A store-bought 1,000 mg CBD tincture costs $40–90 — yet the isolate inside it costs under a dollar. This guide shows you how to make the same tincture yourself with a $49 bottle of concentrate, MCT oil, and about two minutes of work.
The core fact: you're paying for the label
Retail CBD oil prices range from $0.067 to $0.20 per milligram, with most mid-tier brands landing around $0.10–$0.15/mg. That's why a 1,000 mg bottle sells for $100–150. The CBD itself is a commodity: CBD isolate trades at roughly $0.15–$0.50 per gram wholesale — meaning the active ingredient in that $100 bottle costs pennies.
Making your own removes the label, the retail markup, and the branding. What's left is the same isolate, the same MCT carrier oil, and the same effect — for roughly a tenth of the price.
What you need
- Concentrate — Golden Days concentrate is CBD isolate pre-dissolved in MCT oil at 1,000 mg per ounce, in a measure-and-pour bottle.
- MCT oil — sold for about $10 per liter at most grocery stores or online.
- A 2 oz dropper bottle — reusable, or grab empties on Amazon.
Why MCT oil? MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) is the industry-standard carrier because CBD is fat-soluble — it dissolves cleanly and absorbs well. It's also tasteless and shelf-stable, unlike olive or coconut oil.
The recipe (exact measurements)
- Measure 1 oz of concentrate. Squeeze the bottle to fill the chamber to the 1 oz (30 ml) line — that's 1,000 mg of CBD isolate.
- Pour it into a 2 oz bottle.
- Add 1 oz of MCT oil to bring the total to 2 oz.
- Shake well. Done — a 2 oz tincture at 500 mg per ounce, the strength most people already buy.
The math, per tincture
One 8,000 mg bottle of concentrate ($49) makes about eight 1,000 mg tinctures. Add roughly $1.25 of MCT oil per tincture, and your all-in cost is about $7 per full-strength tincture — versus $40–90 at retail.
| Option | Cost per mg | 1,000mg tincture |
|---|---|---|
| Store-bought tincture (mid-tier) | $0.10–0.15 | $100–150 |
| Bulk isolate (raw powder) | $0.005–0.02 | $5–20 |
| Golden Days concentrate | $0.006 | ~$7 |
Dosing at a glance
Most people start low and adjust. A common starting point is 10–25 mg per day, split into a morning and evening dose. A 500 mg/oz tincture has roughly 16.7 mg per ml, so one dropper (1 ml) is a gentle starting dose. See the full dosing guide →
Tips that make a difference
- Shake every time. Concentrate can settle; a quick shake keeps every dose even.
- Store cool and dark. Heat and light degrade CBD over time.
- Start with a batch of one. Get your strength right before scaling up to larger bottles.
- Label your bottle. Write the mg and date so you always know your dose.