CBD The Miracle Skincare Ingredient

In the past, pretty much the only way to ingest medical cannabis was either through smoking or eating it. Then, as people’s health consciousness increased, people started to look for ingestion methods that didn’t involve smoking or eating sugary snacks. This is when vaping and tinctures started to become more normalized, and pretty much became the main way to consume cannabis for medical patients. However, not all conditions require the patient to ingest cannabis internally.

Cannabis and CBD-infused topicals and salves can be useful for the treatment of several conditions, and they are simply applied to the skin.

Here’s more on why CBD (and cannabis, generally) is an excellent addition to your skincare regime.

What makes CBD so special for skincare? 

CBD, like so many other compounds in the cannabis plant, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. CBD may also help hydrate the skin, making it extremely useful for treating conditions like eczema and psoriasis, where dry, irritated skin is commonplace. CBD’s anti-inflammatory and hydrating properties also make it an excellent treatment for acne, especially when combined with terpenes like pinene, which shows promise as an antibacterial. 

For those who are using prescription, steroid-based topicals, CBD topicals can prove to be an excellent alternative, with far fewer negative side-effects. Topical steroids can worsen conditions like acne or rosacea & perioral dermatitis (aka facial rashes, which is more common in women), as well as trigger the development of permanent stretch marks, bruising, discoloration or thin, spidery blood vessels (telangiectasias). 

How does CBD work on the skin? 

When it comes to cannabis, we are used to thinking of it as something to be consumed. The idea of using cannabis and cannabinoids as a topical may have seemed unusual at first, but with many wanting to avoid psychoactive effects whilst at the same time soothing their skin ailments, topicals are the perfect product. 

Just as consuming cannabis can return balance to the body’s internal physiological processes, it can do the same when applied to the skin. This is because cannabinoid receptors are found in every cell of the body, including skin cells. In conditions like eczema and psoriasis, the skin’s ability to control inflammation is out-of-whack. 

The key to understanding this further is in the skin’s sebaceous glands, which is important in lubricating the skin as well as forming an initial line of defense against harmful microbes. Using THC may help increase sebum production via a small initial boost in testosterone. This can be excellent for conditions where dry and itchy skin is a problem, including various types of dermatitis. 

CBD, on the other hand, may dry out the skin by slowing down the growth of sebaceous glands. This can be excellent for treating conditions where sebum production is out-of-control, such as acne. 

There are some suggestions that using THC may increase the chances of developing acne, but this may not be the case. This is because: 

✅ Both CBD and THC have antioxidant properties, neutralizing the damaging effects of free radical oxygen particles. This suggests that CBD and THC may actually have anti-aging properties. 

✅ The initial spike in testosterone production from THC consumption isn’t usually high enough to cause an outbreak of acne on its own. 

✅ Both CBD and THC have antibacterial properties. 

Can cannabinoid-infused topicals be used for serious skin conditions?

There have been several studies and reports of people successfully using cannabis oil to treat skin cancer. Now, these studies and reports aren’t definitive evidence for the efficacy of cannabinoids for the treatment of skin cancer, the fact that cancer cells contain cannabinoid receptors suggest we can use compounds such as CBD and THC to disturb or change the signals that cancer cells use to grow. There are also too many success stories to completely discount cannabis’ effectiveness for treating cancer. 

Arthritic and neuropathic (nerve) pain are two other conditions that can cause skin pain and localized inflammation. Whilst consuming cannabis can help reduce pain, combining this with external application of a topical to affected areas may help reduce pain and inflammation even further. 

Another, often forgotten condition that CBD, CBG and other cannabinoids and terpenes can help with is MRSA, which is an antibiotic-resistant superbug. As superbugs do not have any tolerance for cannabinoids, their antibacterial properties may be effective in treating this debilitating, deadly and so far untreatable condition.

Can consuming CBD and cannabis be helpful for treating skin conditions? 

We all know that eating the right foods (while avoiding the wrong ones) and having a healthy diet can reduce the incidence of skin conditions. But what about consuming cannabis, and not just spreading it on your skin?

And the answer could well be, “Yes!” Why? Because CBD and THC can help reduce stress and anxiety, which in turn can reduce the chances of skin problems from arising in the first instance. However, it is important to consider which foods you’re consuming the cannabis through. Lots of sugary brownies, for example, may have negative consequences for your skin, because of the high sugar content.

Why add CBD to your skincare regime? 

If you are using steroid-based topicals and want something that doesn’t harm your skin in the long-term, opting for a natural, CBD-based topical may be the ideal alternative. 

You may also be disappointed at the efficacy of your current skincare products. Or maybe they’re even making your skin worse. If this is the case, we recommend you try using a high-quality CBD beauty product. Using a CBD-based moisturizer or lip balm may not only help treat dry and cracked skin and lips, but also help repair them at the same time. Added to the anti-aging effects of CBD, there are few if any beauty products - even on the extremely high end - that can boast they have similar properties. 

Let us know your experience of using CBD in your skincare regime in the comments below.

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