Italian Study Highlights CBD’s Skin Benefits

There’s already a good deal of research showing that CBD can help with anxiety, pain, and many other issues. Now, a recent study published by Italian researchers is providing some of the first clinical evidence for CBD’s beneficial effects on the skin.

Published in April 2019, the study sought out to examine whether a topical CBD ointment could improve eczema and psoriasis. Here’s a closer look at this promising new research and what it means for the future of topical CBD products.

The Study

The researchers recruited 20 people aged between 20 and 80 suffering from atopic dermatitis (eczema), psoriasis, or scarring resulting from these common skin disorders.

They were given a topical ointment containing CBD and other herbal ingredients and told to apply it to the affected areas two times a day. Their facial, forehead, neck, and forearm skin was evaluated three months later.

The Results

The researchers found significant improvements in several measures of skin health. For starters, the treatment improved skin hydration by an average of 5-7% and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), a measure of skin damage, by 20-28%. Elasticity, a measure of the skin’s ability to resist a change in shape, also improved by 17-27%. 

Meanwhile, photos taken before and after the 90-day treatment showed a reduction of blemishes, scars, papules, and pustules. There was also a significant improvement in psoriasis severity as measured by the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). In addition, the study did not report any irritant or allergic reactions. 

The researchers concluded that “The topical administration of CBD ointment, without any THC, is a safe and effective non-invasive alternative for improving the quality of life in patients with some skin disorders, especially on inflammatory background.”

The Significance

The results of this study aren’t all that surprising. After all, CBD has already been shown to be beneficial for a wide range of skin conditions in animal and petri dish research.

What makes the study significant, however, is that it’s one of the first to demonstrate CBD’s topical benefits in humans. Its findings show that CBD can help with eczema and psoriasis, the two most common skin disorders which affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. 

They also suggest that CBD may be beneficial for other inflammatory skin disorders and pave the way for further clinical trials of CBD’s topical benefits.

CBD Skincare & Cosmetics: A Growing Industry

Studies such as this one are sorely needed because CBD is increasingly being added to topical beauty and skincare products. Much like CBD-infused foods and drinks, the market for topical and cosmetic CBD is growing rapidly.

Highlighted by the entry of large companies such as Sephora, which now offers cosmetic CBD products from multiple brands, it’s only a matter of time before the big names in cosmetics enter this space as well. 

According to estimates, the global CBD skincare market was worth $710 million in 2018 and is expected to grow to nearly $1 billion by 2024, representing a 10% share of the total worldwide skincare market.