If there was ever a wave of skincare hyped about, it was the CBD skincare one. The line of skin products containing CBD that has taken over the market ranges from skin oils to sunscreens, moisturizers to lip balms, and more. However, as with any other trend and innovation, the question remains: Is CBD skincare worth changing any of the products in your current skin routine?
You already know that cannabidiol (or CBD) is an active ingredient in the cannabis plant, according to Harvard Health Publishing. CBD can be derived from either medical marijuana or hemp. Although marijuana does contain CBD, CBD doesn’t have the psychoactive effects that THC has. (tetrahydrocannabinol – the chemical that causes the high.) All that said, CBD won’t lead to any mind-altering effects.
The Benefits of Skin-Care Products With CBD
People attribute the popularity of CBD to its multiple properties helping with pretty much “any” issue. In fact, many people turn to CBD hoping to treat various problems, including anxiety, insomnia, and pain conditions, and now a large number of people are using it to alleviate skin conditions. The fact is, using CBD as a topical product is not something that could be considered a “new” practice. In fact, many of the existing CBD brands in Canada choose to include CBD topical products such as balms, pomades, and oils in their catalogs in the early stages of their business.
CBD Topicals
CBD topicals are mostly known for their anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving benefits as they are mostly recommended to people dealing with muscle and joint pain due to intense exercising activities or extremely painful conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia. Choosing the best CBD topical for you starts by fully understanding what CBD can do for you and the type of CBD products that accommodate your specific needs.
CBD Skincare
Scientific research on the use of CBD in skin-care products has its limits. Before putting anything on your face, you should always try to get as much information on the brand, the products, and the claims on the subject. Here is what the studies on CBD skincare have to say:
CBD Potentially Helps with Inflammation
One of the touted functions of CBD is controlling inflammation. “The body has two CBD receptors that we know of as CB1 and CB2,” says Robert Dellavalle, MD, Ph.D. When using CBD on the skin, it interacts with said receptors to turn down the inflammatory response. This is possible by “decreasing the interleukins, which are chemicals that are like the immune system’s fire alarm that calls the fire department in an emergency. CBD may decrease the loudness of that fire alarm,” he explains.
In short, you may see less redness overall, and in skin diseases, including eczema and psoriasis, it may also be effective in calming down itchiness, possibly because CBD serums may help reduce dryness, as found in a review published in July 2017 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
CBD Possibly Helps with Acne
In addition to being a potential therapy for inflammatory skin diseases, CBD is also present in some anti-acne formulas. “There are CB2 receptors on sebaceous glands, which produce oil. According to research, CBD influences the sebum production of cells and has an anti-inflammatory component,” says Jeanette Jacknin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Solana Beach, California, who specializes in CBD skin care.
Dr. Jacknin also points to preliminary research presented in June 2019 at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology that found topical CBD could be highly anti-bacterial. “This bacteria is one cause of acne,” she says.
CBD May Help with Sunburns
Finally, one of the newest uses for CBD skin care is sunscreen. Dellavalle notes that it does make sense to add CBD to sunscreen, as its anti-inflammatory properties may help reduce the effects of a sunburn, such as redness.
4 Tips to Choose the Best CBD Skincare for You
If you find yourself wondering if CBD skin care is the right fit for you and are about to try any of the products available on the market, here are a few tips you might want to take into account:
- Do your homework. As with any supplement you put directly inside your body, any compound you put on your face should be thoroughly researched. Get to know what CBD is and make sure you understand what it does to your skin. Look closely at each of the formulas and make sure they have safe ingredients. At ICARIA, transparency is our motto and we make sure to have lab-test results available on our website, this is to ensure you exactly what to expect from any of our products.
- Trust your peers. One key aspect of research is asking around and getting to know what other people think of the product you want to try. Other’s experiences with the said product can help you foresee how the product might work for you. Though all bodies and skins are different, reviews are always a nice way to trust or discard any products before making any financial commitment to it. At ICARIA we have a vast amount of reviews and a community built on honesty. (link to reviews)
- Test out the products. When trying any new skincare product, it is crucial that during the first few days you conduct a test to see if your skin tolerates the compounds. The idea is that the products solve a problem, not worsen the ones that already concern you or create new issues. At ICARIA we make the testing part stress-free and hassle-free by having a 30-day money-back guarantee for all of our products. This means we take care of each case personally and if your experience was less than good, we will refund the entire cost.
- Start with a serum. Serums are not trendy because they sound fun. They are a more concentrated version of any formula and sometimes a safer way to interact with a brand and a compound for the first time. When using a serum, you will immediately notice if there are any negative reactions on your skin. However, if the product works positively for you, you will see results in less time and with smaller amounts of product. Our Nano CBD Face Serum is a perfect first step to the CBD skincare journey as its formula is enhanced with Nano CBD, allowing better absorption and more noticeable results. Use Nano CBD Face Serum on your skin for the antioxidant and anti-aging properties to soothe irritated, stressed skin and to fight the appearance of wrinkles.
Conclusion
For now, research shows that CBD products are safe in general, and that they can make a difference in how your skin looks and feels. CBD skincare, as well as CBD topicals or CBD oils, are a journey that should be lived with care and consciousness. We always recommend that people with severe or clinical skin conditions consult with their dermatologist as CBD skincare is not a medical treatment for those.
