CBD Skin Care: Why CBD Oil is Perfect for Skin Beauty and Health

Skin health is as important as the largest, most absorbant organ in the body– our skin! According to _____ , 90% of women are absorbing 5 pounds of toxic chemicals per year. Yes, you read that right. It’s high time we start using CBD as an alternative to chemical-laden beauty products. This is because CBD is one of the most popular and well-studied cannabinoids derived from the hemp plant known for its antioxidant and anti-aging effects. In fact, I’m not the only one catching onto this beauty wonder. According to CBD market data, CBD skincare will make up 10% of the $10 billion global skincare market by 2024.

CBD has a long list of health benefits, and one of these is that it can help with skin problems. This means that you may want to add CBD to your skincare routine, and this article will tell you about different types of CBD, how they work for skincare products, and where to find the best products for you.

 

CBD 101: What is CBD?

CBD stands for cannabidiol and is one of the most well-known and studied cannabinoids derived from an acid-bond cannabis compound called CBDA, found in the cannabis plant (or hemp plants). Unlike the more controversial cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD has no psychoactive effects meaning your CBD lip balms cannot get you high; instead, it provides health benefits that include increasing blood flow, reducing redness and inflammation, calming inflammatory skin conditions, provides pain relief, improves common skin conditions, and is even being studied for its anti-cancer properties. CBD is able to affect the many facets of skin health by working with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS).

Why use CBD Oil for Skin Health?

Two leading causes of skin aging and common skin issues like acne and hyperpigmentation are:

• free radical damage to the epidermis
• inflammation caused by irregular functions in the endocannabinoid system

The endocannabinoid system is a network of cell receptors that control several skin functions, including oil production, melanocyte development (also known as pigmentation), and much more.

CBD oil is made by extracting or infusing the plant constituents of hemp and cannabis plants into an oil carrier. Oil is simply the best way to deliver CBD onto and into the body because cannabinoids are lipophilic, meaning they love fat and bind to it easily. An oil base for CBD skin care products makes for the perfect match!

What can CBD do for the skin?

Here’s how CBD’s antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties affect the body’s biggest organ:

• Regulates oil production. The overproduction of sebum is thought to be a contributing factor to acne. According to a 2014 study.
• CBD may have an anti inflammatory effect on sebocytes, the skin cells that produce sebum.
• Helps reduce inflammation. cannabidiol might assist with the reduction of inflammation, discomfort, and redness from existing breakouts or skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
• Hydrates dry skin.

Using CBD for skin health is a game changer. There are proven benefits of using CBD on your skin thanks to this cannabinoid being a powerful antioxidant and having a strong anti inflammatory effect on skin cells. In fact, there are peer reviewed studies proving CBD’s effectiveness to reduce redness related to rosacea, acne, and sunburns/UV damage, while the calming body effects of CBD is a natural pain reducer and helps reduce the appearance of acne scars, wrinkles, psoriasis, and eczema.

CBD Antioxidant & Anti Inflammatory Benefits

Because CBD is an antioxidant and has powerful anti inflammatory properties, it works as the perfect skin care ingredient. CBD is also a lipophilic (fat-loving) molecule that binds well to a carrier oil, making it a seamless beauty ingredient for the face and body, and your secret weapon for fighting off age.

CBD’s antioxidant benefits help to brighten skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and even help to fade acne scars. The anti inflammatory properties of CBD can be helpful in treating eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and other inflammatory skin conditions. CBD is also known to be an effective sebum regulator, meaning it can help to keep oil production in check and is a natural antibacterial that helps to fight off acne-causing bacteria.

 

When it comes to your skin health, CBD as an active ingredient can:

1. Reduces inflammation, pain, and redness associated with dry skin, inflammatory skin diseases, and other common skin issues
2. Regulates oil production in the sebaceous glands and fights off bacteria in pores
3. Increases blood flow which improves skin tone and elasticity
4. Repairs sun-damaged skin
5. Protects skin cells from UV damage
6. Prevents wrinkles of aging skin by inhibiting collagen loss
7. Protects against psoriasis and eczema

For millennia, people have used CBD and other cannabis-derived chemical compounds in DIY skin care products for their undeniable effectiveness in healing. CBD, alongside other plant cannabinoids, contains many medicinal benefits and is known to be a healing agent to treat a variety of ailments. There are likely more benefits of CBD that are still being studied, especially when CBD is delivered as a whole plant medicine alongside a natural array of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavanoids (known as the entourage effect- hyperlink).

How to use CBD in your beauty routine

CBD can be broken down into several forms, making it an incredibly versatile ingredient, such as oil-based (most preferred), alcohol-based, and even nano-based (making it water-soluble). CBD can easily be used in any oil-based homemade beauty products like DIY CBD lotion, eye serum, lip balm, bath salts, bath bombs and salves, added into other skincare products alongside your favorite essential oil, added to premade products, or taken orally as part of your supplemental routine. CBD distilled in alcohol can make for the perfect CBD toner.

Topical CBD Application vs. Oral Application

When used topically, CBD has been shown to increase blood flow to the skin, leading to an improvement in skin tone and elasticity. Additionally, because of its ability to reduce inflammation and pain, CBD can be helpful in reducing the symptoms of skin conditions like dry skin, dermatitis, and even sunburn. 

Topical application is great for targeting specific skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, and inflammation. CBD can be used as a beauty product by applying it directly to your skin. It’s also easy to incorporate this into an existing skincare routine, like after cleansing or toning before moisturizing!

Oral application is achieving beauty from the inside out and includes taking full-spectrum CBD oil or CBD extract as a tincture under the tongue (sublingually). The sublingual method of CBD delivery has been shown to be incredibly effective at maximizing bioavailability and absorption into the bloodstream. This is because the mucus membrane under your tongue contains a rich network of capillaries that help pull CBD molecules directly into the bloodstream. Oral application is great for more generalized conditions like chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalances that are manifesting as skin conditions.

CBD Oil versus Essential Oils

CBD oil is a great addition to any skincare routine, but it’s important to note that it’s different from essential oil. Essential oils are incredibly beneficial in their own right and should always be part of a well-rounded skincare routine. They offer unique benefits, such as helping to promote feelings of relaxation and calm, fighting off infection, and aiding in the healing of scars and blemishes. When used together, CBD oil and essential oils can work synergistically to provide a more holistic approach to skin care.

DIY CBD Skin Care Products

My preferred approach to using CBD and other cannabinoids in my daytime and nighttime routine is to make my own CBD infused product with a baseline, whole plant CBD-infused MCT oil at the moment of application.

When it comes to my skin care routine, less is so much more. I keep it super simple and let the plants and oils work their magic. You can add CBD into your favorite carrier oils like argan oil, jojoba, or coconut oil to make an easy DIY face serum or body oil, or you can blend it into a body lotion for deeper skin hydration, or use it as a spot treatment to improve skin health. CBD is safe for all skin types and can be used by women and men of any age without irritation or side effects.

How to Shop the Best CBD Skin Care Products

There are a growing number of CBD-infused skin care products on the market today, but not all of them are created equal. Since CBD is becoming increasingly popular, there is now a wide range of companies cashing in on the trend. The global CBD skin products market was valued at $422.5 million USD in 2019 and is expected to grow 32.4% during this decade alone. Having a weariness of brands choosing human health over profits is just as important here as any other skin care product. Most products on the market CBD are still ladened with strong chemicals, hormone disruptors, toxins and not to mention the use of animal testing!

If you’re not looking to create your own products, you can easily locate some gems at your local health store or online.

What to look out for when buying CBD

When looking for a product, look for something that is incredibly vetted on quality and can be third party testing for purity and for the absence of toxins and toxic chemicals. According to a 2017 research article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, over 60% of online CBD products are falsely labeled. Although companies are starting to be held to a higher standard since the introduction of the 2018 Farm Bill, there is still a ton of misguided education and low-quality product available on the market today. More research on hemp oil will undoubtedly help mitigate this industry.

Decide if you want full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolate

All cannabinoid-based products have a spectrum involved: full, broad, and isolate.

Finding CBD skin care products at a local health food store

The most common CBD products found in a health food store are CBD tinctures. Like literally an entire aisle of them. Look for whole-plant, full-spectrum oil that contain simple and minimal organic ingredients like coconut or MCT oil and Cannabis sativa, and whatever else comes in your favorite skincare products. None of that extra junk is necessary. If used topically, oil tinctures can be viewed as a base ingredient that can be applied directly to the skin or mixed in with lip balms, eye serum, body lotion, toner or bath salts.

There are also pain relief creams that come infused with CBD for localized pain, soreness, or specific skin afflictions like eczema, psoriasis, acne scars… There’s even a “liposomal” form of CBD oil – which is basically a spray made from crystalized cannabidiol molecules suspended in lipids.

The Mysteries of Dosing CBD

Scientists are still unsure about the correct cannabinoid dosage for treating skin diseases or promoting general health. For optimum absorption, quality brands use various doses depending on the location of the product’s intended target — the body or face, for example. Scientists are also unsure about CBD’s place in the market for proven topical medicines, like vitamin C, retinoids, or hyloric acids like hyaluronic acid.

The most important aspect to remember when looking for CBD products is that hemp is not highly regulated and can be presented in a wide variety of ways. from many corners of the earth. Do your research and be your best detective when choosing which CBD products are best for you. After all, it’s your body it’s absorbing into!

My Top 4 Picks for Best CBD Beauty Products

1. Onda Whole Hemp™ CBD Infusions

● My personal favorite for over three years, and offers the highest-quality ingredients possible.

• The perfect base ingredient for homemade/ DIY skin care products, or to use sublingually.

● “Beyond” full-spectrum, whole hemp infusions.

● Never extracted, only whole plant lipid infusions. Think of this as an old-world apothecary style of infusion.

● Third-party lab testing with results posted for all products on their website.

● World’s first Verified Regenerative and Certified Biodynamic® hemp oil, leading with the highest standards from seed to bottle- Onda is ahead of its time when it comes to product transparency, ethical and regenerative farming practices, and for providing clean, whole, and flavorful ingredients.

My three favorite Onda products for skincare are the 600mg Tincture, 3000mg Tincture, and the Body Balm.

The Body Balm ingredients: Organic Olive Oil, Organic Hemp Seed Oil, Beeswax, Organic CBD Hemp Infused in Organic MCT Oil, Eucalyptus.

For the Mother Indica community, our friends at Onda are offering 15% off all orders using code “Mother15” at checkout! Follow the link here to learn more, www.ondawellness.com.

2. LEEF Skincare & Beauty Products

● LEEF Organics feed your skin with a plant-based superfood and is packed with other beneficial oils that help rebalance any imbalances within the skin.

• Organic CBD infused skin care line made from high-quality ingredients

● Third-party lab tested

My favorite LEEF Organics is their skincare line, found here.

Find out more at www.leeforganics.com.

3. Kiskanu Skincare & Beauty Infusions

● A personal favorite for 4 years now. Love seeing how much they’ve grown.

● Kiskanu skincare products are handcrafted with the highest quality CBD and organic herbs and are made for all skin types.

● Uses hemp sun-grown in my home state, Northern California

● Third-party lab tested

My favorite Kiskanu products are the CBD Facial Oil (truly divine) and Botanical Mist (made with yarrow + neroli).

Find out more at www.kiskanuhemp.com.

4. PlusCBD Topicals & Oils by CV Sciences

● Science-based CBD wellness products are carefully formulated to support a healthy lifestyle.

● Uses CO2 extraction methods to produce a raw oil extract, the thick black paste that carries all the original terpenes, cannabinoids (mostly CBD and CBDA), and beneficial flavonoids.

● Third-party lab tested, alongside more in-depth tests throughout production.

• They carry a wide range of CBD products, such as topicals, capsules, tinctures and gummies.

Use code FIRST20 for 20% off your first order! Find out more at https://plusCBDoil.com/

CBD Consumption & Application Tips and Conclusion

When experimenting with cannabinoids (like CBD or THC) for the first time, it’s best to start low, go slow, and work your way up.

This is because cannabinoids interact with and has a balancing effect on our endocannabinoid system, so applying too much can have opposite effects to those you may be going for.

Before fully incorporating CBD into your skincare routine, here are a few tips:

• Start small with just a few drops orally, or test on a small patch on clean skin.
• Take it topically for more targeted relief.
• Take it sublingually under the tongue for faster absorption into your bloodstream.
• Remember CBD has a balancing effect on the ECS – too much can be counterproductive, while too little can have no effect.

While we’re still in the early phases of CBD research, it’s clear that it’s both fascinating and promising in terms of the skin benefits phytocannabinoids provide. In the years to come, I believe we will only see more and more use of these sorts of phytocannabinoids in skin care and wellness formulations.