In this new era of mask-wearing, virtual meetups and limited social functions, the world has had a chance to slow a bit – all while the skincare industry took off.

In 2021, the global beauty industry was deemed to be worth $500 billion and among all beauty products sold, skincare products topped the list with 40%. Skin and beauty conglomerate, Estée Lauder chief executive Fabrizio Freda, told the Business of Fashion that, “The Lipstick Index has been substituted by the Moisturizer Index.” The Lipstick index was originally coined by Leonard Lauder to describe how beauty sales correlate to the performance of the economy. If that doesn’t say it all, what does?

As lipsticks and other makeup get pushed to the back of drawers and vanities, skincare products like face serum take the top shelf. Among the many varieties available, CBD face serum is also growing in interest for skincare junkies and skincare newbies alike.

Is it CBD’s ability to help treat inflammation and scarring, the positive effects it’s shown on elasticity as acne? It’s all this and more. If you haven’t considered CBD face serum as part of your skincare routine, here’s why you should.

First, what is a face serum?

Before that, it’s important to ask what is a face serum? In the language of beauty and skincare, the different products and terms can get a bit muddied.

A face serum is typically made of a lightweight formula with active ingredients to help nourish, protect and hydrate the skin. In a typical skincare routine, applying face serum typically comes after cleansing (so the skin can properly absorb the active ingredients) and before moisturizing. While face serums have moisturizing ingredients, they are not a replacement for moisturizers. Moisturizers are of a heavier or thicker consistency to help lock moisture into the skin.

The types of face serums

There are different types of face serums. Some are water-based, and others are oil-based. Water-based serums work best under moisturizers while oil-based serums can be put on top of your moisturizer.

The most common active ingredients in face serums include:

Vitamin C – An antioxidant proven to help skin with cellular repair and promote collagen, giving skin the elasticity to fight scars, fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin C is also known to help brighten skin tone. 

Hyaluronic Acid – This ingredient is a mouthful to say and is also packed full of everything you want in a skincare product. Hyaluronic Acid helps to nourish and moisturize skin. Ageing and environmental factors naturally cause the skin to lose the ability to retain moisture, this leads to sagging skin, dry skin and fine lines. Hyaluronic Acid can absorb up to 1,000 times its weight in water, giving skin the boost to rehydrate smooth and look plumper.

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Vitamin A – Or Retinol, this ingredient helps to stimulate collagen and gives tired looking skin that refreshed youthful look.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) – Natural acids found in fruits like lemon and grapefruit helps to keep skin clear by helping to fight the buildup of oil and dead or damaged skin cells.

Peptides – Like Vitamin A, they help to build the strength of skin with its natural amino acids, Peptides help increase collagen production and encourage cell repair.

There are several other ingredients that can be used in face serums, but these are the most common. 

Face serums can be applied twice daily, morning and night and most are safe to use every day. However, as they do contain active ingredients it’s always important to follow the label and ensure nothing else in your skincare routine interferes with your face serum’s active ingredients.

How does CBD help improve your skincare?

Cannabidiol has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and by working naturally with the body’s Endocannabinoid System or ECS to maintain the body’s overall health by achieving homeostasis – a balance between your body’s nervous systems and your external environment.

The ECS also supports your skin’s homeostasis in order to keep it healthy and balanced. If your ECS isn’t receiving the right support, then neither is your skin, which can result in a number of skin conditions.

The ECS is made up of three main components: endocannabinoids, enzymes, and receptors. Endocannabinoids are naturally produced molecules that bind to proteins and cannabinoid receptors throughout the body’s central and peripheral nervous systems.

When introduced into the ECS, CBD works to counteract the breakdown of naturally produced endocannabinoids. CBD is a phytocannabinoid, which works to mimic endocannabinoids, and though CBD can be broken down by enzymes, it does not bind to receptors in the same way that endocannabinoids do. This is also why it does not have a psychoactive effect (it doesn’t get you “high”) as it cannot bind to cannabinoid receptors. 

As a phytocannabinoid, CBD has a ton of beauty and skincare benefits. For example, cannabidiol has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are essential in maintaining healthy skin. 

CBD Face Serum

Many skin care issues like acne, eczema or rosacea are rooted in inflammation, so finding skin products that can help reduce and eliminate topical inflammation is vital for healthy skin. A 2019 study found that CBD-enriched ointment was proven successful in improving inflammatory skin diseases. 

CBD is able to migrate immune cells responsible for inflammation. This is also why CBD is so useful for arthritis and muscle and joint pain.

CBD Face Serum can help to naturally work with the body’s ECS to reduce inflammation in the skin. By applying CBD face serum directly on cleansed skin, you’re able to absorb natural anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Similar to the other types of face serums, CBD face serum can also help combat dehydrated, ageing skin. CBD combined with Hyaluronic Acid is anti-ageing. Antioxidants function as a decelerator of the chemical process of oxidation. Oxidation is a reaction that produces free radicals, which in turn, damage cells by causing damage, leading to wrinkles, fine lines and the loss of elasticity in the skin. As mentioned above, Hyaluronic Acid works to retain moisture. When combined with CBD, which helps to fight inflammation, your skin gets a natural youth boost. CBD contains powerful antioxidant properties that are very similar in structure to what you can obtain through vitamins C and E. By neutralizing the free radicals, the antioxidants in CBD will ensure that your skin remains youthful. CBD Hyaluronic Acid can be considered a face serum superhero, combining all the right ingredients in one, instead of combining one or two different types.

resolveCBD Face Serum can be safely applied topically like any other face serum. It can easily fit into your current skincare routine after cleansing and before moisturizing to help deal with dull, dehydrated or damaged skin from things like acne or eczema. 

For the body, resolveCBD pain cream not only helps to soothe joint and muscle pain but is also packed with moisturizing ingredients to help keep the skin smooth and hydrated.

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CBD has also proven to help fight acne. While there are many factors that contribute to the development of acne, including hormonal imbalances, genetics, diet, stress levels, some medication etc., clogged pores are one of the leading causes

CBD oil for acne is an effective treatment thanks to its ability to adjust how the body creates sebum. A 2014 study found that sebocytes—the cells that are tasked with sebum (oil) production that clog pores —were able to be regulated by using CBD. CBD prevented sebocytes from producing too much sebum. 

CBD Oil, unlike CBD face serum, can be ingested or applied topically when mixed with a carrier oil to help dilute it. resolveCBD oil can be mixed in with your other skincare products like moisturizer or toner. However, our CBD oil contains MCT, which is a comedogenic oil and may clog pores. This is why we recommend ingesting resolveCBD oils for acne.

As a best practice with any type of new skincare product, test CBD face serum or CBD Hyaluronic Acid on a small area of skin that’s less visible to ensure there are no negative reactions to the product.  

With any skincare product – read the ingredients carefully – especially when active ingredients are involved. CBD products can contain either full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or CBD isolates. We recommend full spectrum CBD oil as it contains all of the compounds found in the cannabis or hemp plant, including a range of cannabinoids, flavonoids (plant chemicals found in fruits), and terpenes (aromatic oils), as well as a minimal amount of THC. Broad spectrum CBD oil also contains a range of cannabinoids; however, it is slightly more processed as the THC is stripped out. CBD isolate, on the other hand, is the purest form of CBD, however, it does not contain any of the other substances found in cannabis or hemp. 

CBD Face Serum is just another option for your skincare routine arsenal. A serum that naturally delivers on results thanks to its interactions with the body’s ECS to help fight inflammation, one of the root causes for so many skin conditions. With all that it delivers, it may be time to make room on your skincare shelf.

Written by Rosalyn Solomon