The CBD ingredient used in cosmetics, cannabidiol, is one of 113 known chemical compounds known as cannabinoids, which are found in the cannabis or hemp plant.
Unlike the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD does not make users ‘high’, though it is claimed to help reduce anxiety, stress, insomnia, and help with mood disorders.
Humans have an endocannabinoid system with different types of cell receptors throughout the entire body from the brain and internal organs to the skin’s surface.
The body produces its own cannabinoid and can also absorb it externally. Using CBD topically is therefore believed to be beneficial to the skin. Initially, non-psychoactive cannabis products were confined to medical/wellness uses and sold largely online in the form of CBD oil-based tinctures and balms.
CBD is now gaining acceptance as a natural ingredient in cosmetic formulations, with a variety of claimed wellness and cosmetic benefits, such as being anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-pollution, with collagen-promoting properties, and as an antidote to anxiety and stress. Like its relative, hemp seed oil, CBD has been shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory, which helps treat acne, sensitive skin, eczema, psoriasis, and rashes.