Honey is a powerful face cleanser. When combined with anti-inflammatory CBD oil and cinnamon, this mask can help reduce blemishes and redness.
In this three-part CBD skincare series, Brooklyn-based author Leah Vanderveldt shares how cannabidiol — the non-impairing, anti-inflammatory cannabis compound — can be used to elevate your skincare game during this anxiety-inducing holiday season.
Vanderveldt is a food writer and recipe developer who began her career at Condé Nast, working at titles like VOGUE and Vanity Fair. The following is an excerpt from her latest book, The CBD Kitchen: Over 50 Plant-Based Recipes for Tonics, Easy Meals, Treats & Skincare Made with the Goodness Extracted from Hemp (Ryland Peters & Small).
‘What to look for when buying CBD’
Note the concentration of CBD and the recommended dosage. A lot of brands sell different levels of potency in their range of tinctures, and all tinctures vary in their concentration levels. Buy the lowest potency available to start with and build up from there. If a bottle doesn’t have the amount of CBD listed on its label, chances are it’s low quality and contains very small.
- Go for “full spectrum” or “whole food” CBD hemp oil. These terms mean that all the different parts of the plant have been used (leaves, flowers and stem). These contain beneficial terpenes, flavonoids and a variety of phytocannabinoids, in addition to CBD.
- Look for “organically grown” and “non-GMO”. There’s no widespread regulation for this yet, so it’s difficult to get an official certification, but take note of the omission of growing practices when looking for an oil and go with a brand that’s explicit about how its product is grown.
- Opt for products that are open about where their plants are grown, and make sure that growing hemp is legal in that place. There are a lot of good brands coming out of Colorado and California, where both hemp and marijuana are legalized and regulated. If they can’t tell you where the farms are, you probably don’t want it.
- Look for “third party tested”. Any brand that will happily provide consumers with lab results of the chemical breakdown of its product is the way to go. Transparency is key in this unregulated market.
Brands I recommend: Charlotte’s Web, RITUAL, CW Hemp, Humboldt Apothecary, Lily CBD, Soul Addict, Mineral Health Robyn and Rosebud. But this isn’t an exhaustive list and there are new brands popping up all the time. Do your own research and find a product that you trust.
CBD Anti-inflammatory Face Mask
Honey is a powerful yet gentle face cleanser because it’s both antimicrobial and moisturizing. When combined with anti-inflammatory CBD oil and cinnamon (which also acts as a mild exfoliant), this mask can help reduce blemishes and redness in a gentle way, leaving your skin softer, less inflamed and more even in tone.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon manuka honey
- ¼ teaspoon CBD oil
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Makes 1 mask
Directions
In a small bowl, mix the three ingredients together.
How to use
Apply to a clean face in a thin layer (avoiding contact with the eyes) and leave on the skin for at least 15 minutes or up to one hour. Rinse the mask off with warm water and moisturize as normal.
