If you live in Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Cashmere, Leavenworth or Chelan and want a CBD cream you can actually pick up and look at before you buy, your choices sort into a few very different kinds of store. Some of them are good places to buy a hemp topical. Some are fine if you know what to check. A couple are best skipped.
This guide walks through where hemp-derived topicals turn up around Central Washington, what to check on the shelf before you hand over money, and where our own balm comes from. We are a Wenatchee company, so read our part with that in mind — but the checklist works on any jar, including ours.
Start here: our clinic on Riverside Drive
Melrose Essentials started inside Melrose Massage, a massage clinic at 769 Riverside Drive, Wenatchee, WA 98801. Our massage therapists spent years buying creams they were not happy with — too greasy, too heavily fragranced, too much water on the ingredient list — and eventually made their own for the massage room. That balm became Melrose Relieve.
Jars are available at the clinic's front desk, and it is the one place in the valley where you can see the balm being used every day by the people who built it. Stock at a working clinic is not a warehouse, so if you are driving in from Leavenworth or Chelan, it is worth checking ahead through our contact page before you make the trip.
A few honest notes about buying there:
- You can ask questions of people who use it. The therapists can tell you how much they use per session, how it feels on the hands, and what it smells like — the menthol is noticeable.
- They will not give you medical advice. If you have a health question, ask your doctor. A massage clinic is not a doctor's office, and a product label is not a prescription.
- The paperwork is public. You do not have to take anyone's word for what is in the jar; the lab reports are posted on our lab results page.
One clarification, because it comes up: the balm was designed and is used in Wenatchee, but it is manufactured for us by a contract manufacturer in Colorado, in small batches. We would rather tell you that plainly than let a "local" label imply something it does not.
The other places you will find CBD topicals in Central Washington
Licensed cannabis retailers
Washington's licensed cannabis stores are 21-and-over, and most carry topicals alongside everything else. The important thing to know is that many products in these stores contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — that is part of why they are sold there. If you want a topical with no THC, read the label and ask to see the certificate of analysis rather than assuming. Staff at a good shop will know the difference between a THC topical and a hemp-derived CBD one and will not be surprised by the question.
Pharmacies, grocery stores and health food shops
Hemp-derived CBD topicals now show up in general retail across the valley. Quality is all over the place. You will find well-documented products next to jars with no batch number, no stated potency per ounce and no lab report anywhere. The upside is convenience and easy returns; the downside is that the person at the register usually cannot answer questions about the product. Use the checklist below and let the label do the talking.
Gyms, spas, chiropractors and other practitioners
A lot of clinics and studios keep a small shelf of topicals. This can be a very good place to buy, because the practitioner has usually tried the product on real people and has a reason to care what is in it. It can also be a shelf of whatever a distributor dropped off. Ask what they use themselves, and ask to see the lab report. A practitioner who stocks something they believe in will have the answer ready.
Gas stations and convenience stores
Skip these for topicals. Hot display cases, no batch numbers, no staff who can answer questions, and often the boldest labels on any shelf. If the front of the jar promises things that sound like a prescription, put it back.
What to check on the shelf, wherever you buy
These five checks take about two minutes and will filter out most of the jars you do not want.
1. A batch number that matches a lab report
A certificate of analysis (COA) is an independent lab's report on a specific batch. The jar should carry a batch or lot number, and you should be able to find a report for that batch — on the brand's website, by a QR code, or from the store. A generic report with no batch link tells you very little. Our reports come from SC Labs and are linked from our lab results page.
2. Potency stated per ounce, not just per jar
"1,000 mg" on the front of a large tub and "2,000 mg CBD per oz" on a smaller jar are not comparable until you do the math. Divide the total milligrams by the container size and compare per ounce or per gram. Melrose Relieve is labeled at 2,000 mg CBD per oz in a waterless 100 ml jar.
3. THC, stated plainly
If you want to avoid THC, look for a clear statement on the label and a THC result on the lab report. Ours reads 0% THC. Nobody can make promises about an individual drug test, and you should be wary of anyone who does.
4. An ingredient list you can read
Check what comes first. Many creams and lotions lead with water, which is why they need emulsifiers and preservatives. Waterless balms start with oils and waxes instead. Neither is automatically right for you — we cover the trade-offs in balm vs cream vs lotion — but you should know which you are buying. If you have sensitive skin or allergies, read the full list and patch-test first. Our balm contains beeswax, arrowroot powder and menthol crystals, among other ingredients listed on the product page.
5. Claims that stay on the right side of the line
Hemp topicals are sold as cosmetics, not as medicines. A jar that makes medical promises is making claims a cosmetic is not allowed to make, and that tells you something about how carefully the rest of the label was written. Sensible labels describe texture, scent, ingredients and potency.
A note on Wenatchee summers
Balms are oil and wax, and they soften in heat. A jar left on a dashboard in a July parking lot in the valley will go runny and then set again with a different texture. It is still the same product, but the feel changes. Buy from shelves that are out of direct sun, and do not leave a jar in the car. In winter the opposite happens: a cold balm is firm, and warming a small amount between your fingers for a few seconds makes it spread easily.
If you would rather order online
Not everyone in Central Washington is near Riverside Drive. You can order Melrose Relieve from our site and have it shipped. First-time buyers of a product are covered by our 30-day satisfaction guarantee — the details are in our refund policy. If you are new to topical CBD altogether, our guide to topical CBD is a good place to start before you buy anything, from us or anyone else.
For local businesses that want to stock it
If you run a massage practice, chiropractic office, physical therapy clinic, gym or spa in the valley and want a locally designed topical on your own shelf, we sell to practitioners at published tier pricing. See our page for professionals, and before you stock anything — ours included — read what to ask a wholesale supplier.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy Melrose Relieve in person in Wenatchee?
At the front desk of Melrose Massage, 769 Riverside Drive, Wenatchee, WA 98801, where the balm was developed and is used in massage sessions. Stock at a working clinic varies, so check ahead through our contact page if you are driving in from out of town.
Where is Melrose Relieve made?
It was designed by massage therapists at our Wenatchee clinic, and it is manufactured for us in small batches by a contract manufacturer in Colorado. We say that plainly so a local story does not imply something it should not.
Do I need to be 21 to buy CBD cream in Washington?
Licensed cannabis retailers in Washington are 21-and-over. Hemp-derived CBD topicals are also sold in general retail, and individual stores set their own policies. Our website asks visitors to confirm they are 18 or older.
Does Melrose Relieve contain THC?
The label and our published lab reports state 0% THC. The reports are posted on our lab results page so you can check the batch yourself. No one can make promises about an individual drug test result.
How do I compare CBD creams on a store shelf?
Convert potency to milligrams per ounce, look for a batch number that matches a public lab report, read the first few ingredients to see whether it is water-based or waterless, and put back any jar that makes medical claims.
Can a Wenatchee business stock Melrose Relieve?
Yes. We sell to massage therapists, chiropractors, physical therapists, gyms and spas at published tier pricing. Start with our page for professionals, which lists pack sizes and pricing.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your physician before use, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.
