Canna River's CBD Body Balm and CBD Body Lotion contain exactly the same cannabinoids in the same amounts: 1,250 mg each of CBD, CBC, CBN and CBG, 5,000 mg in total, for $50. What differs is everything around them. The balm is an anhydrous blend of oils, butters and beeswax in a 2 oz tin. The lotion is a water-based emulsion in a 3.4 oz bottle. Because the same 5,000 mg goes into a smaller container, the balm is about 1.7 times as concentrated per ounce.
The numbers side by side
| Body Balm | Body Lotion | |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabinoids | 1,250 mg each CBD, CBC, CBN, CBG | 1,250 mg each CBD, CBC, CBN, CBG |
| Total per container | 5,000 mg | 5,000 mg |
| Size | 2 oz tin | 3.4 oz bottle |
| Cannabinoids per ounce | 2,500 mg | 1,471 mg |
| Price | $50 | $50 |
| Price per mg of cannabinoids | 1.00¢ | 1.00¢ |
| Price per ounce | $25.00 | $14.71 |
| Type | Broad Spectrum (Non-THC) only | Broad Spectrum (Non-THC) only |
| Options | Chamomile, Lavender, Cooling, Warming | Rosemary, Unscented |
The price per milligram is identical because both products cost $50 and both hold 5,000 mg. The useful difference is density: an ounce of balm carries 2,500 mg, an ounce of lotion 1,471 mg. If you want more product for the money, the lotion gives you 70% more of it. If you want more cannabinoid in the same dab, that's the balm.
Why one needs beeswax and the other needs emulsifiers
Read the first ingredient on each label and the whole formula follows from it.
The balm starts with coconut oil. There is no water anywhere in the list, which is what cosmetic chemists call an anhydrous formula. It sets with beeswax, and it holds its shape in a tin rather than pumping out of a bottle.
The lotion starts with deionized water. Oil and water do not mix on their own, so the list includes two emulsifier pairs (cetearyl alcohol with ceteareth-20, and cetearyl olivate with sorbitan olivate), thickeners (carbomer and xanthan gum) and sodium hydroxide to bring the finished pH into range. None of those appear in the balm, because an anhydrous balm has nothing to emulsify.
One more consequence worth knowing: beeswax is the only ingredient on either label that is necessarily animal-derived, and it appears in the balm only. A couple of entries on the lotion list, squalane among them, are made from either plant or animal sources depending on the supplier, and the label doesn't say which.
What both lists share
Nine entries appear on all six labels, balm and lotion:
- Broad Spectrum Hemp Distillate (CBD), CBG Isolate, CBN Isolate and CBC Distillate — the four cannabinoids. Three are added as separate purified inputs rather than coming along in the distillate.
- Shea butter and sunflower seed oil — the shared emollients.
- Phenoxyethanol and ethylhexylglycerin — the preservative system, last on every list.
Everything else is specific to the base or to the scent.
Scent by scent, what's actually added
| Option | What distinguishes its ingredient list |
|---|---|
| Balm, Chamomile | Ginger root oil, cedarwood, eucalyptus and Roman chamomile flower oil |
| Balm, Lavender | Lavender oil, plus CI 60725 — the only added colorant on any of the six labels |
| Balm, Cooling | Menthol, listed third and so present in a larger share than the other botanicals, with peppermint, eucalyptus, camphor bark oil, blue tansy, cajeput and wintergreen |
| Balm, Warming | The Chamomile set plus cinnamon leaf, clove, marjoram, capsicum oleoresin and black pepper |
| Lotion, Rosemary | Rosemary leaf oil |
| Lotion, Unscented | No added fragrance ingredient |
Two things stand out when you line the labels up. Warming is Chamomile plus five extracts — the ginger, cedarwood, eucalyptus and chamomile base is identical, with cinnamon, clove, marjoram, capsicum and black pepper layered on top. And Rosemary lotion is Unscented lotion plus one ingredient, the rosemary leaf oil. If you want the lotion without a fragrance ingredient, Unscented is a true subset, not a different formula.
Four botanicals the balm has and the lotion doesn't
The balm base carries arnica montana flower extract, white willow bark extract, bisabolol (the main component of chamomile essential oil) and helichrysum. None of the four appear in the lotion. The lotion instead carries skin-conditioning ingredients the balm lacks: aloe leaf juice, squalane, glycerin, sweet almond oil, grape seed oil, jojoba seed oil, rosehip fruit oil, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E) and carrot root extract.
Lab reports and sourcing
Both pages list the hemp source as non-GMO hemp grown in the United States and state that products are third-party tested by batch. In the COA library on October 18, 2026, the Body Balm had 13 published batch reports (Chamomile 5, Lavender 3, Cooling 4, Warming 1) and the Body Lotion had 4 (Rosemary 2, Unscented 2). Match the batch code on your tin or bottle to the entry in the library. For how to read what's in those reports, see Is Canna River CBD Lab Tested?
Frequently asked questions
Which has more CBD, the balm or the lotion?
Per container, neither: both hold 1,250 mg of CBD and 5,000 mg of total cannabinoids. Per ounce, the balm has more, 2,500 mg against 1,471 mg.
Do Canna River topicals contain THC?
Both are sold in Broad Spectrum (Non-THC) only. There is no Full Spectrum version of either. Canna River's own labeling still cautions that broad spectrum products may cause a failed drug test.
Is either topical vegan?
The balm contains beeswax, so no. The lotion lists no ingredient that is necessarily animal-derived, but squalane can be sourced either way and the label doesn't specify, so neither product carries a vegan claim.
Which scents contain menthol?
Only the Cooling balm. Chamomile, Lavender and Warming do not list menthol, and neither lotion does.
Can I use them on my face?
The product pages say no for both: neither was formulated for the face. Both are for adults only, should not be used on broken skin, and should never be consumed.
Canna River products are intended for adults 21 and over. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
