A quick search on Google on cannabidiol or CBD skincare products will yield millions of results. There was a time when finding hemp-derived products was difficult outside of the black market, despite the substance getting used in ancient civilizations for pain management.
Now, you can find CBD oils, capsules, tinctures, and topical, such as Bath Bombs and Muscle Freeze, like Mary’s Nutritionals.
It is not surprising at all. The global CBD topical market is growing at an astounding rate of 32.9% compound annual growth rate between 2019 and 2025. The sector is projected to reach $1.7 billion by 2025. In 2018, skincare laced with CBD comprised more than 40% of the market.
The United States is one of the fastest-growing markets, which can be attributed to the diminishing stigma surrounding hemp-derived products. Of course, you can also thank the legalization of hemp, particularly after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill.
More Than Branding
It is easy to assume that companies are jumping onto the CBD bandwagon. While some people can accept that oral administration can help relieve pain, but skincare? That seems a stretch, is not it?
However, several studies have already been conducted on the efficacy of CBD topicals to alleviate pain. For instance, the 2016 research concluded that the use of CBD gel provided relief, while also reducing inflammation and arthritis patients without apparent side effects.
Another clinical trial by Zynerba Pharma found some promising results after using CBD gel on people with arthritis. The “secondary endpoints” revealed that patients reported relief over a specified period. However, the company stopped the trials before it could make headway. The “primary endpoints” remained inconclusive. It would have been groundbreaking research because few clinical trials involved human subjects.
A 2018 research study attempted to look into the efficacy of the delivery system for CBD, including topicals. The researchers concluded that in some models, CBD topicals proved even more effective compared to oral administration. They used lab mice, which were given 6.2 milligrams of CBD gel per day, suffering from arthritis for their study.
Anecdotal Evidence
You will find countless anecdotes of people with chronic pain swearing by the effectiveness of CBD topicals. The products range from gels, patches, sprays, roll-ons, and others.
For instance, the Muscle Freeze from Mary’s Nutritionals is a gel that will immediately provide soothing relief to muscle aches and inflammation. The activated hemp extract combines with beeswax for deep-penetrating skin action. Unlike with oral products, which pass through the digestive system first, the relief you get from topical is almost instantaneous.
Unfortunately, there have been no extensive studies that will end the debates once and for all. The US Food and Drug Administration plays a significant part in accelerating research. But so far, the FDA only approved one drug to treat epilepsy, and that one is administered orally.
The best thing to do is to buy one and see for yourself if the CBD product is valid or not. You will not lose anything if you try. You probably tried other medications with hardly any results. Besides, these products are not very expensive. What are a few dollars more compared to the promise of relief?
