How CBD work on acne

How CBD work on acne

How CBD works on acne

Table of contents

  1. Overview of acne
  2. Benefits of CBD oil for acne
  3. Is it safe
  4. Instruction for using CBD cosmetics
  5. Choosing the right product
  6. Conclusion

Recently, the CBD cosmetic market has gained a fast-growing period. The use of CBD in skincare products is trendy and has the potential to become an important ingredient in the beauty world. New CBD-infused skincare, and hair care products are regularly launched, which also allow brands to catch up with novel techniques and measures in beauty formulation. In this article, we provide some information about CBD as a potential acne treatment and how to find the right CBD products.

1. Overview of acne

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when the hair follicle is clogged with oil, dirt, and dead cells, leading to whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples. Although it affects people of all ages, acne is very common in teenagers. Acne often occurs in areas having the most sebaceous glands, such as face, forehead, chest, etc.

Four main factors that cause acne include overproduction of oil, hair follicles blocked, inflammation, and bacteria. The oil glands release sebum that goes along the hair to pour onto the skin to keep your skin soft and lubricated. However, if the glands produce too much sebaceous, and the dead skin cells accumulate in the hair follicle, the pore becomes plugged which is also referred to as comedone. In addition, bacteria builds up in the pores to stimulate inflammation causing symptoms of swelling, pain, tenderness.

Regarding treatment of acne, it depends on severity. If the symptom is mild or moderate, you can find OTC creams, or gels including benzoyl peroxide, or salicylic acid to prevent pimple formation, and pore from getting clogged.

For severe acne, dermatologists prescribe retinoids, high doses of benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics to manage the symptoms. In some cases, the patients even take hormone birth control, and oral tretinoin because of treatment failure with conventional therapy. In opposition, such medications are associated with side effects, and physicians only recommend them as the last option.

It is impossible to completely treat acne, but you can follow some tips to lower your chance of acne formation at home. Try some tips:

  • Wash your face daily with oil-free cleanser
  • Use cleanser to remove excess oil
  • Remove make-up before bed
  • Keep hair out of the face
  • Diet modification
  • Stress management
  • Improve sleep quality

Even with treatment and prevention, the symptoms may persist. Thus, acne requires long-term treatment. It's best to work with physicians or dermatologists to find the most effective way to manage acne. 

2. Benefits of CBD oil for acne

Despite the prevalence of acne, the effective measures, which target multi steps in pathophysiology of acne, were still lacking, and current medications have many side effects. Recently, the endocannabinoid system was proven to play an important role in regulating sebum production and exerting anti-inflammatory properties. These findings pave the way for further studies about applying cannabinoids in treating skin conditions. Among these compounds, cannabidiols (CBD) seem to be a promising choice for treatment of acne because it has favorable side effects and impacts on different stages in the process of acne development, including:

Anti-inflammation: CBD is associated with the anti-aging process through its interaction with CB2 receptors of the endocannabinoid system. Many studies have shown that CBD can reduce inflammation, helping to protect organs and tissues from inflammation. This effect of CBD is especially helpful in soothing sensitive, irritated, and inflamed skin.

By using CBD, the receptors in the cells that help protect the skin from inflammatory agents, fungi, itching, etc. will be activated. Moreover, the increased activity of the endocannabinoid system helps scavenge free radicals, thereby limiting their damage to the skin.

Control sebum and oil production: One of the reasons that cause acne and other skin conditions is an overproduction of oil and sebum in the skin. Facial creams and other topical products containing CBD can help control oil production, reduce sebum accumulation, and improve skin health. The anti-inflammatory effects of CBD also help reduce pain, reduce redness, burning and itching caused by acne, making skin less sensitive and healthier.

Anti-oxidant: CBD is one of the best anti-aging compounds for two main reasons: It acts as a powerful antioxidant as well as an anti-inflammatory agent.

The antioxidant properties mainly work by protecting the skin from free radicals, which change skin color and cause skin to sag through the breakdown of elastic fibers in the skin. Free radicals are generated in the body as a by-product in the process of cells creating energy and it is created even more when people live in an environment of pollution, smoke, dust, cigarette smoke and under the sun. effects of UV rays in sunlight. CBD can become an antioxidant by neutralizing free radicals and prevent them from attacking and breaking down the DNA structure. Furthermore, some studies show that CBD has stronger antioxidant effects than vitamin C and vitamin E.

3. Is it safe?

CBD is extremely safe for your skin, which is suitable for many types of skin, such as dry skin, or oily skin. However, it’s possible that a person may experience an allergic reaction to topical CBD products. If you have symptoms like skin irritation, swelling, or itching after using CBD products. You should discontinue use of CBD, and wash affected areas with mild soap and water. Afterwards, you should tell your physicians, or dermatologist the side effects right away.

4. Instruction for using CBD cosmetics

You can apply CBD oil as well as skincare products containing CBD to the skin. For all CBD skin care products, you should follow instructions on the label about the dose, how to apply, and frequency of use.

If you use CBD cosmetics for the first time, you should check skin allergy with the products by applying a little amount of cream to the skin of your hands and examine any symptoms of redness, itching, or irritation. If these symptoms occur, you shouldn’t use this product. Here are some tips for using CBD cosmetic for acne:

  • Shower and wash your face to remove dirt, excessive oil, or previously applied cosmetics, such as cream, lotion, etc. In addition, cleaning the hands is obviously important to prevent making acne worse.
  • Apply a small amount of cream or ointment to the affected area and you shouldn’t use CBD more than your skin can absorb. At best, consult with your doctors or dermatologist to help you use CBD cosmetics in an effective way with other skincare products.
  • Be sure to keep CBD cream/ointment away from the eyes. If you unluckily get some in the eyes, you must wash your eyes with water or saline as soon as possible.

5. Choosing the right product

To choose the high – quality CBD products, we recommend that people should look for the products that:

  • Produce according to quality standards, such as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), ISO-13485, and so on.
  • Have proof of third-party testing about ingredients, by-products, and microbes.
  • Have a certificate of analysis for all their products
  • Are not from a company subject to an FDA warning letter
  • Have clear label and intact packaging, providing sufficient information about the name of the product, manufacturer, % content of CBD, expiry date, etc.
  • Also, avoid products that say “cure” or “treat”  any skin conditions since CBD isn’t approved to make these claims.

6. Conclusion

Many studies show that cannabidiol (CBD) helps to control acne based on three main effects: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and regulating sebum production in the hair follicles. Especially, CBD is extremely safe, and suitable for use on many different skin types. When it comes to using CBD to manage acne, skin creams and gels are the most popular CBD cosmetics. Before using these products, you should carefully read the instructions for use and choose high-quality products from reputable companies that have been tested by third parties.

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