CBD oil is everywhere when it comes to self-care these days. You can find it in toothpaste, deodorant, lotions, and even facial moisturizers. But can CBD tame your acne breakouts and give you smoother, more healthier looking skin? Turns out, research has suggested some possibilities that yes, CBD may help treat acne. This article will cover exactly what you need to know, so you can decide for yourself if you would like to give a CBD product a try.
What is Acne?
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), acne is a common condition that affects the hair follicles in the skin [1]. The oil that helps your skin from getting too dry—known as sebum—can combine with dirt and dead skin, leading to clogged pores that break out into a type of lesion known as a pimple.
On some occasions, the mixture of sebum and dead skin cells creates an environment in which bacteria thrive. Once that happens, the lesion becomes more inflamed, leading to pain, swelling, and redness.
Different Kinds of Acne
There are several forms of acne to know about:
- Blackheads: Clogged hair follicles that have reached the surface and opened. The black comes from discolored sebum, not dirt.
- Whiteheads: Plugged follicles that stay under the skin, causing white bumps on the surface.
- Pimples or pustules: Lesions that are filled with pus. May be inflamed around the base.
- Papules: Often tender to the touch, these inflamed bumps under the skin are small and pink or red. Papules often become pimples.
- Nodules: Painful lesions that are deep within the skin. A pimple can become a nodule when the pus has been pushed further down, usually by attempts to pop the pimple.
- Severe nodular acne (cystic acne): Painful, large, and deep lesions filled with pus.
Is Acne Affected by the Endocannabinoid System?
When speaking about cannabidiol or even medical cannabis, the topic of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is bound to arise. The endocannabinoid system is a broad network of receptors that works in conjunction with the central and peripheral nervous system, the endocrine system, and many organ systems of the human body. In other words, the ECS helps you stay regulated—a state called homeostasis.
In 2009, a scientific article on the endocannabinoid system explored the links between the ECS and the skin, which was dubbed the “cutaneous ECS” [2]. It was found that endocannabinoids bind to receptors (CB1 and CB2) in the skin and promote balanced functions. Furthermore, the endocannabinoids inhibited certain inflammatory responses while others promoted hair growth and a healthy cycle of apoptosis (cell death).
Coincidentally, those receptors named CB1 and CB2 are the same ones that respond to CBD.
Can CBD Help Treat Acne? Here’s What Research Says
CBD has been repeatedly heralded as an anti-inflammatory in multiple studies throughout the years [3]. Due to the inflammatory effects of acne, putting CBD on the skin may help soothe the irritated lesions.
One of the most promising pieces of data comes from a 2014 study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation [4]. In the study, the researchers considered the role of excess oil in acne breakouts. When they measured how CBD interacted with oil glands on samples of human skin (not living tissues), they found that CBD could inhibit sebum production. Additionally, CBD had an anti-inflammatory effect on oil production.
A review from 2022 further discussed how the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD—along with hemp, hemp seed, and cannabis seed oils—may reduce the severity of acne [5]. The researchers stated that hemp and cannabis extracts not only reduced inflammatory cytokine production, they also protected the cells from the overproduction of oil. However, the researchers noted that, due to the complexity of acne for each individual, more studies on living tissue were necessary.
How to Use CBD For Acne
As you may have noted in the above mentioned research, most CBD products for acne are going to be topically applied. Oral, sublingual, or inhaled CBD has not been tested for treating acne yet. Fortunately, there are hundreds of CBD topical products out there for you to try.
CBD face oils, lotions, infused face masks, and many other CBD skin care products exist. The benefit to using a CBD-laced face oil is that oils work for almost every skin type. You will have to seek out the right formulation for your skin, but CBD oil is gentle [6]. You can easily add your CBD topical into your skincare regimen, because there is little to no interaction between CBD and the ingredients in most skincare products.
However, you are going to have to take some precautions. CBD is unregulated, meaning that there is no way to measure the quality or purity of the CBD. Make sure that you are using a CBD product from a reputable company. Double check the ingredients and choose formulas that are best suited to your skin type and tone.
Looking For a High Quality CBD Oil?
Presently, research is optimistic about the effect of CBD on acne, but dermatologists cannot yet say for sure. Larger scale studies are needed to fully understand how CBD helps with acne. That said, there is no reason not to give CBD a try. CBD topical products for skincare are gentle on skin and are low-risk.
Sugar Bottom Hemp has a broad line of CBD products, including those designed to boost the health of your skin. All of our products contain top quality CBD sourced from organically grown hemp. Our CBD is sent to independent third party labs for testing, as well. Interested in our extensive line up? Check out our online shop today or send your questions to our friendly team.
Bibliography
- Acne. (2022, April 1). National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/acne
- Bíró, T., Tóth, B. I., Haskó, G., Paus, R., & Pacher, P. (2009). The endocannabinoid system of the skin in health and disease: novel perspectives and therapeutic opportunities. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 30(8), 411–420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tips.2009.05.004
- Henshaw, F. R., Dewsbury, L. S., Lim, C. K., & Steiner, G. Z. (2021). The Effects of Cannabinoids on Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines: A Systematic Review of In Vivo Studies. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 6(3), 177–195. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2020.0105
- Oláh, A., Tóth, B. I., Borbíró, I., Sugawara, K., Szöllõsi, A. G., Czifra, G., Pál, B., Ambrus, L., Kloepper, J., Camera, E., Ludovici, M., Picardo, M., Voets, T., Zouboulis, C. C., Paus, R., & Bíró, T. (2014). Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and antiinflammatory effects on human sebocytes. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 124(9), 3713–3724. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci64628
- Peyravian, N., Deo, S., Daunert, S., & Jimenez, J. J. (2022). The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Cannabidiol (CBD) on Acne. Journal of Inflammation Research, Volume 15, 2795–2801. https://doi.org/10.2147/jir.s355489
- Baswan, S. M., Klosner, A. E., Glynn, K., Rajgopal, A., Malik, K., Yim, S., & Stern, N. (2020). <p>Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD) for Skin Health and Disorders</p> Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, Volume 13, 927–942. https://doi.org/10.2147/ccid.s286411
