CBD in Beauty Products: Are There Benefits?
Get High On Good Hair Days With CBD Haircare
Unless you’ve sworn off Instagram for the past year, you’ve seen bloggers and wellness lovers sharing their obsession with CBD. The ingredient is popping up everywhere, from pro haircare lines to skin serums. So we had to investigate: what is CBD, and does it have beauty benefits—or is it all hype?
You could say marijuana is having a moment. More states are decriminalizing or legalizing weed, and there are tons of trending products being developed to make taking the drug easier and safer. At the same time, there’s a growing demand for natural ingredients in skincare. Brands are tapping into these trends to infuse products with cannabidiol, aka CBD, derived from the pot plant—and business is booming. The market for hemp-derived CBD was about $190 million in 2017, and will grow to $646 million by 2022, according to Hemp Business Journal.
Why is CBD so in demand? It’s been touted as the solution for a variety of health issues, from addressing anxiety and insomnia to easing chronic pain and even as a treatment for seizures, according to Harvard Health Publishing’s Health Blog. It seems today there’s a CBD product for almost everything—yes, fast food chain Carl’s Jr. is releasing a CBD-infused burger—so let’s break it down and see what’s out there.
What is CBD?
CBD is derived from the cannabis sativa plant. But, unlike it’s trippy counterpart THC, CBD does not have any psychoactive effects (unless you can catch a contact high from good hair, in that case we’re down).
Beauty brands that use CBD as an ingredient say these are the components of CBD that are so beneficial:
- Amino Acids: CBD oil contains all known amino acids. Specifically, tyrosine which helps maintain hair color.
- Vitamins: CBD oil is a rich in vitamins like A, C and E all of which are natural antioxidants, help protect hair against environmental pollutants. Pro-vitamin B-5 can bring a dry, irritated scalp back to life, according to Prose Haircare R&D Director Marie Mignon. B-5 works to restore the skin as a protectant barrier and can also dramatically moisturize dry areas.
- Fatty Acids: Omega-3 is essential in helping hair grow stronger and healthier, explains Earthly Body CEO Kevin Wachs. Omega-3 boosts collagen production which can nourish and strengthen scalp tissue.
The natural ingredients in CBD act as emollients to smooth rough skin cells, explains dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. “CBD oil may also help decrease oil production,” Dr. Zeichner continued, “making it beneficial for people who suffer from oily buildup.”
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