Can CBD Oil Reduce Acne?

No one wants to admit they struggle with acne, but the truth is, most adults are plagued with regular pimples – and the culprit isn’t always bad luck (or bad habits). In fact, one of the most common causes of acne is rarely talked about despite being something we all grapple with: stress[1].

Among other things, stress increases inflammation in the body and makes your hormones go haywire. This can lead to all sorts of health problems, including acne, which is a good reason to prioritize healthy stress management techniques. Getting stress-induced acne under control can be a vicious cycle, though; after all, a bad breakout causes stress of its own.

Luckily, there are many options available to help clear up your skin, and new treatments are entering the market all the time. Skincare enthusiasts are always on the lookout for effective new products, especially when it comes to natural and gentle treatments.

One ingredient that’s been getting a lot of attention lately for its acne-busting potential is the hemp-derived substance known as CBD oil. That’s right – not only can CBD relieve stress, but it can also help clear up pimples when used topically as well. From Marijuana.com:

While it might sound backwards to fight oily skin with oil, scientific studies have shown that cannabis-based treatments are showing promise.

To know how CBD oil can treat acne, it’s important to have a basic understanding of what causes those ugly lumps and bumps. Acne appears when the sebaceous glands produce too much sebum, and hair follicles on the face, chest, upper back, or shoulders become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. Bacteria that live on surfaces, such as cellphones, also can cause breakouts, as can hormonal imbalances.

For patients who struggle with moderate to severe acne, a dermatologist might prescribe medications to reduce oil production and get breakouts under control. The medications that are effective, including Isotretinoin (formerly Accutane) and its generics, come with nasty side effects: nosebleeds, rashes, cracking and peeling skin, and even birth defects. A pair of Pakistani pharmaceutical researchers in 2015 studied the effectiveness of a cream made from crushed cannabis seeds and mixed with solvent-aqueous methanol. The test subjects reported the cannabis treatment was effective, and none reported irritancy.

How does it do it?

Like many other organs and tissues in the body, our sebaceous glands and hair follicles have CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. These special receptors are an important part of our endocannabinoid system (ECS), which helps promote homeostasis in the body. When cannabinoid receptors interact with cannabis compounds, CBD included, they communicate messages to the nervous system to produce a variety of effects.

Studies published on the US National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Biotechnology Information database found that CBD can inhibit the production of sebum, leading to less oily skin and reduced acne. In addition to decreasing oil production in the sebaceous glands and hair follicles, CBD could also help reduce inflammation. In other words, CBD oil might combat the unsightly swelling and redness that accompany pimples and cystic nodules.

If you’re interested in trying CBD for acne, you aren’t limited to topical options. Thanks to CBD’s anti-inflammatory and relaxation-inducing properties, using any CBD product may be beneficial for acne sufferers whose breakouts are the result of stress, including tinctures, capsules, and vape juice.

At Every Day Optimal, we strive to provide the best and most effective CBD products. Our CBD is extracted from high-quality industrial hemp, and we use 3^rd party testing to verify quality and potency. To browse our full selection of products, click here.

 

 

References

[1] https://www.facingacne.com/top-acne-causes/