10 Amazing Benefits Of Using Hemp Oil For Skin
Here’s a bit of trivia for you: What’s the largest organ in your body? Give up? It’s your skin! Some hyper-critical readers might cry foul and say the liver because the question asked about the largest organ “in” the body. Technically, they’re right, but we’d tell them to go smoke some Blue Dream and chill out. This isn’t Jeopardy, man.
So why the talk about organs and skin and long-running game shows in a cannabis blog? Because, believe it or not, marijuana is good for your skin. Mind blown, right? We know the feeling. But don’t go rubbing that baggie of weed on your skin just yet. That’s just a waste of some perfectly good ganja. Instead, you’ll need a specific form of the Cannabis sativa plant—hemp seed oil—to reap all the skin-healthy rewards.
But what exactly is hemp oil? And what are the benefits of hemp oil for skin? The experts at Honest Marijuana will answer those questions below.
What Is Hemp Oil?
Because marijuana culture is rife with slang, the words “hemp oil” have become an umbrella term used to refer to two very different products:
- Cannabinoid-infused oil extracted from cannabis plant matter (a.k.a. CBD oil or THC oil).
- Hemp seed oil.
What’s the difference between the two? Depending on which variety of the cannabinoid-infused oil you choose, you’ll either experience a psychedelic high or enjoy some medicinal benefits. Hemp seed oil, on the other hand, contains very low levels of cannabinoids (sometimes zero). That means you can’t get high if you consume hemp seed oil. It also means that you won’t receive any medicinal benefits, either.
Basically, hemp seed oil is a foodstuff (like olive oil), while cannabinoid-infused oil is a recreational product and a medicine. So, as you can see, there’s a huge difference between the two types of oil. Using the term “hemp oil” to refer to both is a major mistake. It’s like calling a horse a cow or a blunt a joint.
From here on out, we’ll use the words “hemp oil” and “hemp seed oil” to refer to the foodstuff, and “CBD oil,” “THC oil,” or “cannabis oil” to refer to the psychedelic and medicinal varieties. You should too. We don’t want you looking foolish.
Now that we’re through discussing semantics (lexical semantics for you hyper-critical readers), let’s turn our attention to hemp oil for skin.
Hemp Oil For Skin
For the average cannabis consumer, hemp oil is primarily used as a foodstuff (it’s also an industrial product, but that’s an article for another time). You may even have some in your kitchen cabinets right now. Like other oils of its ilk (e.g., coconut, olive, peanut, vegetable), hemp oil is high in:
- Magnesium.
- Potassium.
- Vitamin B1.
- Vitamin B2.
- Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats.
- Vitamin E.
The nice thing about plant-based foods like olive oil, coconut oil, cucumber, avocado, banana, honey, and, yes, hemp seed oil, is that you can benefit from their vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats in two ways: by eating them, and by applying them to your skin.
When you eat hemp seed oil, your body uses the vitamins and minerals to keep your organs healthy. Your skin gets some of those benefits, but it’s often last on the list because it’s the farthest from your core. You could eat more and more hemp seed oil in the hopes of increasing the chances of the nutrients reaching your skin, but that could hurt your stomach.
Instead, take the oil right to the source. That way, your skin is the first to receive the benefits. Listed below are 10 specific benefits of hemp oil for skin.
10 Benefits Of Hemp Oil For Skin
1) Regenerates Your Skin’s Protective Layer
Your skin is coated with a combination of oil and water known as the hydrolipidic layer. This barrier serves two important functions:
- It keeps moisture from evaporating off the surface of your skin.
- It protects your skin from dirt, dust, allergens, sunlight, and other external irritants.
Sometimes, though, the protective layer can break down and develop thin spots. These “holes” allow moisture out and irritants in. Over time, that can cause your skin to become dehydrated and sore.
The fatty acids in hemp seed oil function as a natural emollient to seal up the thin spots in your hydrolipidic layer. Those same fatty acids also promote the healthy growth of the oil-and-water barrier so you don’t develop problems in the future. Healing and prevention all in one. It doesn’t get much better than that.
2) Prevents Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a condition that causes your skin cells to multiply up to 10 times faster than normal. As these cells pile up on your skin’s surface, they can cause raised red and white scales. The fatty acids in hemp seed oil can improve oxygenation, hydration, and exfoliation, and help prevent psoriasis.
3) Hydrates Dry Skin
When you apply hemp seed oil to your skin, its unique chemical makeup functions as both a moisturizer and a hydrator. Wait, don’t those two words mean the same thing? Nope, they’re very different.
A moisturizer forms a layer on the surface of your skin to keep moisture from evaporating. A hydrator, on the other hand, actually puts moisture into your skin. Hemp seed oil is one of those rare plant-based products that acts as a natural hydrator to keep your skin soft, smooth, and healthy.
4) Locks Moisture Against Your Skin
But the benefits of hemp oil don’t end with putting moisture into your skin. Hemp seed oil also acts as a moisturizer to lock water molecules against your skin where they can do the most good.
In the world of lotions and creams, you would need two separate products applied in a specific order to get the best results: first, a hydrator to put water molecules into your skin, followed by a moisturizer to keep the water molecules from evaporating. But with hemp seed oil, you only need one application to get the same results. What a time-saver!
5) Won’t Clog Pores
Some oils combine with dead skin cells, waxes, and dirt to clog your pores. Hemp seed oil doesn’t. That means you can moisturize and hydrate to your heart’s content without worrying about the problems associated with clogged pores.
6) Reduces Fine Lines & Wrinkles
Because of the moisturizing and hydrating properties mentioned above, hemp seed oil is also effective at reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Here’s how it works:
- Hemp seed oil fills your skin with extra moisture, which makes your skin plumper.
- Hemp seed oil stimulates the natural production of collagen. The collagen provides support for the layers of skin above it.
- The antioxidants in hemp seed oil fight free radicals that can damage your skin cells.
Hemp seed oil also provides a small amount of protection against wrinkle-causing sun damage. Keep in mind that hemp seed oil is in no way a substitute for an SPF 30 or 45 sunscreen. Even if you use hemp seed oil on your skin, you should always apply a sunscreen before going outside.
7) Soothes Irritated Skin
If your skin feels swollen, tired, and irritated, hemp seed oil can help. Hemp oil is naturally soothing and can calm the tightness that’s making you uncomfortable.
8) Treats Skin Rashes & Acne
Hemp seed oil is an excellent treatment for skin rashes and acne because of its hydrating and moisturizing properties. Couple that with the fact that hemp seed oil won’t clog your pores and you’ve got an effective treatment for unsightly acne and annoying rashes.
9) Prevents Varicose Veins
The omega-3 fatty acids in hemp seed oil thin your blood and can help reduce and prevent the appearance of varicose veins. It’s important to remember that any omega-3 product applied directly to your skin should not be the only treatment you take for varicose veins.
Even though you can see your veins through your skin, they’re actually very deep inside your body. Your veins may get a small amount of omega-3 if you apply hemp oil to your skin. But they’ll benefit more if you include hemp oil in your favorite edible recipe.
10) Prevents Cell Damage
Your cells are surrounded by a protective layer called the myelin sheath. Without the proper vitamins and minerals, that sheath can begin to break down (a process known as demyelination). The essential fatty acids in hemp seed oil (omega-3 and omega-6) help strengthen and maintain the myelin sheath so your skin cells stay healthy.
The Takeaway
Isn’t hemp awesome? So many benefits in one little plant! But we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that there are some slight side effects possible from using hemp seed oil. These side effects are very rare and usually result only if you ingest too much. Don’t let that scare you off! Give hemp oil a try in your diet and in your skincare routine to experience the amazing benefits we’ve talked about in this article.
For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100 percent all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.
The post 10 Amazing Benefits Of Using Hemp Oil For Skin appeared first on Honest Marijuana.
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Author: Anthony Franciosi
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