Jacob Hooy 5% CBD oil features prominently in high streets and shopping centres in most UK towns and cities. As a result, it will often be the first oil tried by many new CBD consumers. Read online and you will hear people tell you it has either helped them enormously or should be avoided because it is such low quality. As the two views were so diametrically opposed I decided to take it upon myself to try all the Jacob Hooy CBD products for myself and put this to bed once and for all.
I placed an order for the 5% oil, CBD capsules, hemp tea bags and coconut oil. This review is focused purely on the 5% oil which is packaged in shades of pale green and follows the theme of many of the natural home remedies. While it isn’t a flashy product, it is probably one of the most readily available CBD oils in the UK. To many people, this product is known as Holland & Barrett CBD oil.
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Contents
Who Are Jacob Hooy?
A traditional pharmacy still trading in Amsterdam, Jacob Hooy bear the prestigious label ‘Purveyors to the Court by Royal Appointment’. For over 250 years they have traded in herbs, spices and oils to achieve their goal of providing good, natural, healthy and honest products. Jacob Hooy produces a select range of CBD oils and capsules. Their products are sold by Holland & Barrett throughout the UK, online and in-store.
At Holland & Barrett, Jacob Hooy products are sold as the ‘mid’ or ‘standard’ range, with a more expensive ‘premium’ brand also available. While their main distributor is Holland & Barrett, their products can also be bought from a small number of ‘online only’ retailers.
If you don’t know Holland and Barrett, they have been trading for more than 145 years. While they offer convenient access to a wide range of reasonably priced health products, they have a poor reputation for online customer service. They sell a range of CBD oils, we’ve tried most of them so we can answer once and for all is Holland & Barrett CBD oil is actually any good?
Third-Party Lab Tests
There are no third-party lab tests publicly available for any Holland & Barrett CBD products. This is one of the most noticeable differences between them and leading CBD retailers. They appear to be trading on the strength of their reputation and position on the high street.
While I would consider Holland & Barrett to be a trusted brand, anyone selling cannabinoids in any form should be able to produce third party lab tests at the point of sale.
We contacted Holland and Barrett and asked what other cannabinoids are found in the Jacob Hooy oil. This was their response:
“Unfortunately, we are not able to provide the certificates of analysis as these contain proprietary information. The product is a full spectrum product and we do receive the certificates of analysis for the products from the supplier.”
Simply stating that the tests have been completed is not good enough. For products such as these, evidence should be clearly available so that customers can be 100% sure that they have got what they’ve paid for. I followed up a couple of times for more details and they did not respond with further information.
Ease of Use
This is a straightforward, easy to use product with a sturdy bottle and bulb tipped dropper. It doesn’t have a child-safe cap, which is always my preference, but it was leakproof without needing to be over tightened.
There are clear directions on the bottle and suggestions on how much to take when you start. I would also like to see some information about recommended amounts in mg. Also some clarity on how many mg of CBD one drop delivers. I worked this out to be 2.5mg.
Jacob Hooy CBD Oil Taste
Much like the packaging the taste does its job and nothing more. It’s not an enjoyable flavour but it isn’t unpleasant either. With grassy overtones combined with a mild bitterness, it doesn’t have an intense aftertaste but a lingering hint of burnt walnuts.
The carrier oil is made from pressed hemp seed so the flavour is present from the moment it hits your mouth until you wash it down. I’ve found that other oils, such as coconut, can make the first experience milder and less grassy. The buttery oil also mutes the hemp flavour until the aftertaste when it comes through strong and bitter.
Jacob Hooy CBD Oil Effectiveness
This is fairly potent for a 5% oil and gave me a dry mouth after using it. I took it to be an indication of strength! It’s difficult to gauge potency at these lower concentrations but it did everything I expected it to.
A few drops a day was enough to take the edge off a tension headache, but it didn’t give me any physical sensations of relaxation or grounding.
Value for Money
The price of a 10ml bottle of 5% Jacob Hooy oil is £29.99 which feels slightly expensive for a standard oil. It is a similar price to BioBloom and Love Hemp’s products which are considered high-quality.
However, if you go for the 30ml bottle of 5% oil, it is £59.99, you make a considerable saving by paying a bit more to start with. At about £20 for 10mls this is very good value.
For me to be happy paying either of these prices I would need to see more information about the oil and its origin. There is too little information readily available about how Jacob Hooy sourced their hemp and manufacture the oil.
The Holland & Barrett website mentions that it is made from high-quality raw ingredients and that the THC levels are tested to be below 0.05%, but customers deserve to know more before they spend nearly £30.
Final Thoughts
When using this oil, I found it to be good as a standard, no-frills product. To make this a regular purchase I would need a lot more information. The only indication that it is full-spectrum came when we contacted Holland & Barrett directly.
The flavour and the claim on the bottle that it contained ‘hemp paste (leaf and flower)’ back up the statement that it is full-spectrum. Without a report, I cannot be sure that this is true. The price of the 30ml bottle makes it a great value purchase but for me, it’s a no go unless I see third party lab certificates.
If you are looking for a full-spectrum CBD oil, I am happy to recommend Eir Health 30 (read the review here). It outperforms Jacob Hooy for effectiveness, value for money, ease of use and has publicly available lab reports too.
Would I Buy Again?
No, I would not buy Jacob Hooy CBD oil again. Whilst it was pretty effective the lack of transparency is a concern.
There are better and more cost-effective oils available and these can be found in our best UK CBD oils article. As we cannot confirm any information on the processing and growing of the hemp used, it cannot be included in our best organic CBD oil reviews either.
If what you seek is a high-strength oil, at 5% it is a long way off the threshold of 25% to be included in our list of the strongest CBD oils available in the UK.
Holland & Barrett CBD Oil Final Scores
