What Are The Benefits Of CBD Topicals?

CBD topicals are manufactured from organic hemp plant extracts, among other essential oils such as MCT oil. They are suitable for minimizing inflammation and the impact caused by UV rays and free radicals on your skin.

CBD topicals have numerous benefits beyond the skin. Hemp plant extracts are widely used in products for their therapeutic benefits. Besides cannabidiol (CBD), the hemp plant has terpenes, flavonoids, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD topicals are majorly designed for skin use. CBD topicals are organic, unlike most skin products, and provide a long-lasting solution. They are blended with various organic elements to improve their effectiveness and quality. Besides skin benefits, full-spectrum and broad-spectrum work together to provide an entourage effect. As more hemp-based manufacturers keep coming to the market, it becomes difficult to determine which ones offer quality and which do not since quality determines effectiveness.

What is CBD?

Before getting to the health benefits of CBD, you must understand the meaning of cannabidiol. This chemical compound is found in the hemp plant, cannabis, and marijuana. However, marijuana hemp was restricted because of high THC levels (2.5%). THC in cannabis sativa and hemp plant is below 0.3%, safe for consumption. CBD stands in for other elements of the hemp plant, such as terpenes and flavonoids. However, the absence of either of the elements of the hemp-based products determines the difference between full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate. CBD is believed to address various health conditions due to its various properties, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. This article gives you an insight into each type of CBD's health benefits and risks.

Full Spectrum

Full-spectrum topical products are the most dominant, with various purported health benefits, including topical. Full-spectrum CBD offers an entourage effect providing more than skin benefits. The entourage effect is the ability of multiple elements to work together to provide more health benefits. Therefore, your anxiety, stress, and depression levels can be lowered. THC is also a dominant element of the hemp plant, resulting in doubts regarding CBD's effectiveness.

According to Lachenmeier et al. (2019), THC is a chemical compound with psychoactive side effects. Too much THC can make you dizzy, experience poor memory, and cause anxiety. Therefore, full-spectrum CBD has negative effects, especially in high potencies. The psychoactive side effects of THC made the 2018 Farm Bill restrict CBD products with THC levels beyond 0.3%. Although THC has intoxicating effects, it contributes highly to skin protection and entourage effect. Baswan et al. (2020) explained that THC has anti-inflammatory properties suitable for skin protection as most skin diseases are caused by inflammation, including dermatitis and eczema. However, the research is yet to be approved by the FDA. Therefore, it minimizes the development of diseases caused by inflammation.

Broad Spectrum

Broad-spectrum CBD has various similarities with full-spectrum CBD. The main difference between the two is that full-spectrum CBD has THC while the broad spectrum lacks. It makes the broad spectrum a suitable solution for those trying to avoid THC's potential side effects. Broad-spectrum CBD also offers an entourage effect due to terpenes and flavonoids. According to Vinoth et al. (2012), flavonoids and terpenes have antibacterial properties that protect your skin and body against infections.

Since broad-spectrum CBD topicals are void of THC, can someone apply high potencies? No, just like any other medication, too much of it has side effects. Despite being a topical product, it is absorbed in the bloodstream. Too much CBD can make you dizzy, anxious, or have diarrhea. Broad-spectrum can help you reduce external and internal pain.

Isolate

Isolate CBD is yet to gain popularity in full-spectrum and broad-spectrum. However, it is suitable for topical use, among other health benefits, since it is void of THC. Unlike other hemp-plant extracts, isolate has a single element from the hemp plant, CBD. According to Casares et al. (2020), CBD has antioxidant properties suitable for skin protection against UV light and free radicals. Too much exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause photo carcinogenesis or erythema. Besides, Atalay et al. (2020) suggested that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that protect the skin from early aging. It also minimizes wrinkles and the deepening of the lines on your face.

How To Use CBD Topically

Although CBD has all the active ingredients that will improve your skin and protect it from infection, it must be of good quality and applied appropriately. Cams and lotions often create a layer on our skin, blocking the pores. Besides, sweat and dead cells also accumulate on our skin, blocking the penetration of active ingredients of the hemp plant to our skin. For maximum benefit, use the following tips to apply CBD topicals;

Take A Shower

A shower helps you remove the oils, sweat, and dead cells that accumulate on your skin, preferably a hot one. However, this does not remove all the oils and dead cells on your skin. Learn more about does topical cbd actually work?

Exfoliate

Exfoliation is important since it helps remove the dead cells on your skin completely. Exfoliation is the removal of dead cells in your body. Although the body exfoliates about every 30 days, it leaves traces of dead cells on your skin. It should be done at most thrice a week. It leaves pores open, allowing active ingredients to penetrate the deepest layers of your skin. Learn more about topical cbd for workout

Apply CBD Topical

Since exfoliation leaves the pores open, you can apply CBD lotions and creams. Begin with lotion followed by cream to minimize dehydration, giving enough time for the active ingredients to penetrate your skin for maximum benefit.

Conclusion

CBD topicals are important to shield your skin from UV light and free radicals due to their antioxidant properties. They also minimize early aging due to CBD's anti-inflammatory properties. Besides topical benefits, full-spectrum and broad-spectrum has entourage effect that helps address various health conditions, including lowering stress, anxiety, and depression. However, for maximum effectiveness, the topicals must be of the high-quality void of chemical solvents that might have infiltrated them during processing. One of the most significant and mandatory requirements of CBD topicals is the lab results. All CBD topicals must have lab results to verify that it is safe for usage. Lastly, always apply it on an exfoliated weekly to maximize the active ingredients.

References

Atalay, S., Jarocka-Karpowicz, I., & Skrzydlewska, E. (2020). Antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol. Antioxidants, 9(1), 21.

Casares, L., García, V., Garrido-Rodríguez, M., Millán, E., Collado, J. A., García-Martín, A., ... & Muñoz, E. (2020). Cannabidiol induces antioxidant pathways in keratinocytes by targeting BACH1. Redox biology, 28, 101321.

Baswan, S. M., Klosner, A. E., Glynn, K., Rajgopal, A., Malik, K., Yim, S., & Stern, N. (2020). Therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) for skin health and disorders. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 13, 927.

Lachenmeier, D. W., Habel, S., Fischer, B., Herbi, F., Zerbe, Y., Bock, V., ... & Sproll, C. (2019). Are adverse effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?. F1000Research, 8.

Vinoth, B., Manivasagaperumal, R., & Rajaravindran, M. (2012). Phytochemical analysis and antibacterial activity of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. International Journal of Research in Plant Science, 2(3), 50-55.