CBD oil is becoming more and more popular in recent years, taking over the wellness and beauty market. It is often used for mental and physical health, such as easing symptoms of anxiety or helping to cope with pain in a more natural way than taking painkillers. CBD in cosmetics is also a big ongoing trend whereby there is some anecdotal and science-backed evidence that it can be used for soothing skin and even be helpful when dealing with acne. Let’s dive a little deeper into this topic.
What are the main causes of acne?
Acne usually occurs when skin pores become blocked with dead skin, oil, or bacteria. Each skin pore is the opening to a follicle made up of hair and a sebaceous (oil) gland. The oil gland releases sebum (an oily substance our skin makes) which travels up the hair onto your skin to keep it lubricated and soft.
The problems in this lubrication process can cause acne:
- sebum overproduction by your follicles
- dead skin cells accumulated in your pores
- bacteria that are building up in your pores.
All these problems contribute to the development of pimples appearing when bacteria grow in a clogged pore, and the oil cannot escape.
What are the risk factors for acne?
There are certain risk factors for acne development:
- hormonal changes caused by puberty or pregnancy
- medications (such as certain birth control pills and corticosteroids)
- high-carbohydrate diet.
What is CBD oil?
CBD (the short name for cannabidiol) is one of the 100+ cannabinoids in the cannabis plant alongside tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The latter is infamous for the “high” effect.
CBD oil generally doesn’t contain THC, although some legally-accepted trace amounts can be present in products. CBD oil contains CBD mixed with a carrier oil (usually MCT oil).
Nowadays, you can find CBD gummies, CBD capsules, vapes, and other product variations. In this article dwell on the oil form only.
CBD oil for acne
There evidence that CBD can help with acne is not only anecdotal but also scientific. According to the Journal of Clinical Investigation, cannabidiol behaves as a highly effective sebostatic agent. The findings suggest that due to the combined antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects, CBD has potential as a potent therapeutic agent that can be used in the treatment of acne vulgaris. This wording may seem too complicated, so let’s make it a bit simpler. CBD oil can help reduce various types of acne due to its ability to adjust how the body creates sebum and due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
How to use CBD oil for acne?
You can either buy CBD oil tincture designed especially for acne-prone skin or simply combine a couple of drops of the oil with a cream of your choice and then apply it directly to your face and body parts.
In some cases, taking oral CBD may also help with acne, as the anti-inflammatory compounds are still active when they enter the body.
However, in studies exploring CBD effects, the oil was applied directly to the sebum-creating cells of the skin, helping to achieve a more localised effect; that’s why a topical application may bring results faster.
When choosing CBD oil, it’s vital to ensure that the manufacturer has conducted third-party laboratory tests to confirm the THC level and the product’s CBD content.
Story by Alphagreen Group
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