Gone are the days when CBD oil only came in the form of oral drops. These days you can pick up your favourite supplement in a vast variety of forms, from vapes and gummies to hemp cream designed for topical application.

CBD skincare has been coming up fast as a top buy among the millions of CBD users worldwide, but what’s the point of it? Does it really work? And why might you need it? In this article, we’ll fill you in on everything you need to know about hemp cream so you can decide if it’s the right product for you!

Your Skin Has Its Own Endocannabinoid System

Hopefully, you’ll already be familiar with your internal endocannabinoid system (ECS), but did you know that your skin has its own ECS too? This complex network of receptors found throughout the body is also found in every single skin cell, and because of this, it plays a pretty huge role in maintaining good skin health.

When you take CBD oil internally, it supports the production and accumulation of endocannabinoids (the chemicals naturally released in the body to activate the ECS receptors and keep all bodily functions in balance). When you apply it to your skin using something like a hemp cream, the same thing happens on the outside. This process helps to create something called ‘endocannabinoid tone’, something which is known to regulate the normal function of the waterproof skin barrier - our first defence against microbes, UV rays, free radicals and pollution.

Our external ECS can become dysregulated, just like on the inside. When this happens an effective barrier cannot be made on the skin which can lead to signs of inflammation, dryness, ageing or excess oil.

There are many things you can do to naturally boost endocannabinoid production, such as exercising regularly, practicing meditation and eating certain foods. But using a hemp cream can also help and is an excellent way to target problem areas.

Is Hemp Cream Topical or Transdermal?

Of course, not all CBD that’s applied to the skin is ‘skincare’. As well as hemp cream there’s also CBD balm, CBD gel, CBD muscle rub and even CBD patches. While these are all applied to the skin, there’s a big difference between them: some are topical while others are transdermal.

Hemp cream is ideal for the top layer of your skin, but if you’re hoping to target something a little deeper such as muscles, joints or tendons, you’ll need a transdermal product such as a gel, patch or balm. What sets these apart are specific ingredients known as ‘transdermal permeation enhancers’, which include certain terpenes, fatty acids and alcohols like glycol. When these are added to the mix, the CBD content can penetrate through the top layers of skin, and into the body – even into the bloodstream.

Transdermal products are ideal for anyone wanting to target a problem area under the skin. Both topical and transdermal CBD can be used alongside ingested CBD products too for a double-whammy effect.

Hemp Seed Oil Is Great For the Skin

Many hemp creams and CBD skin oils also contain hemp seed oil, which is a bit of a skin superhero in its own right! Although hemp seed oil doesn’t contain CBD it does contain all B vitamins and a ‘perfect’ Omega 3:6 ratio, as well as vitamin E, carotene, phytosterols, phospholipids, sulfur, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. It’s also amazing for moisturisation because incredibly hemp seed oil matches our skin’s natural oil so perfectly that it has the ability to penetrate the skin and lubricate between cells of the skin for deep hydration, rather than just sitting on the surface. As a bonus, hemp seed oil is also Non-comedogenic, which means it doesn’t clog pores.

How To Use Hemp Cream

It’s as simple as you might imagine! For a face cream, simply apply a 10p-sized amount after cleansing (after applying any serums and before your face oil). For a body cream, massage into desired areas on dry skin. You can apply as often as you like, but once or twice a day is usually enough. If you’re using a CBD muscle balm containing essential oils, do not apply to broken skin. Hemp cream is also perfectly safe to use alongside other CBD products and supplements.

Is Hemp Cream For You?

Hemp cream is really for anyone who wants to take care of their skin! And that goes beyond aesthetics, too. Studies have found that CBD oil used topically may exert a complex anti-inflammatory action to soothe swelling, redness and further irritation, as well as possessing lipostatic, anti-proliferative and the ability to normalise excessive sebum production – all great news for anyone struggling with the likes of acne and eczema.

CBD in and of itself is perfectly fine to use on even the most sensitive skin, however, do take other ingredients used in hemp cream products into account as well when judging if a product is right for your needs.

Hemp Elf stocks a range of both - hemp creams for topical use and transdermal CBD products for anyone wanting to target muscles and joints.