New Safe and Effective Treatments of Eczema, Psoriasis and Acne
Jamie Bussin and Umar Syed
I’ve suffered with eczema for most of my life. Sometimes it’s triggered by changes in temperature or moisture in the air. It also is tied to seasonal allergies; and when I was younger, it could flare up due to overexposure to the sun. I’m always happy to look for safe and effective solutions. Umar is the President of Opticann and has 20+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical and medical cannabis industries, as well as being a trained clinical pharmacist himself. We spoke about the therapeutic role of CBD for those suffering with skincare issues episode #244 of The Tonic Talk Show/Podcast. This is a digest of that interview.
How Can CBD help to treat skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis? CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects are a useful treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Eczema and psoriasis are inflammatory conditions of the skin. CBD has indirect effects on cannabinoid receptors in the immune system (mast cells and other white blood cells) and can help modulate inflammation. CBD also decreases proinflammatory cytokine release. It also appears to reduce skin cell turnover which is a useful property in treating psoriasis. Opticann’s CB4 Derma product was used in a small clinical trial and showed a decrease in redness and irritation over a four week period.
I used the CB4 Derma product and it worked well and surprisingly quickly when I had eczema flare ups. But can it be used preventatively? There’s no reason why CBD couldn’t be used preventatively and is relatively safe to use chronically. CBD does not cause thinning of the skin associated with hydrocortisone and other potent steroids. It doesn’t get absorbed into the bloodstream enough to cause negative side effects. Even if some CBD is absorbed, it doesn’t change your systemic metabolism or cause serious side effects that are of concern with topical steroids, especially in children. Not all topical CBD products are created equal, however. Opticann’s CB4 topical formulations ensure that the active ingredients go into the skin where needed and not just sit on top of the skin.
Are there diminished returns to regular topical CBD use? It does not appear so. Our clinical experience goes back to my time with MedReleaf, the first medical cannabis company to market a topical CBD product over four years ago. Over half of our surveyed patients were using it chronically for eczema and psoriasis over a period of two years and did not experience a diminishing effect.
Can CBD be used for other skin conditions, such as scratches and scrapes? Absolutely. The product you tried, CB4 Derma, which also has colloidal oatmeal for soothing is appropriate for that. CB4 Clear is our other topical product formulated with rosemary and tea tree oil, natural ingredients that have shown efficacy in managing acne lesions. . Basic research indicates that CBD can decrease sebaceous gland production (the oily glands in your skin) and CBD also has antibacterial properties. Together with being an anti-inflammatory, this makes CBD a good alternative for the treatment of acne as well. Unlike benzoyl peroxide (a typically prescribed topical treatment), CBD does not cause sun sensitivity for the skin and does not stain or bleach your clothes.
Jamie Bussin is the Publisher of TheTonic Magazine and Host of TheTonic Talk Show/Podcast. For more information about Opticann visit https://opticann.ca/
