CBD oil is being sold in skin care products for all kinds of skin problems, like acne and wrinkles. But is any benefit possible, or is it just marketing hype? This is what you need to know about CBD.
What Is CBD Oil?
CBD, also called cannabidiol, is the part of marijuana or hemp plants that don’t get you high. CBD is taken out as a powder, and it is usually mixed with an oil like olive, hemp, or coconut oil to make it easier to use and work better. This is why it is called “CBD oil”.
CBD oil in skin care won’t get you high because it doesn’t contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is what changes your mind. It is made from the hemp plant’s flowers, leaves, stalks, and stems. The THC content of these parts is very low (often so low it cannot be detected by testing equipment).
It is also important to know that cbd oil is not the same as hemp seed oil, which is another great ingredient for the skin. Both CBD oil and hemp seed oil are often sold as the same thing, but CBD oil has a lot of cannabidiol while hemp seed oil has very little, if any.
Cannabidiol is the name that should be on the ingredient label of any product that says it contains CBD. This is required by the FDA and is called the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI). All the other names for ingredients, like “CBD-enriched hemp seed oil,” might or might not mean that the product contains cannabidiol. Even so, if you want to be 100% sure, you can always ask the company for an assay, which is a list of the product’s specs.
CBD for Acne-Prone Skin
Acne has been proven by research to be an inflammatory condition. Even though acne is caused by more than one thing, we know that anything you put on your skin that reduces redness and inflammation (like CBD) is likely to take your breakouts less noticeable, especially the redness caused by acne.
Applying CBD oil to the skin has been shown in many studies to reduce inflammation. This makes CBD a good ingredient for skin that is prone to acne. Its calming effects also help skin that is the sensitive look and feel better.
Research also shows that CBD may be able to stop the overproduction of sebum (oil) by balancing the way oil flows through the skin.
Even though this is good news, most scientists who study CBD agree that more conclusive studies are needed to confirm these early findings.
CBD Oil for Wrinkles and Anti-Aging
It’s not surprising that CBD oil has antioxidant properties since it comes from a plant. CBD’s antioxidants are one way that putting it on the skin can help reduce the signs of aging. CBD anti-aging creams make wrinkles, dull skin, and a reddish skin tone less noticeable by preventing damage from free radicals and reducing the look of inflammation.
CBD isn’t the only or “best” antioxidant to look for. It’s just one of many to think about, and the more of these ingredients you put on your skin, the better.
CBD Oil for Sensitive Skin
CBD oil is also helpful because it has been shown to have a lot of soothing effects. It has strong calming and normalizing effects on the skin, which can help reduce redness and other symptoms of sensitive skin. Since environmental stressors affect all skin types every day, CBD’s ability to calm the skin can help keep everyone’s skin in check.
How to Find the Best CBD Skin Care
Because there are so many CBD skin care products on the market, you need to know what to look for to find the best CBD oil. Here are some tips for buying CBD:
- Make sure that the word “cannabidiol” is on the list of ingredients. As was said above, other terms aren’t INCI-compliant, and hemp seed oil or extract isn’t the same as CBD oil.
- Many companies that sell CBD skin care products list the total amount of cannabidiol in milligrams, and sometimes they break it down even further by use. This is a good sign that the CBD product is real, but no one can agree on how much CBD skin needs per application. We do know that the skin has receptor sites for this ingredient, which, when connected, can stop signals that make the skin act up.
- To make sure you’re getting what the label says you’re getting, ask the brand or look to see if they have proof of third-party certification for the purity and amount of CBD.
- Look for CBD skincare that comes in stable packaging. This delicate plant ingredient shouldn’t be exposed to a lot of light or air, which makes it less effective.
- Some brands of CBD say that it is “isolate,” “full spectrum,” or “broad spectrum” in their ads. None of these terms are governed by law, but they can help you tell them apart:
CBD isolate means that it only contains CBD and no other cannabinoids or naturally occurring chemicals like flavonoids or terpenes.
Full spectrum CBD refers to everything else that grows on the hemp plant along with the CBD. This includes small amounts of THC and other cannabinoids like CBG (cannabigerol) and antioxidant compounds.
If you have broad-spectrum CBD, you can’t find any THC. Full-spectrum CBD can have traces of THC, but it must be less than 0.3% to not be considered active.
Conclusion
CBD oil is good for the skin as long as it is taken from the plant in the right way. We’re excited to see how research on the topical benefits of CBD oil keeps growing, and we expect it to become a mainstay in many people’s skincare routines.
