Meet AUR: CBD So Good, You’ll Have to Restrain Yourself.

Dori Light is on a mission to make plant medicine beautiful, fun, and delicious — and she’s doing it wonderfully well. Her brand AUR (pronounced “our”) comprises some of the most delectable CBD products we’ve tried to date, and that’s really saying something.

The Encinitas-based brand AUR offers three core products: oil tinctures, gummies, and body oil. The “Watermellow” sour watermelons are — we kid you not — an exact dupe of Sour Patch Watermelon candies (you can’t tell us that’s not your go-to treat at the movie theater), and they pack in 5 milligrams of CBD per bite-sized treats. Seriously, we could eat them by the handful. The oil tinctures come in two flavors, Vanilla Almond Milk and Mint Chocolate Milk. They have ZERO bitter aftertaste and taste nothing like hemp or marijuana, making the entire dosing experience delightful.

“We wanted the Vanilla Almond Milk to remind you of your grandma’s famous cookies,” said Light. She explained that not only would the cannabidiol provide a calming effect, but that the flavor profile would complement it. “We wanted the smooth warm blend of the vanilla, cinnamon and almond flavor profile to be calming as well — It tastes like a hug.” Opposite the calming, cookie-flavored variety is the “Mint Chocolate Milk,” or as Light says,  “the Yin to the Yang of the Vanilla.” She suggests adding the smooth, chocolate-peppermint mix to hot chocolate or eggnog. We agree with that suggestion. 

We know that CBD isn’t addictive, but CBD mint chocolate hot cocoa? Another story entirely.

The body oil, known as “Rosemary’s Achey,” is a topical product to target inflammation and pain. The CBD is bolstered by — you guessed it — rosemary oil, as well as mint and almond oil to make it part cannabis therapy, part aromatherapy. She calls it “a superfood of lotions.” And it makes sense — the recipe is akin to something you’d eat, rather than slather on your body. “We soaked organic rosemary over three days to really strengthen the healing benefits. then crammed it into a body oil with organic mint and many other herbs and spices.”

These products are fun, but there’s a lot more to them than meets the eye (and taste buds) — this line is the product of years of research. Light herself was introduced to CBD by a friend who’d been using it to treat anxiety. “He liked the effects of CBD, but couldn’t find a brand that was transparent about their sourcing, nice to look at, and tasty,” said Light. She herself was interested in trying CBD to help treat her bipolar disorder, but found herself in a similar situation with product that was anything but appetizing.

“CBD had given me a fighting chance against bipolar disorder, without the numbing side effects from the high doses of many of the medications out there,” said Light. “I’m still taking prescription medication, but CBD has allowed me to lower my dosage to a happier spot. I want to manage my mental health without being managed by it.”

Her personal desire for a powerful plant medicine that wasn’t gag-inducing drove her to develop her product line. “We based our research off of three pillars: it had to be earth-based, people-minded, and delicious,” she said. “I scoured the country for an expert in any field who would talk to me — from FDA-approved hemp labs, to herbalists, to wine label makers and confectioners. I took what I learned from the expert’s mouth and applied it to AUR Body.” 

It was also a personal goal of Light’s to create an empowering space for women within her business. After leaving the volatile, male-dominated landscape of advertising agencies (in which she had some “uncomfortable situations”), she built a brand with a group of strong women — from the PR team to the designers to the herbalist. “I never intended to build a girl gang, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

AUR’s girl gang is focusing on soothing the woes of the modern woman. “Aches, pains, and mood instability are common problems that we deal with daily,” said Light. “So many of us, myself included, turn to ibuprofen, Benadryl and over-the-counter medications to feel better, but, there are side effects.” That’s not so much the case with CBD. “CBD hemp oil has been proven to have little to no side effects.”

“I want people to have more options,” said Light. “I want us to be conscious about what we put in our bodies.” She keeps that in mind when it comes to transparency with her customers. “We have all of our test results available to the public if you email team@aurbody.com,” she said. “In 2019 we will have all of the results integrated on our website.”

It’s important to check the COA — certificate of analysis — when shopping for CBD products to ensure you’re not buying fake, ineffective, or toxic product online. Light ensures that AUR customers feel safe by not only providing the COA, but by sourcing domestic hemp from Kentucky and San Diego. “The hemp is sourced from non­-GMO crops without using pesticides, herbicides and insecticides,” she said. And to boot, “All of our products are cruelty-free and vegan.” Sold.