CBD Skin Care: The New Super Ingredient In Beauty Products

CBD skin care products continue to generate buzz throughout the health world as well as mainstream media. Although CBD gained popularity for its numerous health benefits, it has also generated a significant amount of buzz in the beauty industry with everyone from Olivia Wilde to Katy Perry using CBD skin cream for its touted topical applications.

Using CBD oil for Skin: How it Works

CBD oil for skin interacts with two different receptors in the skin: TRPV1 receptors and endocannabinoid receptors.

TRPV1 Receptors

Studies show that TRPV1 receptors, also known as vanilloid receptors, have an important role in the regulation of many different skin processes.¹ Then, by binding to these receptors, CBD can help reduce many of the unwanted conditions of unhealthy skin and encourage a beautiful complexion.

Endocannabinoid Receptors

Endocannabinoid receptors are part of the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is one of the most important physiological systems of the body. It plays a key role in building and maintaining optimal human health. To clarify, it is different from many of the other systems in the body in that it exists within all of the other systems. For this reason, it is also known as a “meta-system” that interacts with other bodily systems while also governing them.

The endocannabinoid system, or ECS, has one main role: maintaining homeostasis throughout the body. Think of homeostasis like balance. The ECS works to make sure that every system within your body stays balanced and functions in an optimal way. Find out more about how the endocannabinoid system interacts with each system in our Intro To CBD Textbook.

CBD works by promoting endocannabinoid system health. Studies indicate the ECS controls the proliferation of skin cells, their immune functions, and the ways in which they reproduce and multiply.²

CBD Influences Oil Production in The Skin

The endocannabinoid system plays a role in the amount of oil the skin produces. Overly active cannabinoid receptors in the skin cause an increase in the amount of oil the skin produces.³ As a result, balancing out these cannabinoid receptors helps bring oil production back to a normal level.

A study that examined this phenomenon found that when CB2 receptors were turned off or “silenced,” the amount of oil they produced was significantly less than those cells around them where CB2 receptors continued to function normally.⁴ Is your skin abnormally dry? It could be because the CB2 receptors in your skin are not active enough.

CBD Beauty Products: CBD And Anti-Aging

Health seekers and the beauty industry love CBD beauty products and antioxidants because oxidative stress is believed to speed up the aging process by damaging the structure and functioning of skin cells.  Antioxidants, on the other hand, work to battle oxidative stress by eliminating the free radicals that cause cellular damage. Even though the body makes antioxidants, they also exist elsewhere in the form of vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids.  

One study found that CBD exerts anti-oxidative effects more powerful than vitamin C and E.⁵  Not only that, CBD hemp oil is a rich source of fatty acids and other nutrients that can be beneficial for healthy skin.⁶ While new research and findings continues to emerge, the evidence we have indicates CBD oil could be a great beauty tool in battling oxidative stress. 

CBD Skin Care: Concluding Thoughts

Through its balancing of oil production, a healthy and balanced endocannabinoid system offers tremendous potential for anyone looking for the next great skin care product. To sum up, the world of CBD and beauty is still relatively new with more new products like CBD Oil Balm are being created every day. 

SOURCES:

1. Tamas Biro, Balazs Toth, Gyorgy Hasko, Ralf Paus, Pal Pacher. The Endocannabinoid System of the Skin In Health and Disease, Trends Pharmacology Sci., 2009 Oct 5, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2757311/
2. Ibid.
3. Dobrosi N, Toth Bl, Nagy G, Dozsa A, Geczy T, Nagy L, Zouboullis CC, Paus R, Kovacs L, Biro T. Endocannabinoids Enhance Lipid Synthesis and Apostosis of Human Sebocytes Via Cannabinoid Receptor-2-Mediated Signalling, FASEB J., 2008 Oct 22, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18596221
4. Ibid.
5. Iuvone T, Esposito G, Esposito R, Santamaria R, Di Rosa M, Izzo AA. Neuroprotective Effect of Cannabidiol, A Non-Psychoactive Component from Cannabis Sativa, On Beta-Amlyoid-Induced Toxicity in PC12 Cells, J. Neurochem, 2004 Apr., https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15030397
6. Cary Leizer, David Ribnicky, Alexander Poulev, Slavik Dushenkov, Ilya Rashkin. The Composition of Hemp Seed Oil and Its Potential as an Important Source of Nutrition, Journal of Nutraceuticals, http://hempioneers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06...
7. University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Cannabinoids May Soothe Certain Skin Diseases, 2017 April 18, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170...