CBD beauty: does hemp really make us more beautiful?

Can you remember a time when mango was considered exotic, avocado was a rarity in the supermarket, you had to fly to Asia to drink coconut water and back then, Nivea and Bebe were my ultimate when it came to skincare.

What is really behind the new beauty trend?

A lot has changed since then. Chia seeds and quinoa moved into the kitchen, avocado became a (environmentally unfriendly) staple food and hyaluronic acid and squalane are terms without which we can no longer imagine skin care. But whenever you think you know everything now, a new trend comes along! CBD aka hemp and especially hemp flowers has been around for a while as a "natural remedy", but now it is also being actively touted in the beauty industry as a new miracle cure. So it is high time to take a look behind the scenes and find out: What is CBD doing in Skincare and does the ingredient really achieve the results it promises? And where does the hype about CBD come from?

The last question can be answered very easily: In 2018, the cultivation of industrial hemp was legalized in the USA, in many states smoking cannabis is now allowed, California is right at the front. Then a wave of CBD broke across the country and now CBD drops are really the simplest of all products: There are CBD liquid oil, CBD drinks, baths, cookies, mouth sprays, chewing gum and and and.

What does CBD do in beauty products?

What is CBD anyway? Unlike THC (also known as marijuana, weed, weed, or hashish), CBD doesn't get you high. It is the abbreviation for cannabidiol and is obtained from the female hemp plant. So drug is really the wrong word for CBD, because the active ingredients are not psychoactive, are much more harmless here, but no less effective. In medicine, it has been used for a long time in the form of drops or creams for pain syndromes, anxiety disorders and depression - the relaxing effect can sometimes work wonders even with stress.

But what is the point of CBD if it is used as an additive in beauty products? Well, CBD contains many different good properties. For example, CBD is a great antioxidant because it contains a lot of vitamin E, has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and protects the nerves. It also contains many trace elements and minerals such as calcium, iron, copper, potassium, zinc and magnesium.

What can these properties do in beauty products?

Well, the natural anti-inflammatory drugs in CBD are supposed to block lipid synthesis aka fatty acid synthesis, which attacks the skin barrier and can lead to many skin problems. In addition, the sebum glands (sexy word, I know) can be stimulated, which can help against acne and CBD also has an influence on cell division, so that acne can become significantly less within a short time. Skin dryness was a thing of the past, redness is also combated. CBD appears to be a skin care superhero.