It has a lot of different applications. When it comes to CBD uses and forms, you can take gel caps, vape the oil, or enjoy it as part of edibles. But I’m partial to using it as a topical form, like a lotion, for dry skin. Some studies show that it can help with dryness and itching, and its anti-inflammatory properties may reduce potential triggers of eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis. It can also help the skin with the aging process and wrinkles. Oxidative stress can contribute to the aging of the skin, and CBD has antioxidant properties that can help battle this. It can also be used to treat skin infections and acne. Hemp-derived CBD oil is becoming increasingly popular for its health benefits delivered without the “high” of THC, weed’s major psychoactive ingredient.
Treating the Skin
CBD topicals range from simple lotions, creams, oils, and balms to more inventive products like mud masks, so there are many ways to apply CBD to the skin. Since CBD oils are used on the skin surface, they don’t enter your bloodstream, which may be important if you are on other medications and are worried about interactions and side effects. With summer coming, you might also want to consider CBD lotions to help with the dehydrating and damaging effects of the sun. Vertly’s CBD Relief Lotion, for example, can replace your post-shower moisturizer. It is made with vitamins, nourishing shea butter, and 150 mg of full-spectrum CBD.
Treating Anxiety
CBD oil can also play a role in improving the symptoms of mood disorders—depression and especially anxiety. When it comes to different anxiety conditions, ranging from social anxiety disorders to full-blown anxiety attacks and PTSD, CBD products can provide a good alternative to traditionally prescribed medications. Some medical experts believe that CBD is effective in dealing with anxiety, because of how it interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. Although the connection is still being studied, scientists believe that anxiety may be the result of a lack of serotonin in the brain. When more serotonin is available, both anxiety and depression tend to improve. Like traditionally prescribed SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), CBD can boost serotonin signaling and increase its availability in the synaptic space, but some evidence shows that CBD works faster than SSRIs when providing these mood disorder benefits.
Treating Chronic Pain
CBD oil can also help with chronic pain, which is a biggie since it is the leading cause of disability in the United States, and the most common reason people go to doctors. It also can provide a safe, non-addictive alternative to opiates, which kills tens of thousands of people each year. Even an over-the-counter painkiller like NSAIDs poses a threat, causing thousands of deaths and hospitalizing people with complications such as liver bleeding and GI damage. You may ask how to use CBD oil for pain. You have a couple of different broad choices. You can ingest CBD oil as an edible or tincture, so it enters the bloodstream and affects the entire body. Or you can take a more targeted approach with topicals, applied to the skin, activating receptors at the site, and providing localized pain and inflammation reduction. You could also choose to vape CBD oil for fast relief of pain. But if you want something longer-lasting (albeit with a longer onset time), then CBD edibles, including capsules, maybe what you want.
