By Jeff Gallagher, founder of Made By Hemp. Helping people find real hemp since 2013.
In an earlier post we walked through the endocannabinoid system, the signaling network your body uses to help stay in balance, and noted that it reaches the brain, the nervous system, and the immune system. What that post did not cover is the skin. Your largest organ has an endocannabinoid system of its own, and it is the reason applying a cannabinoid like CBD to the surface of the skin is different from taking it internally.
Applied topically, cannabinoids do not reach the bloodstream. They stay where you put them. That raises a fair question: if it never gets into your system, what is it interacting with? The answer is in the skin itself, so that is where we will start.
The skin: a dynamic organ
It is easy to think of skin as a simple wrapper, but it is an active organ. Alongside acting as a barrier against the outside world, it produces hormones, runs its own immune response, and carries a dense supply of sensory nerves.
It is built in three layers. The outermost is the epidermis, formed from layers of cells called keratinocytes. It is waterproof and shields you from UV radiation, microbes, temperature extremes, allergens, and chemicals.
Beneath it is the dermis, made of collagen and elastin fibers that give skin its strength and stretch. The dermis houses the follicles that grow hair, the sebaceous glands that supply sebum, and the glands that produce sweat. Together these help keep the waterproof barrier intact, regulate body temperature, and produce hormones such as steroids and vitamin D. The skin’s immune cells live here too, and its nerve fibers make the dermis the reason skin is considered the body’s largest sensory organ.
The deepest layer is the subcutis, which holds the fat that acts as a fuel reserve, insulation, and cushion.
The endocannabinoid system in the skin
Researchers have found the endocannabinoid system present throughout the skin. Its role there, as elsewhere in the body, appears to be regulatory: helping keep everyday skin cell functions such as growth, renewal, and immune activity in balance.
Cells in the epidermis, the hair follicles, and the sebaceous glands make their own endocannabinoids, including anandamide and 2-AG. These bind to the two main cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, which sit on nearly every type of skin cell. Because those receptors are so widespread, the endocannabinoids the skin produces are involved across its defense, immune, and sensory roles. This is the body’s own system at work, made from compounds the body itself produces.
How topical CBD is meant to work
Here is the honest version. When you apply CBD to your skin, it interacts with the cannabinoid receptors in the skin rather than passing through into your bloodstream. That is the whole idea behind a topical: it is designed to stay local, at the spot where you rubbed it in. This area is still being studied, and we are not going to tell you it does more than the research supports. What we can say plainly is where it goes and where it does not.
People most often reach for CBD topicals for a specific spot rather than an all-over feeling, which is exactly what a product that stays local is suited to. At Made By Hemp we carry a line of salves, lotions, patches, and facial care built around that idea. Our best seller is the Cooling Muscle Rub.
It comes in a mess-free, push-up container, so it glides straight on with no tin to dig into and nothing on your fingers.
Transdermal CBD products vs topical CBD oil
CBD products for the skin split into two groups, and the difference is worth knowing before you buy.
Transdermal products are formulated to pass through the skin barrier and into the bloodstream. Topical CBD oil is meant to interact with the top layer of the skin, the epidermis, at the receptor points shown below. A topical does not pass through to the bloodstream; it works in the skin where you apply it. If a product is not labeled transdermal, treat it as a topical.
How to use CBD oil on your skin
Application is simple: work it into clean, dry skin over the area you have in mind, and give it a minute to absorb. The Cooling Muscle Rub’s push-up container makes that about as low-effort as it gets. As with anything you put on your skin, start small the first time so you know how your skin responds.
If you are still deciding what to buy in the first place, our CBD buyer’s guide covers how to read a label, what full spectrum means, and how to find a serving size that fits you.
Questions about CBD topicals?
Made By Hemp has been helping people find real hemp since 2013. If this article did not answer your question, our West Michigan team is happy to talk it through. Call (844) 887-4367 or email support@madebyhemp.com.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
