Everyone can use a pick-me-up now and then, including your customers! Read on to discover which terpenes will add a mood-boosting kick to your products.

We’ve all heard the phrase “set the mood,” but that doesn’t just mean strategic lighting and the perfect soundtrack. Now, you can influence your mood, and your customer’s, by adding terpenes to your products. 

Want to give your sports drink an energizing kick? Add terpenes. Do your soothing bath products need an extra dose of relaxation? Use terpenes. Want your edibles to help your customers feel more creative and euphoric? You guessed it, terpenes! If this sounds like what you’ve been searching for, read on and discover which terpenes will add a mood-boosting kick to your products.

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Boost Your Mood With These Terpenes

For those of you on-the-go, here’s the gist of what we’re covering today. 

1. When you drink, eat, inhale, or even topically apply products with terpenes, they interact with brain receptors to influence neurotransmitters. This is why terpenes are able to influence our moods.
2. Limonene has anti-stress properties that help relax customers and boost energy. Plus, it’s bright citrus flavor makes it a mouthwatering addition to food and beverage products.
3. Linalool is particularly calming because of its sedative properties. This floral scented terpene is very popular in the cosmetic industry.
4. The acetylcholinesterase inhibiting properties of alpha-pinene may help it give products a cognitive-enhancing boost. 
5. Beta-Caryophyllene gives products, and many cannabis strains, a dose of heavy-hitting euphoria and relaxation.

Boost Your Mood With Terpenes

Anyone who’s used a lavender aromatherapy candle in the hopes it will help them relax, has technically used terpenes to influence their mood. That’s because essential oils, which are a main ingredient in most aromatherapy products, are actually made up of several different terpenes. It’s the terpenes themselves that influence mood, although we’re sure the relaxing ambiance of a candle helps as well. The point, however, is that certain terpenes have mood-boosting effects.

Take a look at the terpene chart for our Gelato blend below. While our blends have over forty different terpene isolates, you’ll notice that there are dominant terpenes. Gelato has higher amounts of Limonene, Myrcene, and Beta-Caryophyllene. Considering all three of those terpenes have mood-elevating properties, it’s no surprise that this blend is often chosen for its uplifting effects that ease anxiety and promote a sense of euphoria.

When we inhale, eat, or drink products with terpenes in them, they interact with different receptors in our brains. This allows them to influence certain receptors to help us relax, energize us, help us feel more positive, and more. Think about it this way--if you’ve ever wondered why some cannabis strains help you relax while others energize you and help you feel creative, it’s because of the their terpenes. 

Limonene Helps Energize and Reduce Stress

On top of contributing a bright, citrusy flavor to some of our most-loved blends, D-Limonene is one of our favorite terpenes when it comes to reducing stress. You’re most likely already familiar with limonene-dense fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges. However, it’s also present in popular cannabis strains like Diablo OG and Grapefruit Kush.

Limonene is a monoterpene which studies show may contain anti-stress properties. In one stress experiment, doctors split rats into two group. The group that was given 10mg/kg of d-limonene showed less signs of stress and even seemed to have more energy. This isn’t too surprising considering the popularity of stress-reducing citrus scents in aromatherapy products. 

Basically, if you’re trying to add a zesty, refreshing flavor to your products while also boosting their stress-fighting, energizing properties, D-Limonene is the way to go!

Linalool Enhances Calm and Relaxation

If you’re trying to wind down and relax, linalool is the terpene you’re looking for. Considering how lavender has been used for centuries as a sleep-aid, it’s not surprising that it has high amounts of linalool. You’ll also find this floral smelling terpene in some mints, cinnamon, and even some fungi. 

If you use lavender essential oils to help you sleep, you’re not alone. Studies suggest that linalool has anxiolytic properties and it may also reduce aggressive behavior. So, that lavender tea your grandmother swore by really did help her calm down and relax at the end of the day. While linalool is usually found in smaller amounts, cannabis strains like Fire OG have more than normal. That’s part of the reason it's so relaxing.

Linalool is also a powerful sedative. It’s ability to increase slow-wave sleep means more muscle relaxation, slower heart rate, and other studies even show it may reduce cortisol and increase serotonin. It’s basically the perfect blend of effects to help you wind down, chill out, and prepare for a good nights sleep. 

Alpha-Pinene Enhances Focus

If you find a brisk walk through the woods particularly refreshing, you’re most likely benefiting from the terpene alpha-pinene. Not surprisingly, this terpene is common in coniferous trees and herbs like rosemary, with a scent that’s herbal and woody. What’s really amazing about this terpene is how it may have the ability to enhance cognitive function. Tropic Thunder is one cannabis strain with particularly high levels of Alpha-Pinene. That’s a big part of the reason it has such a mood-boosting cerebral kick.

Dr. Ethan B. Russo, an expert on the entourage effect, explains that alpha-pinene is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. When it does this, it has the effect of boosting memory function. One particular study suggests it’s even more successful at this when used in combination with other terpenes like Camphor, Geraniol, Beta-pinene, and Limonene.

What does this mean for your products? Other than adding a refreshing woodsy-scent, it can add a focus-boosting hit to beverages, snacks, and vapes. Even bathroom products like face and body washes can now provide an even more invigorating experience for your customers. 

Beta-Caryophyllene is a Relaxation Heavy-Hitter

Unlike many other terpenes, beta-caryophyllene is able to influence your body in multiple ways. While it is able to influence neurotransmitters, it can also directly bind to receptors in your Endocannabinoid System. While this is definitely helpful if you’re using this terpene to temporarily relieve minor aches and pains, it helps influence mood by keeping the body relaxed as well.

One study showed that when treated with this terpene, mice showed reduced stress when put through a maze. This was meant to measure anxiety, depression, and compulsive activity.  This isn’t surprising considering cannabis strains like Biscotti, Coma, and GG4 have particularly high levels of beta-caryophyllene. These strains are known for their intense calm, euphoria, and powerful body relaxation.

This sharp, herbal terpene is found in spices like black pepper, cloves, hops, and even oregano. For products designed to provide ultimate calm and relaxation, beta-caryophyllene is sure to deliver. 

Enhance The Mood-Boosting Effects of Your Products

If you’re interested in providing your customers with products that have powerful flavors, aromas, and experiences, then terpenes are the best way to go. Plus, they don’t add any additional sugars or calories to your products.

We want to remind everyone that our terpenes are cannabis free and 100% legal. However, we do work very hard to isolate the specific terpene profiles of popular strains so both cannabis consumers and non-cannabis consumers can enjoy and benefit from them.

Don’t forget to follow us for all the latest updates, and feel free to contact us for exclusive terpene formulations.