In the last few years, CBD has been making headlines and hitting shelves everywhere. If you haven’t tried it yet, you may be asking “what’s all the buzz about?”. Well, topical CBD is proving to be a powerful ingredient for improving many different and unique skin conditions. Known for its powerful anti-inflammatory benefits, CBD is also a strong antioxidant and packed with fatty acids. That’s great right? Wait, there’s more. The real story begins with the interaction between CBD and the body’s endocannabinoid system. Before we get there, let me explain a few things.
It all starts with homeostasis. You may remember this term from high school biology, then again you may not. Our bodies are constantly striving to achieve homeostasis, a stable internal state of balance, which allows our cells, tissues and organs to function efficiently. Human body temperature is a great example of maintaining homeostasis. Our body responds to the external temperature by shivering or sweating to maintain our desired body temp of 98.6° F. To understand the importance of homeostasis, think about when our body temperature is too high or too low. High or low temperatures affects our ability to function, puts our health at risk and can even lead to death.
Next let’s talk cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are groups of naturally occurring compounds unique to cannabis plants, animals and humans. The human body houses an endocannabinoid system (ECS) which consists of cannabinoid receptors, enzymes and cannabinoids. The ECS has components all over the body and works with its major systems, such as the immune and digestive systems, to help maintain homeostasis. How you ask? Inflammation is a perfect example. Let’s say we are injured. Our bodies will trigger inflammatory molecules and immune cells to remove the damaged tissue. Endocannabinoids are released as well. These endocannabinoids help manage our body’s inflammatory response to injury, ensuring the inflammation doesn’t spread beyond its useful zone.
Finally, CBD comes in. CBD or Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive plant based (phyto)cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant species. When applied topically CBD influences the endocannabinoid system, supporting the homeostasis of our skin. This is why so many are excited about the potential of CBD in skincare. Not only does CBD help manage our inflammatory response, it also helps regulate other important cell functions. Current research suggests that topical applications of CBD can help restore the skin’s internal equilibrium and help improve skin conditions where keratin, sebum and other components are being under or over produced. Users have already reported excellent results with dry skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. It’s no wonder why scientist and formulators are excited about all the cosmetic and clinical application of cannabidiol. So please, pass the CBD.
