Best CBD Skincare Products — Level Up Your Skincare Routine

CBD For Skincare: How Does it Work?

The skin is well equipped for protecting us from heat, cold, microorganisms, radiation, and physical damage. It features sweat glands all over the skin’s surface to help vent heat and keep the skin hydrated, sebum glands to secrete a steady stream of protective oils, and it’s loaded with sensors designed to help us sense changes in our environment.

Such a complex organ system means there are a lot of things that can go wrong.

We need to place a special focus on preserving the integrity of our skin — which means supporting the formation of structural proteins like collagen and elastin, promoting cell regeneration to replace skin cells that have been damaged or lost, and protecting the skin from free radicals that can cause premature aging and wrinkles.

CBD Is Reported to Support The Skin in a Few Different Ways:

• Supports the formation of new skin cells
• Provides symptom relief from skin pain or discomfort
• Combats the aging process of the skin by providing antioxidant protection
• Directly inhibits inflammatory processes to speed healing and combat inflammatory conditions like dermatitis, eczema, acne, and psoriasis
• Speeds healing of the skin and underlying muscle and connective tissue

The best CBD products for skincare will vary depending on the health goals you want to achieve. In most cases, a higher-potency topical formulated with other beneficial ingredients is going to be the best option.

In some cases it’s even beneficial to take CBD internally as oil or capsule — however, most CBD skin care products come as a topical cream, salve, or balm.

Let’s get into some of our top picks for CBD skincare products.

What is CBD?

CBD stands for cannabidiol — it’s one of the active constituents of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).

This compound works by interacting with our endocannabinoid system — consisting of a series of receptors designed to regulate balance (homeostasis) around the body.

There are two main types of endocannabinoid receptor:

1. CB1 Receptors

The CB1 receptors are primarily found in the brain and spinal cord. These receptors are involved with the regulation of hormones and neurotransmitters — thus controlling things like hunger levels, emotional stability, reproductive health, stress, and anxiety levels.

You need to take CBD internally to be able to interact with these effects.

2. CB2 Receptors

The CB2 receptors are found throughout the body but are most abundant in the skin, spleen, and immune system. They regulate the health of organs by helping to control homeostasis — which is a fancy word for balance.

CBD can interact with the CB2 receptors on the skin when applied topically — helping to restore optimal function of the skin.

Guide to Using CBD on Your Skin

Can I Use CBD Oil On My Skin?

One of the things that make CBD oils so versatile is their ability to be used both internally, and externally.

These products usually only contain 2 or 3 ingredients — CBD or hemp extract, a carrier oil (such as hemp seed, MCT oil, or avocado oil), and a flavoring agent (optional).

All of these ingredients are perfectly safe to use directly on the skin.

With that said, if the goal is to use the oil on the skin specifically, it’s better to use a salve or cream that contains other ingredients — such as waxes, other herbal extracts, and emulsifiers. These products are better at penetrating the skin to deliver CBD to the lower layers of skin where they can exert most of its benefits.

When to Use CBD Topically vs. Internally

Although most skincare products containing CBD are topical, there are some times when you might want to consider using CBD internally in the form of an oil or capsules. In most cases, we recommend taking both if you can for a more well-rounded effect and to maximize the bioavailability of the CBD.

Choosing CBD Products For Your Skin Condition

Choosing the right CBD product for your skin will depend on what areas need the most improvement. Let’s go over some of the most common skin conditions people are using CBD for treating — covering what causes the condition, and some tips to get the most out of your CBD for each condition.

A. Dry Skin

Dry skin is very common and doesn’t necessarily relate to an underlying medical condition. A lot of dry skin simply happens from living in dryer or colder regions of the world.

CBD is great for soothing dry skin through its ability to promote the growth of fresh new skin cells — which will grow and eventually replace the dead skin cells covering the surface of the skin.

We recommend finding a CBD cream that’s formulated to contain hemp seed oil or borage oil. The high gamma linoleic acid (GLA) in these carrier oils is excellent for restoring the vibrancy to overly dried-out and dead skin [1].

B. Psoriasis

Psoriasis is notoriously difficult to treat. Pharmaceutical treatments for the condition are hit and miss — often working for several weeks before losing their edge, causing psoriasis to come right back in full force.

CBD offers some unique benefits towards this condition by addressing many of the underlying conditions believed to cause the condition — namely liver function.

CBD has been shown to offer a protective effect on the liver. This is relevant because a lot of people suffering from psoriasis have also been found to experience issues with their liver as well.

Additionally, CBD inhibits the proliferation of keratinocytes — which is one of the primary processes involved with the formation of psoriasis patches [2].

We recommend opting for a high-potency CBD salve that contains other ingredients like chickweed, calendula, or turmeric.

C. Acne

Almost everybody experiences at least some acne in their lifetime. Some people much worse than others.

Acne is caused by excessive sebum production in the skin. Sebum is an oily excretion manufactured in the sebaceous glands in the skin to form a protective layer on the surface of our skin.

When sebum production becomes excessive or has a thick consistency, it can cause clogging in the pores of our skin. Bacteria living inside the sebaceous glands then start to grow out of control — consuming the sebum and causing redness and irritation of the pores.

As the bacterial infection gets worse, the pore begins to swell and form a visible bump commonly referred to as acne.

CBD helps by slowing down inflammation and promoting the flow of sebum to unclog the pores. We prefer using CBD products that contain ingredients like jojoba oil, avocado oil, or hemp seed oil for acne as the oils contained in these products help to loosen sebum and keep it flowing out of the pores and onto the skin.

For added benefit, ingredients like calendula, aloe, or vitamin E can further help reduce redness and visible swelling.

The benefits of CBD for acne include:

• Reduce redness & inflammation
• Regulates oil production in the skin
• Makes sebum less-viscous
• Inhibits bacterial growth in the pores

D. Aging & The Skin

The skin is one of the first areas to begin showing signs of aging.

As we grow older our skin starts to lose collagen and elastin — the two primary structural proteins of the skin. Collagen forms the support for the skin, giving it the rigidity to resist the effects of gravity. As collagen is lost, the skin starts to sag under the weight of gravity. Elastin is the protein that gives the skin its stretchiness.

Though there are a lot of causes for this loss of collagen and elastin in the skin, one of the most important causes is oxidative damage. [3]

Free radical compounds in our environment are the primary cause of aging in the skin. This includes factors like UV radiation from sun exposure, smoking, hydrocarbons from car exhaust, and aerosol chemicals used in cleaning.

CBD is a powerful antioxidant — helping to reduce the damage to our skin caused by free radical compounds.

We recommend using a CBD-based body lotion containing CBD along with other antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin E, calendula, rosehip oil, or turmeric extracts.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About CBD Sunscreen

E. Eczema

Eczema is an irritating skin condition characterized by patches of red, itchy, and dry skin. These irritations can become very uncomfortable — producing insatiable itchiness and burning pain in more severe forms.

CBD is an excellent product for alleviating a lot of this discomfort through its potent analgesic and soothing effects.

Even better, CBD may even put a halt to the underlying cause of the condition through its powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Inflammation has been shown to be a key driver in the underlying pathology of eczema [4].

For minor eczema you may only need to use a topical CBD salve — however, for more severe eczema we highly recommend also using CBD oil internally (for addressing underlying inflammatory processes and gut or liver issues).

Always double-check the products you’re using have been third-party tested to prove the absence of harmful solvents, heavy metals, or pesticides — all of which can trigger eczema flare-ups.

4 Factors to Consider When Shopping For CBD Skin Care Products

1. Aim For Higher Potency Products

When using CBD for skincare, it’s important to check the dose of CBD. Too many companies these days are adding just enough CBD to be able to use the compound in their marketing. Many of these products only contain trace amounts of CBD — which isn’t likely to be much of use for anything.

Always check the concentration of CBD listed on the bottle. Some companies will list the concentration, others only the total CBD content, and some don’t provide any information whatsoever on the CBD content of their product.

All you need to do to make this calculation yourself is take the total CBD content on the bottle and divide it by the size of the container. This will give you the potency in milligrams of CBD per one milliliter of cream, salve, or oil.

We recommend aiming for products with at least 5 mg CBD per mL for the best results — higher is even better.

2. Look Beyond CBD

CBD is great for the skin — lowering inflammation, alleviating pain, soothing irritation, and even promoting the replenishment of new skin cells to replace old damaged ones.

But CBD isn’t the only thing that’s good for the skin, and shouldn’t be used alone.

If you want to get the best results out of your CBD use it’s better to find a product that’s formulated with both CBD extract and other beneficial herbal or nutritional products.

These other ingredients can even be used to guide the effects of the CBD by providing other benefits — like additional anti-inflammatory effects, cooling or warming sensations, a boost in antioxidant support, or even nutritional elements to support cellular regeneration.

The best ingredients to use will depend on the condition or symptoms you’re trying to address.

Some Examples of Other Beneficial Ingredients for Skincare

1. Calendula — supports skin regeneration and lowers inflammation
2. Turmeric extract — potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
3. Frankincense extract — another potent anti-inflammatory, more specific for painful conditions on the skin
4. Witch hazel — great for toning the skin to reduce visible wrinkles and signs of aging
5. Lanolin — the waxy compound found on sheep’s wool, great for rehydrating and protecting the skin
6. Beeswax — great for sealing moisture into the skin and protecting it from the elements
7. Menthol — provides a soothing cooling sensation, great for inflammation or sunburns
8. Capsaicin — this is the chemical found in chilies that gives them their heat, it’s great for improving blood flow to the skin and produces a pleasant warming sensation
9. Hemp seed oil — this is often found in CBD topicals, it’s high in GLA and other fatty acids that support the overall health of the skin
10. Samambaia — this is not a very well known herb but is starting to rise in popularity for its ability to reduce psoriasis symptoms

3. Quality Matters More Than You Might Expect

Many of the skincare products using CBD use only small amounts of it in their formula. This makes it less important to spend the time and effort obtaining the highest quality hemp possible.

When using CBD for skin conditions like dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, or eczema, it’s extremely important that the extracts you’re using are high quality and free from any contaminants.

Hemp is a bioaccumulator, which means it absorbs many of the elements contained in the soil and concentrates them in its leaves. This is what makes hemp so nutritious and full of beneficial compounds — but it also means it can become contaminated easily.

Contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, and chemical solvents may end up in the final product if the manufacturer isn’t careful. All of these compounds can negatively affect the health of your skin — directly contradicting the very reason you’re using it.

For this reason, we highly recommend choosing products that have been third-party tested to prove their purity and lack of contamination.

4. Consider Taking Both Topical and Internal CBD Together

As mentioned earlier, there’s a benefit to using CBD internally at the same time you apply it to the skin.

Topical CBD provides the active constituents directly where it counts — to the surface of the skin — while internal CBD oils help address other causes for skin problems. This can include the liver, kidneys, immune cells, and digestive tract — all of which can lead to skin problems if they become dysfunctional.

Key Takeaways: Best CBD For Skin Conditions

CBD is becoming incredibly popular in skincare products across the globe. The powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, skin rejuvenating, and analgesic effects of CBD make it an ideal candidate for irritated and inflamed skin.

There are a lot of products on the market using CBD purely as a way to market their products instead of using it to improve the effectiveness of their products.

For this reason, we highly recommend you do some research before you buy any topical CBD products. Look for products with a higher CBD content (most of the time), independent lab testing, an emphasis on hemp quality, and formulated with other beneficial ingredients.

Depending on what benefits you’re looking to get from CBD, you may also benefit from taking CBD as an oil or capsule internally alongside your topical CBD application.

Top-Rated CBD Skincare Products

Number	Product	Total CBD	Potency	Cost per mg CBD	Link
1	Royal CBD Cream (Calming Salve)	500 mg	5.7 mg/mL	$0.13	Get a Deal
2	Kush Queen Renew Sugar Scrub	100 mg	0.21 mg/mL	$1.00	Get a Deal
3	Lord Jones High CBD Formula Body Lotion	100 mg	2 mg/mL	$0.60	Get a Deal
4	CBD BioCare Apple Stem Cell Rejuvenating Cream	6 mg	Unknown	$8.33	Get a Deal
5	Nordic Cosmetics Anti-Ageing Face Cream	90 mg	2 mg/mL	€0.39	Get a Deal

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References

1. Kawamura, A., Ooyama, K., Kojima, K., Kachi, H., Abe, T., Amano, K., & Aoyama, T. (2011). Dietary supplementation of gamma-linolenic acid improves skin parameters in subjects with dry skin and mild atopic dermatitis. Journal of oleo science, 60(12), 597-607.
2. Wilkinson, J. D., & Williamson, E. M. (2007). Cannabinoids inhibit human keratinocyte proliferation through a non-CB1/CB2 mechanism and have a potential therapeutic value in the treatment of psoriasis. Journal of dermatological science, 45(2), 87-92.
3. Black, H. S. (1987). Potential involvement of free radical reactions in ultraviolet light‐mediated cutaneous damage. Photochemistry and photobiology, 46(2), 213-221.
4. Lodzki, M., Godin, B., Rakou, L., Mechoulam, R., Gallily, R., & Touitou, E. (2003). Cannabidiol—transdermal delivery and anti-inflammatory effect in a murine model. Journal of controlled release, 93(3), 377-387.