The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right CBD Skin Care Product for Your Skin Type
Introduction
Medical cannabis (MC) or Vijaya has been recently gaining traction for their numerous benefits like decreasing inflammation, improving hydration and relieving pain, to name a few. Because of these properties, it has been included in skincare products ranging from lip balms to moisturisers.
This article explores the benefits of MC and its compound called cannabidiol (CBD) in skin care, common myths and how you can incorporate CBD into your skincare routine.
What is CBD skincare?
Being the largest organ of the body, the skin requires proper care to maintain its integrity, health and function. Although it doesn’t look like a hostile environment, the skin is exposed to many factors like microbes, sebum, UV rays and other irritants which can damage the skin and cause acne, lesions, blackheads, etc.
CBD has been increasingly being incorporated by many reputed medical cannabis companies like Cannazo India and 707 Flora into skin care products like moisturisers, lip balms, cleansers, sunscreens, etc. This helps people to reap the benefits of CBD simply in the form of simple skincare routines.
What Are the Benefits of Using CBD Skincare Products?
There has been voluminous research done on the beneficial properties of CBD. Benefits of CBD in skincare include:
Decreases sebum production: A 2014 research showed that CBD decreases the multiplication of sebocytes while also decreasing the production of lipids like arachidonic acid in sebocytes. These effects make CBD a good candidate for treating acne.
Decreases inflammation: The same study also found that CBD decreased inflammation in sebocytes when they were exposed to pro-acne conditions. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely I-1B, IL-6 and TNF-α, had significantly decreased upon treatment with CBD.
Improves skin hydration: Dry skin is a contributing factor to acne. A 2021 mice study showed that treatment with a 1% CBD solution for 2 weeks increased the dermal water content by around 10% while not causing changes to the usual epidermal water loss.
Antioxidant activity: CBD has been found to show significant antioxidant activity by neutralising free radicals, thus preventing photoaging symptoms like lines and wrinkles.
Antimicrobial activity: Studies have shown that CBD has some antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus and Cutibacterium acnes bacteria which usually cause acne.
Understanding different CBD skincare products
CBD has been infused in many types of skincare products like moisturisers, lip balms, sunscreens, cleansers, face masks, massage oils, etc.
CBD products are available in the following formulations:
Full-spectrum: consists of all compounds extracted from MC leaves including CBD and THC.
Broad-spectrum: consists of all compounds from MC leaves except THC.
CBD isolate: consist only of CBD.
Understanding Your Skin Type
CBD skincare products have been formulated by keeping the fact that people have different skin types in mind. Skin types can vary from dry to oily to combination.
If your skin usually feels dry and itchy, it is recommended to use CBD skincare products meant for dry skin which will hydrate your skin. If you have oily skin, CBD products meant for oily skin are available which will help decrease oil production.
CBD products have also been developed for combination skin. Combination skin means that your face usually has an oily T-zone while the rest of the face is relatively dry.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a CBD Skincare Product
To get the best efficacy from a CBD skincare product, it is important to ponder over certain factors like:
Skin type: understanding your skin type and whether a particular CBD product will work for you is important for the best results.
CBD concentration: It is recommended to start with a low dose of CBD. Too high of a concentration can lead to no benefits while also causing side effects.
Ingredient list: Ensure that the product has no THC and genuinely has CBD. Some products might just be hemp-based products with no added CBD.
Reviews: There is no better proof that a product works than reviews. Ask your friends and family or read online reviews about the efficacy of the product and accordingly choose for yourself.
Myths and Misconceptions About CBD in Skincare
With the rising popularity of CBD in skincare, certain misconceptions about CBD in skincare have also come up. Some of these misconceptions include:
CBD can cause hallucinations: CBD is a class of cannabinoids which is non-psychoactive, i.e., it can’t cause hallucinations. In fact, there’s another class of compounds called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is psychoactive. So, you can use CBD skincare products without worry.
CBD will trigger allergies: CBD is suitable for most skin types. But like every other skincare product, it may not suit someone’s skin due to genetic or immunological factors. The best way to check if you are allergic or not is by doing a simple patch test.
CBD has no side effects: Although suitable for most people, CBD might cause mild side effects like dry mouth and sleepiness.
CBD is illegal: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and AYUSH both approve the use of medical cannabis leaves for medical and nutritional purposes in India.
How to Incorporate CBD Skincare into Your Routine
CBD can be incorporated very seamlessly into your skincare routine.
Understand your skin type: determining what type is your skin will help you choose the best products and yield the best results.
Do a simple patch test: this will let you know if you are allergic and help eliminate those products.
Start with a CBD cleanser: CBD cleanser will gently remove dirt and excess oils from your face.
Use a CBD moisturiser: if the cleanser works out fine, CBD moisturisers can be out to hydrate the skin.
Try out CBD acne creams: you may also consult with a dermatologist if you could use a CBD topical for treating acne.
Conclusion
CBD has been incorporated into skincare products due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties. They also help in decreasing sebum production while hydrating the skin. There is a wide tapestry of CBD skincare products for you to choose from depending on your skin type and whether it suits your skin.
References
Ikarashi, N., Shiseki, M., Yoshida, R., Tabata, K., Kimura, R., Watanabe, T., … & Kamei, J. (2021). Cannabidiol application increases cutaneous aquaporin-3 and exerts a skin moisturizing effect. Pharmaceuticals, 14(9), 879.
Kwiecień, E., & Kowalczuk, D. (2023). Therapeutic Potential of Minor Cannabinoids in Dermatological Diseases — A Synthetic Review. Molecules, 28(16), 6149.
Oláh, A., Tóth, B. I., Borbíró, I., Sugawara, K., Szöllõsi, A. G., Czifra, G., … & Bíró, T. (2014). Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and antiinflammatory effects on human sebocytes. The Journal of clinical investigation, 124(9), 3713–3724.
Peyravian, N., Deo, S., Daunert, S., & Jimenez, J. J. (2022). The anti-inflammatory effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on acne. Journal of inflammation research, 2795–2801.
Clinikally (n.d.). Harnessing the Power of CBD in Skincare: Truths, Myths, and Potential. Harnessing the Power of CBD in Skincare: Truths, Myths, and Potential. https://www.clinikally.com/blogs/news/harnessing-the-power-of-cbd-in-skincare-truths-myths-and-potential