Are you one of the 50 million people in the US who suffers from acne? If you are, did you know that you could be treating your acne with CBD? Acne is one of the most common skin conditions and its estimated that consumers spend over $1 billion annually to treat this skin condition. If you’re tired of dealing with it, CBD might be the answer you’re looking for.
CBD is a cannabinoid that has been used for a variety of different medical conditions, including depression and anxiety, chronic pain, arthritis, migraines, heart health, and diabetes prevention, but it has also been used for skin conditions including acne, due to its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Acne is defined as, “The occurrence of inflamed or infected sebaceous glands in the skin; in particular, a condition characterized by red pimples on the face, prevalent mostly among teenagers and young adults.” However, acne is not something that only affects teens. It is a common occurrence among many adults as well.
What causes acne?
Acne occurs when glands on your body become clogged. The main causes of acne come from excess oil production, or hair follicles that get trapped by oil and dead skin cells, bacteria, or an increase in excess hormones. This leads to what are commonly known as whiteheads (a plugged and closed follicle), blackheads (open follicles plugged with bacteria and oil), and pimples (a cyst like lump under the skin.) Blackheads get their color from the bacteria and oil oxidizing within the pores, thus turning them a dark color.
Acne blemishes will typically occur on the face, forehead, chest, shoulders, and back. Acne is most present in these areas due to them having the most oil (sebaceous) glands. Since hair follicles are connected to oil glands, when there is an excess amount of oil produced, the follicle becomes clogged.
Things that make acne worse
Among dirt and oil being trapped within the pores, there are other things that can trigger acne such as hormones, medications, poor diet, and stress. Androgens are a type of hormone that impacts acne; typically increasing when one hits puberty, causing the oil glands to enlarge, and produce more sebum, however not producing enough androgen can cause acne as well.
So, how does CBD help with acne?
Like the other organs in our body, our sebaceous glands and hair follicles contain CB1 and CB2 receptors. These receptors work to communicate with the nervous system to produce different effects, such as reduction of inflammation. Applying CBD oil to blemishes directly can reduce the appearance of blemishes because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
In addition to the anti-inflammatory function, CBD oil may also help treat acne in a number of other ways such as activating the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system includes anandamide, a neurological transmitter that regulates cell growth. When this isn’t balanced, it can negatively impact the skin. CBD oil also may help inhibit overactive oil production, which is one of the key causes of acne. One other benefit of CBD over prescription medications is that it only targets the problem-causing cells, leaving healthy cells alone and reducing side-effects common to many acne medications, such as dry and irritated skin.
The most common way to use CBD for acne is through a topical lotion or cream. However, CBD mixed with an all natural carrier oil, such as MCT; like we use in our Pure and Full Spectrum Tinctures, can also be directly applied to problem areas to decrease the occurrence of blemishes. You can also take an oral supplement of CBD daily, to help balance out hormones and address deeper issues associated with acne, such as inflammation.
If you feel like you have tried everything out there to treat acne, or are just sick of the side effects that come along with many over-the-counter and prescription medications, why not consider trying CBD for treating your acne?
Read our previous blog: Molecular Structure of CBD and THC by clicking here.
