Is CBD Oil the new ‘must have’ Beauty Ingredient?

Since it’s legalisation in November 2018, CBD Oil seems to be taking the beauty world be storm. Once solely associated with other activities, it’s now becoming the new go to ‘luxury’ beauty and wellness ingredient.

With the UK market set to reach 1 billion by 2025 and CBD Beauty, (#cannabeauty), set to be one of the main beauty trends for 2020, CBD appears to be the new must have beauty ingredient on every manufactures & consumers list. But do we really know the benefits, and is it just another millennial trend?

What is CBD?

CBD Oil, often referred to as Cannabidiol, is 1 of 80 compounds (called cannabinoids) which is extracted from the ‘Hemp’ variety of the cannabis sativa plant. It’s extracted using a special extraction process like that of CO2 extraction.

The Skincare Properties of CBD.

Despite it’s rapidly achieved ‘super-star’ status, there are still lots of unanswered questions surrounding CBD Oil. Many consumers still don’t really know what it’s potential skincare and beauty benefits are. As beauty and skincare experts, we’ve decided to dig a little deeper on this one.

There are several attributes to CBD Oil which are enticing, and many can be applied to skincare. Research shows that CBD does contain antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties; making it a great beauty ingredient for treating the following:

Sensitive skin; anti-inflammatory & significant soothing properties help to normalise, calm and reduce the redness of the skin.

Acne prone skin; antibacterial & anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce redness, calm the skin and diminish breakouts.

Anti-Ageing; antioxidant properties can help lessen the visible signs of ageing skin, such as wrinkles.

It has also been linked to relieving sunburn due to its calming, anti-inflammatory properties. Scientist are finding more evidence to support the use of CBD to treat dry skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis.

Our bodies naturally produce our own ‘cannabis type chemical’ called anandamide, also known as the ‘bliss molecule’; which if you’re a regular runner you’ll know as ‘runners high’. When ingested CBD can elevate the levels of anandamide in our bodies, naturally increasing that feeling of ‘bliss’. However, smothering your body in CBD beauty products isn’t going to have the same affect.

#Cannabeauty vs Hemp Seed Oil.

They both come from the same ‘Hemp’ variety of the cannabis sativa plant, so you’d naturally assume that they are the same. However, it’s the extraction process which makes these two products differ from one another.

Whereas CBD Oil is extracted from the plant’s flowers, Hemp Seed Oil is made by cold pressing the seeds of the plant to extract the oil. As a product, Hemp Seed Oil has been used throughout the beauty and skincare industry for decades as its renowned for its strong, skincare properties.

Containing no THC, Hemp Seed Oil has superior moisturising and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as being high in antioxidants, omega-3 and 6 essential fatty acids. Many consumers view the product as an ‘essential vitamin’, and despite it not having quite the same status and hyped media coverage as CBD Oil, it’s still a pretty super-star ingredient, and it’s a lot cheaper.

Outback Organics & CBD.

Outback Organics uses a variety of ingredients which have similar properties to that of CBD Oil, including the soothing & moisturising benefits of Aloe Vera, antibacterial properties of Lemon Myrtle Oil and the antiseptic qualities of Tea Tree Oil.

From our research, Aloe Vera is still the favoured beauty ingredient vs it’s new CBD Oil rival and is still viewed as the ‘Plant of Immortality’ by many consumers because of its soothing, moisturising and healing qualities. This leads us to question the longevity of CBD Oil as a beauty/skincare ingredient.

Is CBD Oil something you would like to see us include within our Outback Organics range? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Is CBD Oil legal?

In short yes, but it’s all dependent on the THC (Tetrahydrocannabino) levels in the product. THC is the part of the cannabis plant that causes psychoactive affects. For CBD Oil to be sold legally in the UK, it must be derived from Hemp and contain THC levels of less than 0.2%.

There is still a lot of controversy surrounding CBD Oil, however when it comes to skincare, using CBD Oil based products appear to be relatively safe. Due to the nature of our skin, CBD Oil from skincare products is unlikely to penetrate the skins epidermis and enter the blood stream, which can be where problems and side effects are more likely to occur.

If you are considering using a CBD Oil based beauty or skincare product, then it’s still recommended that you speak to your GP first. If you’re pregnant or breast-feeding, then you should not use CBD Oil products.