The skin is the body’s largest organ, but it doesn’t receive the same amount of care and attention as its much smaller counterparts. For example, people spend a lot of time worrying about the state of their hearts, lungs, livers, and kidneys, eating special diets to optimize these organs’ health. But the skin goes largely unnoticed, with little done to protect it.
As the body’s first line of defense against invading cells, the skin plays a vital role in your overall health. As such, it needs special care to keep it functioning correctly.
Photo by Michael Fenton on Unsplash
CBD and Your Skin
At the moment, CBD is a buzzword used relating to helping people with depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Its medicinal properties are widely praised, although most of its success stories are anecdotal, and it is the subject of intensive research.
What not too many people know is that CBD has also been found to be an effective skin treatment for a variety of conditions. More and more people are turning to CBD as an alternative treatment to avoid using harsh chemicals on their skin.
Will CBD give you a buzz?
Absolutely not. While both CBD and marijuana come from the cannabis plant, they are not the same. They are only two of about 100 components found in this family of plants. CBD stands for cannabidiol and is found in high concentrations in the hemp plant. It has no mood-altering effects, unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is prevalent in the marijuana plant.
Legal CBD products contain less than 0.03% of THC, meaning that they have no psychoactive properties and are not regarded as habit-forming.
CBD Benefits for Your Skin
CBD helps to regulate sebum production
The endocannabinoid system contains naturally produced cannabinoids, which interact with different receptors in the body, regulating the production of various substances. CBD augments the endocannabinoid system, allowing it to function optimally.
The sebaceous glands occur in the skin and are responsible for supplying it with natural oils, called sebum. Often, the skin produces too much sebum, resulting in oily skin. Using CBD products can regulate sebum production, preventing an oversupply to the skin.
CBD has analgesic properties
The endocannabinoid system also affects the body’s pain receptors, allowing it to reduce the pain sensation. When the body perceives pain, these receptors interact with the brain to allow for a pain response. For example, if you put your hand onto a hot surface, the pain receptors tell the brain it hurts, and the brain tells the hand to move away from the heat.
By reducing pain receptor activity, the endocannabinoid system lowers the body’s pain experience. This analgesic effect is helpful for the skin when you have a sunburn, injuries, or a painful acne outbreak.
CBD acts as a natural antibacterial
An acne outbreak is caused by a combination of follicles blocked by sebum and dead skin cells and a bacterial infection. Once the bacterium invades the skin, it spreads, causing an acne outbreak that goes beyond a few whiteheads or blackheads.
Scientists have seen evidence that CBD can act as an antibacterial, but they’re not entirely sure how and why it does. This phenomenon is the subject of current research. Using CBD products on wounds can also help to prevent infections that can invade damaged skin cells.
CBD is rich in antioxidants
Antioxidants help to combat free radicals in the body, which are cells that can cause the body harm. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but more can form after sun exposure and through an unhealthy diet.
Free radicals have been linked to the fine lines and wrinkles that occur as the skin ages. As CBD is a rich source of antioxidants, it can combat free radicals and fight the signs of aging.
CBD can help reduce the prominence of scar tissue
One of the antioxidants CBD contains in abundance is Vitamin E, which has been associated with stimulating the production of new skin cells and the restoration of damaged skin cells.
Vitamin E is well-known to be effective in the treatment of skin damage caused by the sun and other burn sources. It can contribute to the healing of scar tissue by stimulating the regeneration of the skin cells.
