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Why Is CBD Oil Becoming The Next Big Beauty Trend?

If you have not been keeping up with beauty trends in recent times, there is a good chance that when you next walk down the beauty aisle at your favorite store, you are going to be in for a surprise. What you are going to see are rows upon rows of body oil, facial serum, face cream, anti-aging cream, and more with an ingredient that may be rather unexpected. In fact, the ingredient may come as a shocker to you as well because, for many, even today, this particular ingredient is associated with marijuana and its very well- known psychoactive effects.

Cannabidiol or CBD- this is the wonder ingredient that beauty brands are all raving about today. Yes, CBD or cannabidiol is, as you know, a derivative of the Cannabis Sativa plant- the same plant from which you get marijuana. This association is the reason why many people view CBD products with alarm. But the fact is that the alarm and concern are quite unfounded, and if you have been avoiding CBD-based products just for this reason, then you have been quite unnecessarily missing out on a veritable host of effective solutions for your skincare routine. To allay your fears about CBD, the easiest thing to do is learn more about it, and how it works on the human body.

A quick intro to CBD

CBD or cannabidiol is a chemical compound extracted from the Cannabis Sativa plant. This plant is where we get marijuana from as well, and it is known as both marijuana and hemp too. However, there is a big difference between marijuana and CBD. The former has a good content of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), while the latter (CBD) does not.

Why is this significant for you to know, and what does it mean?? It is this THC that gives the high that marijuana offers. With THC in nearly negligible amounts in CBD, this compound cannot give you a high. CBD is NOT psychoactive simply because the THC is not a major active ingredient in it. So while CBD is still a cousin of the high inducing marijuana, you need not fear products containing it for fear that it will have a psychoactive effect.

Getting on to the hemp- marijuana question, the two are different species of the Cannabis Sativa plant. Both of them do have CBD, and this compound can be extracted from both these varieties of Cannabis Sativa. However, the distinction is that in CBD that is derived from hemp, you have even less of THC content, so the possibility of you getting a high from it is reduced further still. Also, hemp contains more CBD as compared to the marijuana variety.

What you need to know is that when CBD has less than 0.3% of THC, it cannot give you any feelings of being high or euphoria or intoxication. The CBD that is used so commonly today in various facial serums, face creams, glow oils, and body oils are this kind.

So, CBD is safe?

Research has picked up in this area, and many studies are being done about cannabidiol and its various effects. So far, there is no evidence to show that it is harmful, although there are good indications of its benefits in many different ways. Most notably, the FDA has recently approved a CBD based drug as well, showing that these products may come into mainstream pharmaceuticals in the coming years as soon as adequate research definitively proves their efficacy.

For now, the fact is significant that the FDA has approved of the cannabidiol drug Epidiolex that is to be given in the oral form to patients suffering from two different types of severe epilepsy. This marks the first-ever purified substance from marijuana to be approved for medical purposes by the FDA. When the approval was given, the FDA went on to state that if properly evaluated, the active ingredients in Cannabis Sativa may lead to ‘important medical therapies.’

But why is CBD so effective? How does it work? Surprisingly, the human body is designed to be cannabis-friendly, in a way. CBD works by acting upon the body’s endocannabinoid system. This system comprises of neurotransmitters and cell receptors that are present all over the body but majorly in the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, and the immune system. Several functions are controlled by this endocannabinoid system- pain, immune response, memory, appetite, and so on. When the human body system is thrown off-kilter, cannabinoids are produced within the body to restore normalcy.

CBD does not directly act upon the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2), but it prompts the body to release the right cannabinoids. Also, it helps ensure that the endocannabinoids stay for a longer duration within the system. The beneficial effects of the cannabinoids created within the system can be mimicked by using CBD based products as well. Also, CBD appears to have several benefits to offer even when used as a topical application. This is the reason why CBD products have become such popular additions to beauty products, skin care products, and cosmetics.

Skincare and CBD- how they go hand in hand

Ask any beauty brand that is using CBD in its products, and they will tell you why they look at this cannabis extract as more of a vitamin than anything else. CBD does contain a host of vitamins- A, D and E, to be precise. It also has some very useful fatty acids and is packed with anti-inflammation properties that seem to work very efficiently. From treating skin eruptions to making your skin smooth and youthful to ensuring your skin has that happy glow- CBD seems to be an all-rounder product. That is why you find it in such a variety of products- facial serum, face cream, anti-aging serum, glow oil, sleeping mask, and much more.

• CBD as an acne cure

What’s the most common skin problem that you can think of right off the top of your head?? It has to be acne. Acne is common among teens but not limited to them, unfortunately. There is a surprisingly large number of adults who suffer from acne, the painful kind that just won’t go away. Acne is one skin problem that has never had a proper cure, something that will address both the physical appearance of the acne spots and the painful nature of those. Research in this area showed that CBD might be effective because it normalizes the agent that prompts the eruption of acne. Also, by inhibiting the growth of sebocytes, it checks acne mainly by preventing the proliferation of the cells. The anti-inflammatory action of CBD is also very helpful in addressing acne. The severity of acne and the redness/ inflammation on acne-ridden areas is significantly reduced upon the application of CBD in oil or lotion form. While reducing inflammation, CBD also ensures that the severity of pain owing to the eruption is held in check.

• CBD benefits overall skin health

As we know now, the ECS system or the endocannabinoid system is part of the body’s ‘tools’ to keep healthy. This includes the skin, the largest organ, as well. When the ECS system takes a hit owing to some reason, all of the body faces the impact, but mainly it is the skin that begins to show the effects almost immediately. For example, dry skin, itchiness, rashes- these are quite common symptoms that we face when the body’s hydration balance goes for a toss.

CBD works on the ECS system of the body, encouraging it to react to such an imbalance by producing more of the essential cannabinoids quickly. This helps the body come back to a state of good health and normalcy that shows on your skin quickly. Remember that CBD also helps hold the cannabinoids in the system for longer so that their effectiveness stays longer as well. CBD has been found by researchers to be very effective for promoting skin health, skin tone, and restoring the youthful glow.

• Anti-aging with CBD

Apart from being effective in treating skin eruptions like acne and the underlying inflammation, CBD also seems to work well in restoring the skin’s lost elasticity and youthful glow. Oxidation makes the cells breakdown and ages the body before it needs to. To prevent the effect of oxidation, we need antioxidant-rich compounds. CBD fits the bill very well here with its powerful antioxidative properties. Both CBD and THC have been found to have neuroprotective antioxidants in research carried out on animals. There is enough evidence to show that CBD oil does have the same effect on humans as well. Interestingly, CBD was found to be more effective in preventing oxidative damage than other compounds, proving that its efficacy may be quite dramatic.

It is also seen that when CBD is extracted from hemp, it has even better anti-aging effects. Typically, anti-aging creams and youth oils have a host of vitamins such as A, E, and C. CBD already comes fortified with vitamins and hence works as well or better than these.

• Soothe your skin with CBD

One of the most popular reasons for the increasing use of CBD is that it is very useful in soothing sensitive skin and resolving common problems like itchiness. An article in Science Daily indicates how CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties work on a host of skin issues, including itchiness caused by allergies or conditions like eczema and psoriasis. The most significant thing here is that this compound suits sensitive skin for which many other products may not work.

It appears that CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties help soothe sensitive skin but also attack the underlying problem of dryness that leads to the itch, thus creating a very effective impact on both cause and effect. The article also talks about a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology that talks about the efficacy of CBD in dealing with atopic and contact dermatitis. There is evidence to show that CBD oil and lotions may improve skin parameters overall quite significantly.

According to the National Eczema Association, CBD has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-itch properties that make it a valuable aid in the treatment of eczema and similar skin ailments. The founding editor of the JAMA Dermatology journal, Dr. Henry Piffard, who also wrote the first dermatological therapeutics textbook, has mentioned the benefits of CBD in this work.

Studies show that CBD acts upon the appropriate receptors to reduce the symptoms of eczema. Another benefit of CBD is that it curbs the S. aureus colonization, and in this way, it helps in keeping atopic dermatitis away. Research done on mice shows that this compound activates CB1 receptors and helps subdue allergic contact dermatitis. Human trials also indicated an improvement in the itch associated with such skin ailments by a significant degree, leaving little room for doubt that CBD can indeed help quite dramatically in such cases.

The future of CBD

CBD has already made its way into the cosmetics, beauty products, and skincare industry quite dramatically in the last few years. However, there is much-unexplored potential yet. Research has already begun to be carried out on cannabidiol and its many possible benefits, and it is hoped that in the future, much more will be done as well. It is believed that there are about 150 trials in progress on this compound right now. Once the results of these are revealed, much more will be known about CBD that could further enhance its use in the skincare line. Already, with the FDA approving the CBD extract for epilepsy, much of the myth surrounding this product has begun to dissipate. With further studies by reputed research groups, these doubts and concerns are all set to fade away, paving the way for CBD products to take the beauty and skincare world by storm.