What You Need to Know About CBD Oil’s Anti-Aging Benefits

You may have noticed beauty experts out touting the use of CBD oil for anti-aging and making it an integral part of their skin care routines — and for good reason. Scientists are finding that the powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of CBD (cannabidiol) can significantly reduce the visible signs of aging, smooth wrinkles and fine lines naturally, and give your skin a more youthful appearance. And CBD’s benefits are more than skin deep — ongoing research suggests that CBD could have the potential to protect your brain and nervous system from the effects of aging.

While it’s a derivative of cannabis plants (which includes both marijuana and hemp plants), CBD won’t get you high, as it has no psychoactive properties. When derived from the hemp plant, it’s legal in most states.

So How Does Cannabidiol (CBD oil) Work?

Skincare
When it comes to the signs of aging, few things are more harmful for our skin than oxidants. In simple terms, oxidants are unstable atoms — often known as free radicals — in the air around us that do a number damaging our skin. They cause collagen to break down faster, which leads to those fine lines, wrinkles, and dry skin with no youthful elasticity. Antioxidants help minimize damage caused by free radicals: they reduce collagen loss, and keep skin smoother and firmer as we mature.

CBD oil, as it turns out, is an incredibly effective antioxidant, even more so than vitamins C and E—primary antioxidant ingredients found in many anti-aging skin care products. In fact, it’s such an effective antioxidant that the U.S. federal government took out a patent (US6630507B1) on it, citing its ability to treat “age-related, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases,” all of which can take a toll on your skin.

CBD also works with the body’s endocannabinoid system — a network of receptors throughout the body that regulates many important functions — to stimulate our oil glands to produce the oil we need to keep our skin from drying out, which helps keep it naturally moisturized. This has led scientists to study CBD oil for treating psoriasis and eczema, and the early results are promising.

Finally, the stress and tension we experience every day is literally written on our faces in the form of fine lines and wrinkles, which are major contributors to the appearance of aging. CBD has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety even in small doses, adding another dimension to its age-defying abilities.

Inflammation
One of CBD oil’s most well-studied benefits for anti-aging is its role in combating inflammation. Research has shown that CBD can be a “potent treatment” for managing a diverse range of inflammatory disorders, making it one of the most promising new anti-inflammatory drugs available. Chronic inflammation is responsible for some of the most common health problems people face as they age, from heart disease to cancer, so anything that can reduce its frequency and severity (like CBD oil) is a major plus.

Pain
For many people, a lifetime of … well, life … has left them with a long list of nagging aches and pains. One of the more persistent and debilitating forms of pain is back pain — as anyone who has experienced it knows far too well. CBD may be able to help with this: multiple studies show that it can be effective at reducing lower back pain. While some of the more breathless claims about CBD’s abilities as a “magical pain eraser” may be overblown, there is some solid science that attests to its potential as a natural, effective, side effect-free pain reliever.

Brain Health and Memory
Neurological conditions are some of the most serious age-related health problems. As people get older, their chances of developing diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s increases. Studies have shown that CBD has neuroprotective benefits that can help guard against the development of such diseases. Some reports even suggest that CBD may be able to slow down or reverse the effects of dementia and related conditions — though a great deal of more research is needed before these claims can be made conclusively.