According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne is the most common skin condition in the United States. Up to 50 million Americans are affected by acne each year and are wondering if they should take CBD for acne.
While children going through puberty are the most likely to be impacted, acne doesn’t discriminate, and adults are also at the mercy of this skin condition. Thankfully, CBD may be able to help.
What Causes Acne?
The main cause of acne, according to the Mayo Clinic, is hair follicles becoming clogged by oil (sebum) and dead skin cells. What actually causes this clogging and overproduction of oil varies. Hormones, your diet, stress, general lifestyle and many other factors all contribute to the severity and “type” of acne condition that you may have and determine how CBD for acne may help.
Some suffer from cysts under the skin, while others develop blackheads or whiteheads. The type of acne will often determine the form of treatment.
How Can CBD For Acne Help?
Acne is primarily caused by sebum clogging the pores. A product that inhibits this production of sebum and lipids can be an effective treatment option. CBD has been shown to do exactly that.
Unlike endocannabinoids, which cause an upregulation of lipids, phytocannabinoids, such as CBD do the exact opposite, and they do it only where it has been locally applied, making it an excellent CBD for acne spot treatment.
As described in our CBD glossary, endocannabinoids are cannabinoid molecules produced naturally by the body and Phytocannabinoids are cannabinoids that are produced by plants. CBD and THC, for instance, are phytocannabinoids.
In addition to CBD demonstrating its ability to inhibit lipid synthesis, research studies have also found that CBD has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. In addition, CBD possibly also helps with hormone regulation and promotes homeostasis within the body.
How Can I Use CBD For Acne?
Topical creams and lotions are the most common options of CBD for acne and other skin conditions. Topicals can be applied directly to the skin and are ideal for spot treatments as needed or as a preventative. Our recommended list of CBD creams, lotions and topicals can help you find a CBD for acne product from a reputable company.
Taking CBD internally may also be able to help reduce acne by regulating systems within the body such as hormones. Reduced stress, improved sleep, and other factors can contribute to a reduction in acne and CBD oil for acne may be able to help those as well. A sublingual CBD oil or oral capsule would be ideal in these cases.
