Is CBD Oil Good For Your Hair?

CBD oil is earning a reputation as the next big skin care ingredient, but now people are beginning to wonder what role, if any, the oil can play in hair care. The answer isn’t a simple one: although there’s a great deal of anecdotal evidence attesting to its efficacy, there is no current clinical evidence to prove that CBD oil is good for your hair. Still, anecdotally speaking, many are convinced that CBD has transformative properties for improving the appearance of even the most damaged manes.

Here’s why: Hemp plants, from which the majority of CBD oil is currently derived, contain essential amino acids and fatty acids. Amino acids are commonly known as the building blocks of proteins, whereas essential fatty acids play a critical role in the management of inflammation. The health of your hair is heavily reliant on the presence of both kinds of acids.

The Value of CBD Oil’s Essential Acids For Hair

Amino acids carry out a number of functions which are essential for healthy hair — for one, they help stimulate blood circulation around the follicles. This means that important nutrients that are carried in the blood can reach the scalp, which can help improve the strength of your hair, and encourage hair growth. Some amino acids have antioxidant properties, which add a layer of protection from sun damage to the hair.

The most important essential fatty acids for hair health are omega-3 fatty acids. One of the greatest benefits of these acids is their ability to encourage the production of natural essential oils in the scalp, which contribute to healthier, shinier hair and prevent dandruff from developing.

The reason why these groups of compounds are known as “essential acids” is due to the fact that the body doesn’t naturally produce them itself, so they have to be sought out elsewhere. In the past, humans have relied on a balanced diet to get these acids into their bodies, but now many brands are touting CBD oil as a faster, easier way to get the same results.

However, whether or not all “CBD oils” can help your hair by delivering essential amino and fatty acids isn’t clear. In fact, many cannabis sativa derivatives with vast differences — such as hemp seed oil, CBD oil, and cannabis oil — are now being marketed as “CBD oil” by companies seeking to make their products appear more appealing. Because CBD itself is so new to the legal American market, regulation of CBD products is still lacking, and many people are purchasing products without fully understanding what it is they’re buying.

Hemp seed oil, for example, is known to be rich in the essential fatty acids and amino acids mentioned above. However, there is no CBD in hemp seeds. And while CBD oil is certainly rich in CBD (one would hope), it doesn’t necessarily contain any essential fatty acids or amino acids.

Nevertheless, hair care brands certainly seem to have faith in the benefits of CBD oil to boost hair health (and, most likely, their profit margins) as evidenced by the rapidly growing range of CBD hair products on drugstore shelves across the United States, including CBD shampoos, conditioners, serums, and hair treatments.

In fairness, they may be onto something here. Products with CBD oil could potentially have some valuable benefits for hair, including rendering it stronger, shinier, and faster-growing. Its anti-inflammatory properties could help people with dry and itchy scalps, or people with weak and brittle hair after years of heat styling. There’s even the possibility that it could help people with heavily color-treated hair who are suffering from hair loss.

But whether or not every CBD hair product out there has such potential is a different question — one that still remains to be answered.