Best Cannabis for Skin, Hair, and Nails
It should come as little surprise that the healthcare industry is awakening to the benefits of cannabis products for improving health and repairing skin, hair, and nails. After all, around 2,000 years ago the earliest known Chinese pharmacopoeia recommended cannabis for treating a wide range of ailments such as psoriasis, acne, and nail fungus.
The increasing use of cannabis in skin and health care products has occurred primarily through the combination of two factors. First, wide-spread legalization of the plant for medical and recreational use allowed researchers to begin investigating and proving the anecdotal evidence of cannabis’s therapeutic benefits. Second, the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the last decades of the last century revealed its impact for regulating physiological processes throughout the human body, including conditions in skin, our largest organ, as well as hair follicles and cuticles.
The ECS helps control inflammation throughout the body and encourages tissue repair in the skin and nails while protecting them against oxidative stress and UV damage. Cannabis, primarily through cannabinoids like THC and CBD, interact with specific ECS receptors to modulate skin-related functions.
CBD, in particular, is used in many healthcare products that treat the skin and found in skin lotions, shampoos, and nail polishes. It does not produce a psychoactive high and thus is more widely accepted legally throughout the US and Canada and included as an ingredient in these products. CBD has been shown to help control the production of sebum, which is a major cause of acne and oily hair, and CBD produces antioxidants that moisturize and battle the free radical molecules that contribute to premature aging. CBD has anti-inflammatory elements that can alleviate the itchiness, redness, and irritation caused by eczema and psoriasis, and early research suggests it can eliminate onychomycosis, more commonly known as nail fungus.
The Role of Terpenes in Cannabis Skin, Hair, and Nail Care
Terpenes are compounds and oils found in the trichomes of cannabis plants and responsible in part for the therapeutic and psychoactive effects of the flower. With their anti-inflammatory properties and antibacterial proficiencies, terpenes provide promising health and beauty benefits. Interestingly, while terpenes have always been valued for the aromatic scents that they create in plants such as lavender, research is revealing that they also enhance the therapeutic properties of other plants and the ability of cannabis skin care products to penetrate the skin. Five terpenes have been associated with improving skin care.
Limonene
Also common in citrus plants, this terpene has antioxidant potencies that prevent premature aging of skin and skin damage. It has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce skin redness and swelling common with eczema and contribute to a healthier scalp. It’s found in CBD products developed for cleansing and refreshing skin in cleansers, balms and lotions.
Beta-Caryophyllene
This terpene offers multiple benefits for improving skin health and promoting skin repair. It protects the skin from free radical damage that leads to premature aging of skin cells and interacts with CB2 receptors in the ECS to reduce inflammation and redness to treat conditions such as eczema and rosacea. This terpene has shown promise for stimulating hair growth in studies with mice as subjects.
Linalool
With calming and antimicrobial properties, this terpene attacks bacteria that creates acne and other skin eruptions. It helps keep skin hydrated and protected against the antioxidants that damage skin, hair, and nails. Linalool also aids in the absorption of skin care products to help them penetrate through skin layers to treat skin disorders.
Myrcene
The most common terpene found in cannabis, myrcene has properties that act as potent antioxidants to protect skin and decrease inflammation associated with psoriasis and eczema. It helps the skin retain moisture and prevents dryness. It’s been shown to enhance skin repair and keep skin looking youthful and healthy.
Bisabolol
This terpene reduces redness, itchiness, and inflammation in the skin and has shown promise regulating the production of sebum, which helps contain acne outbreaks. It has soothing properties for irritated skin and acts to enhance the effectiveness of treatments to penetrate and heal the skin.
The 3 Best Cannabis Strains for Healthy Skin
While more research is needed, here are three cannabis strains that are making a difference in skin treatment.
Mango Kush
Also common in citrus plants, this terpene has antioxidant potencies that prevent premature aging of skin and skin damage. It has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce skin redness and swelling common with eczema and contribute to a healthier scalp. It’s found in CBD products developed for cleansing and refreshing skin in cleansers, balms and lotions.
Pennywise
This terpene offers multiple benefits for improving skin health and promoting skin repair. It protects the skin from free radical damage that leads to premature aging of skin cells and interacts with CB2 receptors in the ECS to reduce inflammation and redness to treat conditions such as eczema and rosacea. This terpene has shown promise for stimulating hair growth in studies with mice as subjects.
Sour Tsunami
With calming and antimicrobial properties, this terpene attacks bacteria that creates acne and other skin eruptions. It helps keep skin hydrated and protected against the antioxidants that damage skin, hair, and nails. Linalool also aids in the absorption of skin care products to help them penetrate through skin layers to treat skin disorders.
The 3 Best Cannabis Strains for Healthy Hair
As even more is learned about the potential of cannabis strains to promote hair growth and repair damaged hair, growers will continue to cultivate potent cannabis strains for hair health. These three show promise:
Harlequin
With terpenes that include myrcene, limonene, beta-caryophyllene, and pinene, which displays anti-inflammatory properties, and a high CBD content, harlequin enhances blood circulation to the scalp to potentially promote hair growth. The terpenes in harlequin work in synergy to enhance the individual effects of each and enhance the overall benefits of this cannabis strain.
Ringo’s Gift
Named for renowned cannabis activist and breeder Lawrence Ringo, Ringo’s Gift is a premier cannabis strain that offers a wide range of therapeutic benefits, including potent anti-inflammatory effects. It is valued for terpene composition that can protect the skin from oxidative stress and shows early promise to help prevent hair loss.
Critical mass
This indica-dominant hybrid strain has CBD levels between 5% and 22% and THC content up to 22%. It is reported to be effective in preventing hair loss and playing a key role in working with ECS receptors to regulate hair follicle growth and prevent premature regression of hair follicles.
The 3 Best Cannabis Strains for Healthy Nails
Based on the active compounds in cannabis strains that contribute to improved nail health, these three strains are gaining attention:
ACDC
ACDC is high in CBD, giving it potency for reducing pain, swelling, and skin irritation with little or no psychoactive effect. It calms eruptions from skin allergies and helps moisturize the skin. This strain has shown promise for soothing inflammation around nail cuticles and combating fungal infections.
Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web has potent anti-inflammatory properties that also keep the skin moisturized and nourished. It also shows potential to provide antioxidant support and promote healthy nail growth. This cannabis strain combines beneficial terpenes with full-spectrum hemp extract that together fight nail fungus.
Cannatonic
Cannatonic has high levels of CBD and contains myrcene, limonene, linalool, and beta-caryophyllene terpenes which gives this stain tremendous potential for treating and healing nails damaged by fungus and dryness. It shows promise for penetrating deeply into nail layers to promote healthy nails.
The Best Cannabis Products for Skin, Hair and Nail Care
So far, research has shown that treating skin conditions orally is only effective at high doses, which can lead to considerable adverse effects. Therefore, the most effective methods to alleviate soreness, treat inflammation and itchiness, penetrate skin and nail layers, and repair hair follicles with cannabis are delivered through topical cannabis products that include oils, lotions, balms, and creams. These include products available at a Planet 13 cannabis dispensary near you such as Nordic Goddess Body Balm and THC Cooling Balm, EGO Olive Oil Tincture, and Avexia Bath Salts.
