The political debate around the legalization of cannabis has spawned another debate in the realm of cosmetics: CBD oil as skincare. This trendy ingredient has shown up in mascara, facial oils, and skin balms, but can this herb really go the distance when it comes to your skin?
What is CBD?
a compound found in the flower of the cannabis plant (otherwise known as weed, marijuana, Mary Jane, pot… you know what, you can probably just Google it). Unlike its closely related cousin, CBD does not cause any psychoactive effects. For many years, alike believed that THC was the only medicinally important compound in weed. CBD levels in plants gradually dropped as growers focused on breeding strains with higher and higher levels of THC (more THC = a higher high).
It wasn’t until the early 2000s that researchers began investigating CBD’s potential uses in medicine and treatment. You may have heard the famous story of a young girl having hundreds of seizures a day, who was successfully treated using marijuana high in CBD and low in THC. More and more research is still coming out about the potential health benefits of CBD, but will it really do anything for your skin, or is the cosmetics industry just hopping on the bandwagon?
Highly effective or just high?
There is evidence that CBD may be effective in treating skin concerns like and (itchy, inflamed, and/or flaky skin). Studies show the potential for CBD to and to caused by irritation and allergic reactions (check out more studies here!). However, there isn’t conclusive evidence that CBD is a miracle treatment for the skin. Many of the studies cited use animal models or cultured cells, and the results cannot always be extrapolated to their effect in vivo. Basically, play it safe before spending your hard earned dollars on this ingredient!
Make sure you’re getting the real deal
Since CBD is such a hot trend, more and more brands are looking to cash in and not all of them have accurate labeling practices. A study in the looked at the labels of 84 products from 31 companies and found about 43% underestimated the amount of CBD in the products and about 26% overestimated the amount of CBD in the products. It seems like when it comes to CBD cosmetics, it may be best to proceed with caution and research a company’s claims before diving in.
If you’re interested in trying CBD, check out Dazey. Their full-spectrum oil is extracted from industrial hemp grown on a small, food-grade, organic farm in Oregon. Although they don’t sell skincare products (yet!), their oil — we suggest their Regular for skincare — can be added to your favorite lotion or moisturizer.
Apostrophe is certainly intrigued by where this skincare trend may lead! We’ll be watching it closely, will you?
