E et al. (2024), "Influence of short-term chronic oral cannabidiol application on muscle recovery and performance after an intensive training protocol", Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition; Food Standards Agency, "FSA and FSS update consumer advice for CBD" (October 2023); WADA Prohibited List.