CBD for Skin Care

You are here: CBDInsider.com > CBD for Skin Care

The quest for healthy skin has been around for time and remembrance. For thousands of years, people have come up with skin care concoctions to make themselves look and feel younger, healthier, cleaner, and more aesthetically pleasing.

Over that same timeframe, civilizations have been using hemp for everything from paper to building supplies to medicine.

It just makes sense that CBD would be used for skin care.

What Is CBD?

CBD or cannabidiol is one of 113 unique components that’s found in cannabis plants. These components called cannabinoids are types of chemical compounds that act upon transmitters and receptors in humans and animals. These transmitters and receptors make up the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which work in concert with the central nervous system to help regulate physiological and neural processes.

In other words, cannabinoids help make the body run more efficiently.

The first thought that many people have when they hear the word cannabis is marijuana. And that’s absolutely a legitimate thought. Marijuana is a type of cannabis. And CBD is present in marijuana. But for commercial purposes, CBD is generally derived from hemp.

Marijuana has a psychoactive component that creates euphoric feelings. In other words, it makes you high. This component is known as THC or tetrahydrocannabinol.

Hemp has only trace amounts of THC. In the United States, commercial hemp products are required by federal law to have less than 0.3% THC. This isn’t enough to get anyone high.

As a matter of fact, CBD has been found to counteract the effects of THC, so when high levels of CBD are in a cannabis plant, they can cause the THC to be ineffective.

CBD has been found to have amazing healing properties. Among the issues CBD has been found to treat are:

And while CBD may not be a cure for some of these ailments, it is an effective treatment in for symptoms that are manifested by these maladies.

CBD for Healthy Skin

CBD is one of the best natural products you can use for your skin. Part of this is due to your natural ECS. The receptors in your skin work with the CBD to flush out toxins and other particles that damage skin.

Among the common ingredients in most skin care products are the antioxidants Vitamin C and Vitamin E. While these are strong antioxidants, a study that dates back over 20 years to 1998 revealed that CBD worked more effectively to prevent oxidative damage than Vitamin C or Vitamin E.

This means that CBD is more powerful than these common skin care ingredients that are entwined in most people’s skin care regimen.

The study goes on to suggest that CBD can heal cells in the skin that get damaged over time due to exposure to the elements. When this is combined with CBD natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, CBD becomes an effective weapon in the fight against aging.

CBD for Acne

One of the most common skin conditions that people face is acne. At some point in everyone’s life, they will experience a pimple or blackhead. Some will experience acne more dramatically than others.

CBD is can act as a tool to reduce and even prevent acne. It has been shown that CBS can regulate the body’s production of sebum. Sebum is a wax-like substance that the body produces to protect the skin. It is secreted via the pores. When sebum is produced it can trap particles of dead skin cells, dirt, hair follicles, and other matter in the pores causing inflammation and eventually a pimple or a blackhead.

CBD has been proven in a study to prevent the body from overproducing sebum. In addition, the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of CBD work in conjunction with the Sebum regulation to reduce and eliminate existing acne.

For issues with acne, it is best to take a topical CBD product as the CBD can soak directly into the affected pores. In addition, it is recommended that a CBD product with a “carrier oil” be used. These can include such oils as:

  • Olive oil
  • Shea butter
  • Coconut oil
  • Aloe
  • Lanolin

If you have pure CBD oil, you can mix it with one of the above-listed carrier oils to make a home skin care remedy.

CBD to Defy the Effects of Aging

Among the most popular reasons for the use of skin, products are to keep skin looking young. From the time we’re born, our skin is susceptible to the elements. Sun, wind, cold, heat, and a myriad of other factors can damage skin and cause blemishes, wrinkles, bags under the eyes, and skin discoloration as well as other issues.

As was mentioned earlier, CBD has powerful antioxidant properties that help rejuvenate the skin. While it won’t take 50 years off of your face, it can restore a decade or so.

The antioxidants work to reduce inflammation caused by a process called the free radical theory of aging (FRTA).

The process works like this:

People age because cells get free radical damage over the course of their lifetime. To understand this fully, you need to understand that a free radical is a chemistry term. It involves the bonding of atoms to form molecules.

If you remember basic chemistry, you may have learned that electrons surround an atom in what’s called a valence shell. The outer valence shell is where electrons sit in order to bond with other atoms to form molecules (with the exception of noble gases that have a full outer valence shell). These electrons sit and wait for other atoms to bond with. If these electrons sit unbonded, they are known as free radicals.

Free radicals can be damaged by oxidation. As a result, antioxidants can prevent and reduce the damage that occurs from these free radicals. So CBD can help reverse some of these issues.

Eczema and Psoriasis

Eczema and Psoriasis are painful, itchy skin conditions that are manifested by red blotches, peeling skin, and sometimes blisters.

These conditions can be psychologically paralyzing as well as making a person unable to physically function from pain.

While research is limited, some studies such as this one states that CBD can be an effective weapon in treating these conditions.

Both of these conditions involve the inflammation of live skin cells that are aggravated by dead skin cells. CBD can stop the buildup of these cells, thus reducing the inflammation that’s associated with these ailments.

Minor Burns

At some point, we all get some sort of burn. It could be from cooking, it could be from sitting in the sun too long. The result is that the skin gets inflamed.

CBD can be used to help with these situations. The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD are more effective than most over the counter medications as it can act as a pain reliever. Burns can cause a great amount of pain.  Touch receptors, follicles, sebaceous glands, blood vessels, and nerve endings are all sensitive parts of the skin. When someone gets any time of burn, the pain can be excruciating.

When someone is burned and uses CBD, not only are the anti-inflammatory properties at work, but the pain relief and the anti-bacterial properties to prevent any infection. But a big bonus is that CBD can work regenerate the damaged skin cells allowing a victim to heal faster.

Skin Irritations

CBD is a great solution for skin irritations, as they’ve many antibacterial and antifungal effects and can prevent infection.

While CBD is great for these issues, some points you need to consider when you are using CBD to treat these types of issues:

If you have an irritation that covers a large area of the body or a deep cut you should consult a doctor. When discussing your treatment plan, advise him or her that you want to use CBD to help heal. He or she can evaluate your medical history as well as your injury and the prescribed medications to help you determine the best course of action.

It is important that you follow instructions on the product and the read the list of ingredients on the product to make sure that any additional ingredients in the CBD that you use will not cause more issues for you.

Bathing

To maintain healthy skin many manufacturers have a line of skin and hair cleansing products. These can include bar soap, liquid soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, bath salts, bubble bath and more.

From the information provided in this article, you can see the benefits of using lotions and oils on the skin. The same can be said for these bathing products.

CBD bathing products are usually comprised of all natural ingredients. They may include several common skin care ingredients such as aloe, lanolin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.

The antibacterial properties of CBD make the option for CBD soaps a smart move because it washed away the bacteria without harsh chemicals that are known to be used in standard commercial antibacterial soaps and liquids.

It is important that if you decide to use a CBD lotion or oil (or really any topical CBD product) after bathing with a CBD soap, that you thoroughly dry off before applying the topical. The reason is that excess water on your skin can dilute the CBD or cause it to “drip down” to another area. The purpose of using a topical is usually to localize the CBD to an affected area. Wet skin can prevent that.

CBD Topicals

The most effective use of CBD for the skin is to use a CBD topical product. These products can come in many forms including:

  • Balms
  • Conditioner
  • Creams
  • Lotions
  • Oils
  • Ointments
  • Patches
  • Salves
  • Shampoo
  • Soap

These products can have a variety of different natural additives to enhance the effectiveness of the CBD.

When using a topical, you’ll want to take a few steps when applying them to ensure that you’re getting the most out of the CBD. These steps include:

  • Select the area that you’re applying the topical to –Topicals are designed to be applied to localized areas (with the exception of cleaning products) so be sure to only apply where necessary.
  • Clean the application area – Before applying the topical, clean the affected area as well as your hands (or wear gloves). The CBD is going to be absorbed into the skin, so it’s possible that particles on your skin like dirt and bacteria can be absorbed into the pores as well.
  • Be generous with the CBD – Don’t worry about applying too much CBD topical to the affected area. You can’t overdose on it. Don’t waste the product, but you don’t have to be stingy with it either. Your skin will absorb what it can and send the rest through the bloodstream. Be sure to thoroughly massage the CBD into the skin. You may need to do it multiple times a day depending on what you are using it for.
  • Wash your hands – When you are finished applying the topical, be sure to wash your hands again. Even if you wore gloves. Some of the ingredients in topicals include menthol and capsaicin (the burning ingredient in peppers). You don’t want to risk getting these substances in your eyes.

Conclusion

Using CBD as part of your skin care regimen can be very beneficial. The ability to fight inflammation, bacteria, and revitalize skin cells make it an exceptional product.

It is important to make sure that you’re getting high-quality products. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that you not only read the ingredient to make sure that you’re getting high-quality products (as well as ensuring that the product doesn’t have any ingredients you may be allergic to) but that you request that the manufacturer provide you with the latest independent reports on the product. All reputable manufacturers will provide this report upon request to post it on their website for everyone to view.