Topical use for health and well-being

The potential benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) go far beyond its traditional use. This is because the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) has receptors spread throughout the body, and is involved in multiple physiological processes. In the skin, for example, the ECS is related to cell proliferation, growth and differentiation. Balancing the skin prevents diseases such as acne and dermatitis, among others (1).

Although there is still a lot to discover about the importance of ECS in maintaining homeostasis, and therefore skin health, today it is known that cannabidiol (CBD) has local action as a moisturizer (2), antimicrobial – without harming the skin’s natural microbiota (3), anti-inflammatory (4), healing (5), among others.

The skin can also be an interesting alternative for administering CBD for systemic effects, however the chemical profile of cannabinoid molecules presents an important challenge for the development of transdermal products, that is, products that are applied to the skin with the aim of of systemic treatment. ​The main limitation in the development of transdermal formulations using cannabinoids is their high lipophilicity, which causes them to be retained in the skin’s lipid barrier (6). To overcome this problem, permeation promoters and nanostructures can be used, which increases the skin permeation of the active ingredient (7-9)

In addition to the potential uses as a medicine, there are several studies pointing to possibilities for using CBD as a cosmetic product. A recently published article (10) reports a preclinical study (in cells and skin tissue of mice) that indicates the potential photoprotective effects of Cannabidiol. In this study, researchers demonstrated that CBD decreased the production of reactive oxygen species and in the model studied, the topical application of a CBD cream also showed effectiveness against photodamage induced by UVB rays. These results suggest that CBD may have potential benefits in reducing solar radiation-induced skin damage and highlight its modulating effects on homeostasis.

There are still few clinical studies available in the literature that have evaluated the topical use of CBD. Although there is very encouraging data for the different possible roles of cannabis derivatives, the interpretation of the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids is complex.

In Brazil, the lack of regulation of products of this nature hinders scientific, technological and commercial development. Please remember that products containing CBD exclusively for oral and nasal use are currently commercially available in Brazil, and that the updated list of products can be found on the ANVISA website (https://consultas.anvisa.gov. br/#/cannabis/, searching for the term cannabidiol.

References:

1. Bíró T, Tóth BI, Haskó G, Paus R, Pacher P. The endocannabinoid system of the skin in health and disease: novel perspectives and therapeutic opportunities. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2009 Aug;30(8):411-20.

2. Ikarashi N, Shiseki M, Yoshida R, Tabata K, Kimura R, Watanabe T, Kon R, Sakai H, Kamei J. Cannabidiol Application Increases Cutaneous Aquaporin-3 and Exerts a Skin Moisturizing Effect. Pharmaceuticals. 2021;14(9):879.

3. Luz-Veiga M, Amorim M, Pinto-Ribeiro I, Oliveira ALS, Silva S, Pimentel LL, Rodríguez-Alcalá LM, Madureira R, Pintado M, Azevedo-Silva J, et al. Cannabidiol and Cannabigerol Exert Antimicrobial Activity without Compromising Skin Microbiota. Int J Mol Sci 2023;24(3):2389.

4. Wang Y, Wang X, Yang Y, Quan Q, Huo T, Yang S, Ju R, An Q. Comparison of the in vitro Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Cannabidiol to Dexamethasone. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2022;15:1959-1967.

5. Kibret BG, Patel S, Niezgoda J, Guns W, Niezgoda J, Gopalakrishnan S, Baban B, Cubillos P, Villeneuve D, Kumar P. Evidence-based Potential Therapeutic Applications of Cannabinoids in Wound Management. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2022;35(8):447-453.

6. Mahmoudinoodezh H, Telukutla SA-O, Bhangu SK, Bachari AA-O, Cavalieri F, Mantri NA-OX. The Transdermal Delivery of Therapeutic Cannabinoids. Pharmaceutics. 2022;14(2):438.

7. Park C, Zuo J, Somayaji V, Lee BJ, Löbenberg R. Development of a novel cannabinoid-loaded microemulsion towards an improved stability and transdermal delivery. Int J Pharm. 2021;604:120766.

8. Gonzalez-Cuevas G, Martin-Fardon R, Kerr TM, Stouffer DG, Parsons LH, Hammell DC, et al. Unique treatment potential of cannabidiol for the prevention of relapse to drug use: preclinical proof of principle. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018;43(10):2036-45.

9. Lodzki M, Godin B, Rakou L, Mechoulam R, Gallily R, Touitou E. Cannabidiol—transdermal delivery and anti-inflammatory effect in a murine model. J Control Release. 2003;93(3):377-87.

10. Li Y, Hao D, Wei D, Xiao Y, Liu L, Li X, Wang L, Gan Y, Yan W, Ke B, Jiang X. Photoprotective Effects of Cannabidiol against Ultraviolet-B-Induced DNA Damage and Autophagy in Human Keratinocyte Cells and Mouse Skin Tissue. Molecules. 2022 Oct 10;27(19):6740.