One of the biggest industries thus far to opt in on the cannabis craze has been beauty products. Serums, moisturizers, even mascaras containing cannabis oil—including hemp-seed oil and trendy CBD (cannabidiol) oil—are everywhere. The CBD market alone is projected to hit $2.1 billion by 2020.
CBD oil has been touted for reducing stress, depression, and muscle pain. Yet it’s the effect on skin that has captured the industry’s attention, and there’s research to back up the claims. “CBD oil has been shown to reduce the production of oil in the skin and decrease skin inflammation,” says Lily Talakoub, a dermatologist in McLean. “That is particularly beneficial for acne.”
Until recently, CBD was actually illegal. But the passage of the Farm Bill in December allowed CBD production to come out from the shadows. Even before that, more and more products were being sold through Amazon and Sephora, in sleek packaging that has nary a cannabis leaf in sight.
Don’t expect to get stoned—these products typically contain minuscule amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the part of the cannabis plant with psychoactive effects. Still, while a CBD-laced lip balm won’t get you baked, the idea that it might is certainly adding to the buzz.
This article appears in our January 2019 issue of Washingtonian.
Hayley is an Associate Editor at Washingtonian Weddings. Previously she was the the Style Editor at The Local Palate, a Southern food culture magazine based out of Charleston, South Carolina. You can follow her on instagram @wandertaste.
