Today we are going to discuss eczema, a skin condition that causes dry, itchy rashes on the surface of the skin. It can be quite painful, and people with this condition often have tried many treatments with varying results.
As CBD becomes more popular throughout the United States, people are discovering the positive effects of CBD on the skin. There are more products available than CBD oil. As Americans begin to use CBD for its anti-inflammatory properties, it is not surprising that it would be effective in treating skin conditions that involve an inflammatory response, such as eczema and psoriasis. As with all CBD research, we are in the very early states of testing and discovery with regard to treating skin conditions, so keep an eye out for new, exciting research about cannabis. We will be sure to report things here when they are discovered.
So what exactly is eczema?
In a nutshell, eczema is a general term for a skin condition that causes irritated skin. Symptoms can be dry and scaly skin, itching, and a visible rash. Most people have the condition due to their genetics, and treatments can be difficult to find since there are so many triggers for the disease. Some are auto-immune or allergies, while others experience a flare-up of symptoms in winter when the air is dry. The symptoms can quite severe, and may have a significant impact to quality of life. People can experience depression and anxiety as a result of their eczema.
Why CBD for Eczema?
As we have discussed in other articles, the endocannabinoid system is a key part of the human body. One of the effects of the endocannabinoid system is the modulation of immune response. This means that it can slow down an overactive immune system. The CB1 and CB2 receptors are involved in this suppression of the immune response, and cannabis has been shown to interact with these receptors, including CBD and other terpenes. Since eczema is often causes or worsened by an overactive immune response, it is no wonder that CBD would be an effective treatment, given the fact that it causes the immune system to be less aggressive.
It is up to the user whether to use a systemic CBD treatment, like ingesting CBD oil or smoking CBD raw flower, or to apply CBD topicals directly onto the rash itself. The topical products act locally on the immediate area surrounding the rash. Systemic treatments act throughout the body. For mild cases, topical CBD is likely enough to get an improvement, but for severe symptoms some report using both CBD oil and a topical CBD.
According to this published study, CBD is effective at treating eczema. This matches reports from our own product testing, as we have sent several customers our topical CBD products to get feedback before we add them to our online marketplace.
“The topical administration of CBD ointment, without any THC, is a safe and effective non-invasive alternative for improve the quality of life in patients with some skin disorders, especially on inflammatory background.”Palmieri B, Laurino C, Vadalà M. A therapeutic effect of cbd-enriched ointment in inflammatory skin diseases and cutaneous scars. Clin Ter. 2019;170(2):e93-e99. doi:10.7417/CT.2019.2116
Full Spectrum CBD versus CBD Isolate
One thing for consumers to consider is that there are many different types of CBD on the market. Full-spectrum CBD products contain the entire output of the cannabis plant. The plant extracts are not filtered to select out the CBD from the oil, and therefore the terpenes and trace cannabinoids found in the plant are intact. This forms an “entourage effect,” meaning that the various cannabinoids in the oil work together to give a fuller response to the treatment.
By contrast, CBD isolate has only the CBD molecule. Oil processors can chemically “isolate” the CBD molecule, and produce a CBD concentrate that doesn’t contain any THC, terpenes, or other cannabinoids. Research has shown that while CBD isolate is good, it is perhaps not as good as a full-spectrum product that contains that entourage effect. The biggest advantage to CBD isolate is that it is completely THC-free. It is important to find reputable sources, to be sure that the isolate does not contain THC.
Poplar Creek Farms CBD topicals
As mentioned above, we are in the middle of research and development of our own CBD topicals. So far, the feedback from testers has been very positive. Our containers are being sized for labels, so we should have new products to add to the website within a month.