Can CBD Be Used For Anti-Aging?

• “Anti-aging” is a broad concept in skincare. Practically speaking, “anti-aging” efforts usually boil down to wrinkle prevention, hyperpigmentation correction, skin smoothing, and unlocking a natural glow.
• CBD can help patients achieve some of these goals: It can boost skin hydration, protect against UV radiation, and promote cell turnover.
• Consult with a dermatologist before experimenting with skincare product combinations or combining your conventional topicals with CBD-infused formulas.

Texture, pores, glow—whether you’re a regular in beauty spaces on social media or you’ve heard others in your circle talk about their skincare routines, you’ve likely heard these beauty buzzwords.

Another buzzword making the rounds across groups of all ages and stages? Anti-aging. What does it mean? And can you achieve anti-aging goals with all-natural formulas like CBD?

In many cases, yes: CBD can be a helpful addition to a simple, protective skincare routine. In this guide, we’re breaking down the potential role of CBD in anti-aging skincare (and in skin health in general).

Anti-Aging: What Does It Mean in Skincare?

Skin aging is complicated. As our bodies’ biological processes change with age, so do the qualities of our skin: texture, elasticity, color, feel, and more. So, “anti-aging” can be somewhat complicated, too.

Dermatologists and home skincare aficionados use a wide variety of methods to achieve a few common anti-aging goals:

• Wrinkle prevention – Preventing or mitigating fine lines and creases
• Hyperpigmentation management – Preventing and improving changes in skin color
• Texture improvement – Keeping skin smooth and soft
• Maintaining “glow” – Keeping skin looking generally healthy, supple, and vibrant

If you use a search engine to look up any of these phrases, you’ll find countless articles, product recommendations, and even a wealth of clinical data. Skin is relatively well-studied, so making a plan for your skin health that’s rooted in high-quality clinical and anecdotal evidence is pretty straightforward.

How Do You Achieve Those Anti-Aging Effects?

So, what steps do people take to achieve the goals above? How do you build a skincare routine for anti-aging?

To support each of the objectives above, focus on:

• Skin hydration – Dry, flaky skin can increase the visibility of wrinkles, give skin a rough texture, and make it appear flat or dull. On the other hand, promoting healthy hydration can foster a natural glow, smooth out bumps and scars, and make skin appear more plump.
• UV protection – Unfortunately, the sun’s rays can harm our skin. Excess UV exposure can lead to wrinkle formation, hyperpigmentation, dryness (and, thus, textural changes), and sunburn. Protecting your skin against harmful UV rays is a must—both from an anti-aging perspective and an overall health perspective (since UV exposure can also cause certain skin cancers).
• Skin cell turnover – Our skin is a thick layer of cells that are constantly multiplying, growing, aging, and (eventually) dying. The rate at which this process occurs is called skin cell turnover (or just “cell turnover”).

Optimizing cell turnover is all about keeping skin cells alive for longer and discarding dead cells faster.

When aging and dead cells accumulate on the surface of your skin, they can cause acne breakouts, hyperpigmentation, texture changes, and dullness. Using products and methods that improve turnover is just one way to combat some of the signs of skin aging.

• Cleansing – While all of the above tactics can help support anti-aging goals, don’t forget about the basics: like using a high-quality, hydrating cleanser to remove dirt, excess oils, and dead cells from your skin each day. Keeping skin clean can prevent bacterial infections (like acne breakouts), promote exfoliation (or removal of dead skin cells), and improve overall skin texture.

CBD and Anti-Aging Effects

There are countless products on the market that can help you pursue the strategies above. But what about CBD—can you use it to achieve these goals? Let’s take a closer look.

CBD and Skin Hydration

While there are numerous studies about CBD and skincare in the works, a recently-published rodent trial revealed that topical CBD solutions (with a 1% concentration) improved skin hydration by boosting dermal water content.

This is big news, and not just for anti-aging. Along with cleansing, hydration is the backbone of every high-quality skincare routine, and the benefits of hydration can’t be overstated when it comes to skincare.

What should would-be CBD skincare gurus do with this information?

We recommend:

• Trying CBD-infused topicals – The study above used a topical solution with a 1% CBD concentration. So, you could either find a skincare product with a non-negligible concentration of CBD or infuse skincare products you’re already using with a CBD extract (like a tincture or skin-friendly oil). Apply this like you would apply your normal moisturizer.
• Experimenting with other administration methods – Do CBD edibles improve hydration? What about high-CBD smokables? We don’t have much evidence in either direction. However, your skin might just have a positive reaction to CBD in non-topical forms. Consider experimenting with a few different methods and observing the results.

CBD for UV Protection

Another exciting development in CBD science is its potential as a UV barrier. That’s right: early evidence suggests that CBD could help protect your skin from harmful solar radiation.

While you can check out our guide to CBD sunscreens for more on this topic, here’s the gist:

• We don’t have all of the data we need yet – UV rays can cause skin cancer—there’s a real, documented risk of skin damage and serious illness related to sun exposure. So, until we have more information about the mechanisms by which CBD can protect our skin, we should be using it in combination with highly effective, well-studied sunscreens.
• The benefits of conventional sunscreens outweigh the risks – While there’s a clear connection between UV exposure and skin cancer, there’s not a clear connection between sunscreen use and negative health outcomes. Even if you’re on the fence about using chemical sunscreens (which have become contentious in natural medicine circles), we still recommend using a mineral sunscreen (like zinc oxide) to protect your skin within the confines of your risk tolerance.

And, if that mineral sunscreen contains CBD, you might be able to achieve some additional protection.

CBD and Cell Turnover

CBD might also support optimized cell turnover processes—early data is promising.

In one study, CBD improved overall skin quality by prolonging the lives of healthy, thriving skin cells. By promoting skin cell longevity, you may be able to prevent dead skin cell buildup with CBD; this could help you achieve a variety of anti-aging goals.

If you’re already planning on adding CBD to your moisturizing routine, you won’t need to take any extra steps to get these benefits.

CBD and Cleansing

While there’s not any current evidence that CBD can make your skin any cleaner, cleansing remains an important part of your skincare routine. Using CBD oil as part of an oil cleansing routine could help impart CBD’s skincare benefits during one of the most important steps in your skin maintenance plan.

Keep in mind, oil cleansing isn’t for everyone, and you should consult your dermatologist before giving it a try.

Can You Combine CBD Skincare with Traditional Anti-Aging Skincare?

What should you know about combining conventional anti-aging skincare products with CBD-infused formulas?

• Always talk to a dermatologist – While you can consult with your primary care provider or a cannabis clinician about these concepts, a dermatologist will have the most expert knowledge about skin health, drug combinations, and more.
• Use test patches – Before you coat your whole face in a new skincare product (or multiple products at the same time), perform a week-long patch test. Apply your chosen products in a discreet area (like under your chin) and keep an eye out for irritation, itching, and other potential side effects before committing to a skincare routine.
• Keep it simple – Dermatologists recommend keeping your routine as simple as possible—in other words, as short, affordable, and consistent as possible. Consider adding just one CBD product to your routine and observing the results instead of trying five new CBD products at the same time.

Need a Medical Cannabis Card? Start with TeleLeaf

With new studies on the horizon, we could be headed toward a new era of skincare: one where CBD takes center stage. In the meantime, if you want to experiment with CBD and skincare, you might be wondering how to get the information you need to make a personalized plan.

The answer is by talking to a medical cannabis healthcare provider who can help you better understand cannabis and unlock access to a medical cannabis card.

Ready to explore the possibilities of medical cannabis in your health and wellness? Make an appointment with a TeleLeaf virtual provider now.

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