Self-care definition: the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.
Yes, life has gotten a little strange lately, all the more reason to have CBD topicals in your self-care regimen to preserve peace of mind and body.
In recent years, CBD has become the darling for treating everything from pain to skin conditions to mental health. But in order to use it effectively you need to know what CBD is and how it’s produced. Before we get into the self-care aspect, let’s review.
What to look for in CBD topicals
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of multiple components of cannabis. It’s important to note that unlike THC, it’s first cousin, CBD won’t get you high. Plus, when you use CBD topicals, you apply them directly to the affected area to get results pretty quickly as compared to ingesting or inhaling CBD.
The first thing to look for is broad- or full-spectrum CBD to get the full benefits of all the compounds. When all the elements of CBD work together, they’re stronger than if you were to isolate CBD. This working together is called the entourage effect, when all the components of the CBD work in concert to support your health. Although the other components appear in lesser quantity than CBD, they are important in supporting what CBD does in our bodies.
Next, look for lab-tested CBD. I’ve noted before that CBD is not regulated by the FDA, but that doesn’t mean you just have to take your chances. Reputable companies will have an unbiased third-party lab test for purity, quality and consistency. The most important consideration should be given to the way the hemp is grown. It should be grown as organically as possible without using harmful herbicides, pesticides or growth enhancers. Second on the list is the manner in which the CBD is extracted. Look for a product derived from CO2 extraction. This is the most expensive extraction method, but by far the safest.
Why use CBD topicals for self-care?
Two words, fast and convenient. Topicals can be used anytime, anywhere safely. Just as you can carry lotion or lip balm with you, topicals come in easy-to-use packaging that travels well. When you apply topicals, they don’t have to go through digestion to get to the blood stream, which can take hours. In fact, topicals never make it to the blood stream. Instead, it penetrates deeply, stopping short of the blood stream. Deep in the tissue, it binds with receptors and works to alleviate pain or other skin conditions.
While it’s true that other ways of using CBD can help certain conditions, in cases where there is pain or a skin condition, topicals act the most quickly. There are many ailments for which a topical is preferred because of its fast-acting ability.
Now, let’s move onto why to use CBD topicals in your self-care.
Skin care
You probably know that the skin is the largest organ in our bodies. It is the first line of defense, protecting us from chemicals, bacteria and temperature. By caring for your skin, you can help it do its job more effectively. Now, back to the FDA for a moment. Skin care products on the market are not regulated by the FDA. Therefore, when you read the ingredients you’ll see a lot of questionable chemicals, stabilizers and toxic substances. Do you really want those on your skin? CBD skin care topicals, on the other hand have CBD, carrier and essential oils, with known healing and protective properties. Use CBD topicals to protect, nourish and hydrate your skin. Healthy skin means better protection from external elements.
Tension
I suppose we could say we live in fast-paced, high-anxiety times. Massage is great at relieving stress and tension stored in muscles. However, add a CBD topical and tension relief takes on a whole new meaning. Here’s why. First, we have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) hardwired into our bodies. This system, responsible for maintaining balance throughout the body, responds well to topical CBD.
The ECS sends out chemical messengers to moderate multiple functions in our brains and bodies. CBD helps to slow this flow of chemical messengers, while boosting the body’s supply of endocannabinoids, resulting in a two-fold effect: relaxing muscles and reducing spasticity. CBD enters the ECS through our skin, directly and quickly easing the discomfort caused by tension. Plus, the effects of CBD help us hold on to the therapeutic relaxation for longer.
Pain
Pain comes in many forms. Joint or muscle pain from injury or over exertion. Nerve pain or neuropathy from injury or chronic illness. Whether you have chronic pain from arthritis, damaged nerves, neuropathy, fibromyalgia or other conditions, CBD can help relieve it. Its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties immediately go to work reducing inflammation and relieving pain. Plus, people who use CBD don’t build up a tolerance that requires larger and larger doses to relieve their symptoms, as is often the case with prescription or over-the-counter medications.
Pain of a more temporary duration, such as overworked muscles or a wound, is equally as affected by CBD topical application. You can begin to feel the effects within minutes to speed up muscle recovery.
It treats pain by reducing inflammation and reacting to CB1 and CB2 receptors in our brains and immune systems. These receptors, part of the ECS, are tiny proteins attached to cells. They receive chemical signals from different stimuli and help cells respond. This interaction between CB receptors and CBD creates anti-inflammatory and painkilling effects that help manage pain.
CBD topicals for self-care are simple to use, convenient and fast acting. Why not give them a try?