CBD and Healthy Skin

Talk About It Tuesday Blog Series: CBD Skincare

Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and it does much more than keep our other organs from falling out.  Skin helps regulate body temperature, synthesizes Vitamin D from sunlight and protects you from the outside environment.  Healthy skin helps you look and feel your best, so it goes without saying taking care of it is vital to our health and well-being.

How Skin Ages

Naturally as you age your skin also ages.  This happens because collagen, the substance in our skin that gives it it’s firmness and makes up about 75% of the protein in your skin, diminishes yearly by about 1% after age 20.  That’s a 25% collagen loss by age 45!  How quickly skin ages also depends on things like smoking, drinking alcohol, sun exposure, diet, environmental toxins and other lifestyle factors.  You will notice that skin isn’t as tight or smooth as it once was, and it tends to bruise and damage easier.  This is all part of the inevitable aging process; however, CBD oil in the form of topical creams has many anti-aging benefits that are only beginning to be explored, benefits that can help keep your skin looking healthier longer.

How Does CBD Work In Your Body?

CBD is known as a phytocannabinoid (cannabinoids from plants). It is one of over 100 cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant. The body naturally produces its own cannabinoids, known as endocannabinoids, throughout the endocannabinoid system, or ECS. The endocannabinoids in the body are neurotransmitters, and they bind with cannabinoid receptors throughout the body and brain.  You can think of this as a lock and key mechanism where the cannabinoid receptor is the lock and the endocannabinoid is the key.  The ECS is responsible for regulating equilibrium and a multitude of internal functions that includes sleep, appetite, mood, hormones, immune system, pain sensation, memory and more.

Cannabinoids bind with the CB1 and CB2 receptors throughout the brain and body, and CBD interacts with these receptors when introduced into the body. The endocannabinoid system is unique because it functions multi-directionally. In other words, whether the body has a lack of cannabinoids or a surplus, the ECS finds a way to make up for this and regulate functionality. When the ECS cannot produce the number of cannabinoids your body needs, outside phytocannabinoids in the form of CBD can be introduced to improve functionality. That is why CBD has seen so much promise in helping with various ailments and promoting overall wellness.

How Can CBD Help Aging Skin?

CBD oil has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  Antioxidants help halt the aging process by reducing free-radicals and the damage that they can do to the skin. Free radicals cause collagen to break down faster, so ultimately antioxidants are helping slow down the process of collagen loss (CBD may also help elevate levels of collagen produced in the body naturally), keeping skin looking more youthful, firm and strong over time.  Anti-inflammatory properties help relax the skin so that the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles are not as obvious.

Over time our skin also loses its ability to produce as much oil from it’s glands which also contributes to dry skin and causes lines and wrinkles to become more noticeable.  One study from 2008 found a connection between endocannabinoids and oil excretion in sebaceous glands – the surface level glands on the skin most prevalent on the face and scalp.  Apparently, these endocannabinoids are partially responsible for this oil production, which is why some evidence also suggests that cannabinoids are helpful for managing dry skin.  This connection is why CBD can benefit aging skin and help it look more youthful and naturally refreshed.

Other Skin Benefits

While more research is still needed, previous studies have also shown CBD to be effective against such skin conditions as pruritus (itchy skin), acne and has a potential therapeutic value in the treatment of psoriasis.

CBD for Your Skin

As you can see CBD has the potential do be a game changer when it comes to skin health. If you have dry itchy skin or want to counter the effects of aging skin, try a CBD skin care product a few times a week and see what results you get.  As always, because everyone is unique in their biochemical makeup and lifestyle factors, the CBD dosage that works for some may not work for others so be vigilant to find what work for you and your skin.