Cannabidiol, often referred to as CBD, is one of the many active compounds found within the cannabis plant. It belongs to a family of compounds called the ‘cannabinoids’. Consumer trends show that cannabis based supplements are on the rise, with CBD oil now overtaking Vitamins C & D as the UK’s most popular nutrition supplement. Alongside CBD nutrition supplements, CBD skincare products have also experienced explosive growth, with a number of premium skincare brands now offering CBD infused lotions and oils.

CBD has been touted as a cure-all, with users claiming that CBD can relieve them from several ails including anxiety, sleepless nights and skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. Although trend data and anecdotal reports from users are positive in general for CBD, people suffering from skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema are still dubious due to a lack of scientific evidence and approval from doctors. Recently, however, some emerging experiments are showing promise for CBD based treatments as a way to improve overall quality of life when suffering from conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

In 2019, The Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School set out an objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of CBD Oil administered on severe chronic skin diseases and their outcome scars [1].

20 patients with psoriasis or atopic dermatitis (eczema), aged between 20 and 80 years old took part in the trial (14 female and 6 male). All of the patients selected had been suffering from moderate or severe skin disorders for 6 months and were seeking an effective therapy. Patients were complaining of the two most common skin disorders: psoriasis, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and the resulting scars.

Patients administered CBD Oil to their skin lesions twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The treatment lasted for 3 months and during this period the patients did not use any other skincare products, including steroidal creams. The following skin evaluations were conducted throughout treatment:

• Hydration and trans-epidermal water loss
• Elasticity
• Photographic Assessments
• Several questionnaires rating the severity of symptoms

The results show that all skin parameters measured in patients showed improvement, with hydration and trans-epidermalwater loss being the most prevalent. The investigators concluded that topical CBD oil administration was a safe alternative treatment with the potential to improve the quality of life of patients with some skin disorders, particularly those with an inflammatory background, such as psoriasis and eczema.

The images below are results graphs from the study showing the change in hydration and trans-epidermal water loss after 90 days of CBD use.

If you are interested trying CBD products for Skincare, it’s important to know how to use them correctly. CBD oils such as Cannubu’s 5% CBD Oil can be applied directly on to skin lesions. Take one to two drops onto your finger and carefully apply it to the affected area. This can be repeated as required throughout the day. Ensure to do this with clean hands.

Many CBD brands also offer CBD creams and ointments. These are essentially some form of base ointment or cream, such as a Nivea-like cream, which has been blended with some CBD oil. In the near future we aim to have our own CBD ointment/cream, but until then we tell people to mix our CBD oil with a little bit of their favourite moisturising cream and apply it that way.