It’s safe to say the newfound cannabis industry in North America has been experiencing a boom over the past few years. Back in 1996, California became the first state to legalize cannabis for medicinal use, trailblazing the way for the eventual legalization and decriminalization of both medical and recreational use in many of the US states and Canada. Now most US states have legalized cannabis use to some extent. Some require you to obtain a medical marijuana card online or offline to be able to legally purchase cannabis products, while others don’t. This means there is now an abundance of different products available on the market, from both Indica and Sativa strains. In other words, there has never been a better time in history to be a cannabis enthusiast.
However, many people are still blissfully unaware that there is far more to cannabis than just smoking it. It has an amazingly diverse plethora of use cases, and one of the most successful has been observed in the health and wellness industry, particularly beauty. You see, the cannabis plant is full of healthy compounds that are known to work wonders on our skin and hair.
To make things even better, the production of cannabis products is far more sustainable and better for the environment than the vast majority of regular beauty products on the market. This combination has opened the floodgates to a wide variety of consumers, such as those who want more natural products and environmentally conscious people. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the amazing ways cannabis-infused products can help boost your skin health.
Cannabis Legalization and CBD Products
The legalization of CBD products, it must be noted, comes from the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. On the federal level, the bill legalizes the reclassification of hemp as an agricultural product; farmers can therefore sell it and grow it – which is why CBD products are on the rise not only as skincare products but also as health supplements. Given CBD oil legalization in Texas, there has been more incentive to try CBD products, which mostly come from marijuana and hemp. The product has flown off the shelves.
New York CBD laws also allow for the use of cannabis beauty products, provided they only have 0.3% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Note, however, that CBD is not legal in all states in the US. For example, those who wish to use it can only purchase marijuana-derived CBD oil from specific places; those with limited access to all CBD goods include the states of North Carolina, Iowa, Mississippi, and Kansas.
The Potential Beauty Benefits of CBD
As mentioned above, CBD offers a wide array of potential beauty benefits. In the sections below, we give more details about these benefits.
How Do CBD Beauty Products Work?
CBD beauty products are available in many ways. They usually come with carrier oils, which include but are not limited to argan oil, olive oil, shea butter, and coconut oil. One who uses CBD must identify which carrier oil bodes well with one’s skin. Another way to take CBD products is through oral CBD, which is known to help a few cases of acne.
Soothe skin irritation
Cannabis beauty products come in all shapes and sizes, but one of the most common is in a topical form. When applied directly to the skin, cannabis is known to have both pain-relieving, and anti-inflammatory effects due to the way it binds to the cannabinoid receptors in your body.
This helps to soothe skin irritation and has even been known to reduce the symptoms and appearance of more serious skin issues, such as atopic dermatitis (AD), otherwise known as eczema.
Alleviate psoriasis symptoms
According to WebMD, “Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes cells to develop rapidly on the skin. This overgrowth can lead to thick, scaly plaques that may itch or cause discomfort.” Interestingly, it is the most prevalent autoimmune disease in the United States, with approximately 2.2% of the population suffering from it.
Fortunately, many sources claim that cannabis products can help with the treatment of psoriasis as it helps to reduce inflammation and itching, control pain, and most importantly, slow down cell growth. This inhibits the buildup of dead skin cells, which is one of the leading causes of psoriasis breakouts.
Combat acne
It’s estimated that acne affects between 40 – 50 million people in the United States. Although it mainly affects teenagers and adolescents, it is also present in young children and adults, and it can be extremely uncomfortable and stressful.
Again, the anti-inflammatory and anti-itching properties in cannabis-infused topical lotions can be very helpful to sufferers of the condition. This mainly thanks to its ability to adjust how the body creates sebum, the waxy, oily substance produced by your body’s sebaceous glands. People who suffer from acne usually produce too much sebum, and cannabis can help control this and reduce the oiliness of their skin. Some people report a dramatic improvement in their skin appearance after just a few applications of the product.
Prevent skin aging
It seems that we are all obsessed with looking younger than we actually are these days. In fact, that’s the entire premise of the beauty industry as a whole. So, what can cannabis products do that those regular beauty products cannot?
Well, several studies have found that topically applied cannabis reduces signs of aging, and even slows the visible signs of aging due to it containing more potent antioxidants than vitamin C or E. This reduces the number of free radicals in your body, which are the main contributors to your skin experiencing oxidative stress (one of the main causes of aging).
Fight bacterial skin infections
Last but definitely not least, cannabis skin products have been known to help fight against bacterial skin infections. Cannabis contains antimicrobial and antibacterial properties thanks to its nutrient-rich profile and abundance of healthy compounds. According to some reports, it can even help to fight against antibiotic-resistant infections, which is absolutely incredible when you stop to think about it.
Other than that, they also help fight against a variety of other skin infections and ailments, such as boils, cellulitis, impetigo, erysipelas, furuncles, and carbuncles.
