How to Use Cannabis in Your Skincare Routine

More than a therapeutic compound… more than a recreational substance… cannabis is also a beauty enhancer. Human skin shows its love for cannabinoids by having a strong distribution of CB1 and CB2 receptors. Essentially, the moment that cannabinoids make contact with your skin, they create a cascade of effects in skin cells through activation of cannabinoid receptors. And that’s one good reason to use cannabis in your skincare routine.

If you’d like to do some reading on the science behind cannabis and dermatology, you can check out our article on Cannabis & Dermatology. In this article, we talk about how cannabis is used to treat certain skin diseases. But in this article, we’re going through the different kinds of products that are available to incorporate into your skincare routine.

Some people will use cannabis skincare to manage certain skin conditions such as acne or eczema while others will use it simply as part of a beauty routine to smooth out and brighten the skin. From bath bombs to lotions to hemp face masks, there are myriad ways to invite cannabis into your skincare routine. 

Let’s check them out.

1. CBD bath bombs.

If CBD is your chosen cannabinoid, bath bombs are an indulgent and luxurious way to add it to your skincare routine. Plus, using cannabinoids bath bomb style allows the skin over your entire body to soak up all the benefits.

In terms of skin benefits, CBD bath bombs can soothe any itchy or red skin as well as moisturize dry or flakey skin. It’s best enjoyed for overall skin health rather than for problem areas — for obvious reasons! Eczema, psoriasis, dry skin, or minor skin complaints can benefit from a CBD bath bomb.

From the pantry.

100mg CBD Heart to Heart Bath Bomb by Calyx Wellness

The ylang ylang and bergamot scented Heart to Heart bath bomb is a colourful, CBD-rich way to relax in the bath while nourishing your skin with CBD. 100mg is a generous dose of CBD for a bath bomb, so you can also use the Heart to Heart bath bomb for minor skin complaints such as mild eczema or psoriasis. It smells deliciously romantic!

300mg Eucalyptus Relieve bath salt by Sunnyside Botanicals

Though the Eucalypts Relieve bath salt is not a bath bomb per se, it’s used in the exact same way. The bath salt allows you to choose how much you put in the bath, and with 300mg in each jar, it can also be used to treat skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. Otherwise, use a smaller dose, give your skin some CBD loving, and having a relaxing bath experience with eucalyptus. 

2. Cannabis body lotion.

Another way to enjoy cannabis in your skincare routine is to indulge in cannabis body lotions and body creams. There are more CBD-infused cannabis lotions than there are THC-infused cannabis lotions. This isn’t because THC isn’t great for skin — it’s because THC is typically used as an intoxicant and therapeutic substance internally rather than on the skin. 

CBD, on the other hand, can be extracted from hemp and is therefore a more economical skincare cannabinoid. It’s therefore a more common choice when it comes to the manufacture of cannabis-based skincare.

That means that most of the cannabis body lotions and creams you find in the retail market will contain CBD rather than THC. CBD has many benefits for skin, possibly even more so than THC, and many of the benefits of these two cannabinoids overlap. So don’t be disappointed if you can’t find a THC body lotion — CBD is a great skin cannabinoid!

Cannabis creams and body lotions are a little more versatile than bath bombs. They can be used all over for general skin health or they can be used on problem areas such as bruises, scars, or areas where the skin isn’t too healthy. 

For a really luxurious experience, use a cannabis body lotion straight after using a CBD bath bomb. Your skin and soul will love you for it.

From the pantry.

1200mg CBD Smooth+ Cream by Calyx Wellness

The CBD Smooth+ Cream is a potent way to use CBD on your skin. With 1200mg in the jar, a small amount goes a long way to help you manage problem areas of acne, rosacea, flakey dry skin, or uneven skin tone. Use it over the whole body for a deeply hydrating experience. And for next-level indulgence, start off with a CBD bath bomb  and finish with the CBD Smooth+ Cream. 

300mg CBD Orange Dreamsicle Body Butter by Delush

Sweet, candy-like aromas dominate the 300mg CBD Orange Dreamsicle Body Butter, making it an extremely sensual way to enjoy topical CBD skincare. This product is more for the ones who like to use CBD in their every-day skincare routine to nourish and hydrate the skin on a regular basis. It’s an indulgent kind of body butter for the kind of person who absolutely loves self care — especially if CBD is involved.

3. Hemp & CBD face masks.

Hemp and CBD face masks are growing in popularity around Canada as another way to incorporate cannabis into skincare. They are often available as cream masks or as hemp clay masks. And they are used in very much the same way as any other face mask.

Hemp face masks are often made with hemp seed oil which doesn’t contain cannabinoids. Rather, it’s full of amino acids that are hugely beneficial to skin, restoring its balance of oils and fats, and keeping skin cells performing at their best. 

Hemp face masks can be used by anybody who wants to keep their facial skin healthy and vibrant. As we just mentioned, the amino acids in hemp seed oil can be used to restore skin vitality and beauty. A face mask is a potent way to deliver the benefits of hemp and cannabis to the skin but shouldn’t be used everyday.

Add a hemp face mask as a weekly addition to your skincare routine for more vibrant, better balanced skin.

A world of cannabis and skin.

If you step out into a cannabis dispensary — or even to your nearest beauty retailer — you’ll find a lot of different cannabis skincare products. CBD and cannabis in skincare have become almost mainstream and it’s not hard to find a variety of different CBD skincare products.

When shopping for cannabis skincare, keep your eyes open for whether it’s made with cannabinoids or with hemp. You also want to check the concentration of cannabinoids in the product. The higher it is, the more cannabinoids your skin can enjoy in each application. Higher concentrations are also better for skin complaints and diseases, while lower concentrations can be enjoyed as everyday skincare.

It’s completely safe to use cannabis on your skin everyday — but it might not be safe to use other ingredients on your skin every day. Make sure you read the ingredients of your cannabis skincare products to understand what’s in it and whether or not you want to put that on your skin every single day!

Have you used cannabis in your skincare routine? What kind of products did you use and what did it make your skin feel like? Drop your cannabis-skincare story in the comments!