The first thing that comes to mind when you think of “cannabis” might not be delightfully radiant skin, but just wait. Little did the world know until recently, it’s a complete game changer for anyone who gives a rip about their skin’s health and appearance.

Before we dive into all the benefits of hemp oil for skin, let’s address the elephant in the room. Cannabis doesn’t necessarily mean marijuana; it’s a whole species of plants. Hemp is included in that species, and it’s not about to get you “stoned.”  

Hemp is natural, safe, effective, and non-intoxicating for your skin.

2 Types of Hemp Oil for Skin

Hemp is greater than the sum of its parts. The oil extracted from the seeds is vastly different than from the stalk. Neither should be overlooked, but you’ll overpay or underachieve if you get them mixed up.

Hemp Seed Oil: Benefits for Skin

Let’s chat about the benefit of hemp seed oil when it comes to kick-butt skin care. This rich oil is derived from —you guessed it— hemp seeds. It’s nourishing and replenishes important vitamins and minerals that benefit dry or aging skin.

Just about any grocery store will carry hemp seed oil, perhaps in the cooking section. It can be directly applied to the skin or added to your own skincare concoctions to spruce up the efficacy.

Unlike the next type of hemp oil we’ll discuss, hemp seed oil is a trending ingredient in skin care products. Almost anywhere, you can find lotions, lip balms, sunscreens, and shampoos with hemp seed oil sitting pretty in the ingredient list.

Nourishing Lipids

Hemp seed oil has a lot of helpful properties that can soothe the skin in many ways. The lipids found in hemp seed oil are very similar to the lipids that naturally occur in the skin, making it naturally effective for repairing moisture. By replacing lost lipids in the skin, you can help strengthen and rebuild elasticity, while adding in moisture that the skin needs to be healthy.

Omega Fatty Acids for Great Skin

Let’s not forget about hemp seed oil’s highly praised “perfect 3:1 ratio” of the essential fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6. These EFAs are valuable and extremely rare to find in this natural balance.  

Here are some ways research shows omegas are important for skin:

• Promote smooth skin surface
  • Lock in hydration without feeling heavy or sticky
  • Calm down redness
  • Reduce the occurrence of flaky skin
  • Deliver antioxidants (anti-aging)

No CBD in Hemp Seed Oil

Buyer beware, there’s no CBD (a compound we’ll talk about next) in hemp seeds or the oil extracted from it. Too often, we see skincare products labeled as something like, “hemp oil moisturizer.” That gives the impression that it’s CBD hemp oil, even though it’s usually hemp seed oil.

Sometimes the ambiguous term “hemp oil” is used genuinely to refer to a hemp seed oil product, while other times it may be a sketchy attempt to over-price a product by making the hemp seed oil sound like CBD hemp oil.

Whenever you’re shopping for CBD hemp oil skincare products, we suggest requesting a certificate of analysis (COA) from the company to prove it contains the advertised CBD.

CBD Hemp Oil: Benefits for Skin

We just touched on this a little, but the second type of hemp oil is extracted from the mature stalks or flowers of the plant. It’s typically referred to as “CBD hemp oil” or “CBD oil”, because it’s rich in the CBD compound.

Finding CBD oil in a skin care product is rare, because it’s still a hidden gem.

That shouldn’t discourage anyone, since there’s a large amount of research on CBD. In particular, it has shown amazing potential towards inflammation, which can mean irritated or sore skin. Even if your skin is healthy, adding CBD to your routine is a natural way to keep things calm and radiant for the long-run.

CBD-rich hemp oil is used in products for regular maintenance such as daily moisturizing, as well as a remedy for some skin conditions that result in dry or sore skin. While we cannot guarantee that CBD hemp oil will assist with conditions such as psoriasis or atopic dermatitis, it may improve comfort by reducing dryness and penetrating the deeper layers of skin to condition and balance oil production.

Dry or Sore Skin Relief

According to studies, here are some proposed benefits:

• Reduce inflammation
  • Antioxidant
  • Antibacterial
  • Reduce anxiety
  • Calming

Pretty incredible, right? This is a tiny list of things CBD has shown a lot of promise for, but they’re the big ones relating to skin care.

Choose CBD hemp oil if you relate to any of the following concerns:

• Skin irritation
  • Muscle or joint soreness
  • Redness
  • Stress
  • Dry skin

Where to Buy CBD Hemp Oil for Skin

You’re here because you want to give the best, natural care possible for your skin. While you might be lucky enough to live near one of the sparse hemp shops, most likely you’ll need to buy CBD skin care products online. On the bright side, this gives you the freedom to find a reputable brand with the perfect ingredients for your skin.

Made by Hemp offers a whole line of facial skin care, body care and special salves made with CBD hemp oil. For every day moisture and glowing skin, try a serum or moisturizer. For sore joints and muscles, grab a CBD salve to soothe pain and aches.

If you choose one of our favorite CBD skincare products below, get 10% off with code: HEALTHYSKIN.

Whether you decide to go for hemp seed oil or CBD hemp oil, your skin is going to look radiantly healthy. Just keep in mind when shopping, that the generic term “hemp oil” can refer to either of those oils. Make sure you’re getting what you need to achieve your skin care goals.

This article originally appeared on MadeByHemp.com