Eczema and Cannabis Topicals: What Science Tells Us about Cannabis and Skin Problems
More than 30 million people in the United States suffer from eczema, a dermal condition characterized by an array of uncomfortable symptoms: dry, scaly skin; itching; inflammation; redness; and sometimes blisters.
There are more than a half-dozen types of eczema, including atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis; the common thread is the body’s immune system going into overdrive when exposed to an allergen or irritant inside or outside the body. Treatments range from hot showers to prescription steroid creams, or in more extreme cases systemic medications and phototherapy (UVB light therapy).
There’s another skin-soothing option for those suffering from eczema: slathering on some cannabis, in the form of topicals—infused lotions, salves and balms applied directly to targeted areas of the body.
The chemical compounds, or cannabinoids, found in the marijuana plant have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anti-itch properties that could prove highly useful in treating eczema—without getting the patient high.
The skin receptors that are part of the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) interact with the compounds in cannabis to help reduce eczema symptoms such as inflammation and itchiness.
At the University of Colorado School of Medicine, researchers have found that cannabidiol (CBD) can be particularly useful in treating eczema symptoms and may even replace other commonly used steroids. “There’s a large segment of the population that doesn’t like using steroids, even if they are topical steroids on their skin,” said leading researcher Dr. Robert Dellavalle. “CBD could be an alternative, natural product for them to try.”
For those who have tried steroid treatments to no avail, CBD therapy might even work better for them, he says.
A 2017 report from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, in which Dr. Dellavalle is a co-author, points to a number of studies identifying the relationship between cannabinoids and the immune system through receptor-mediated and receptor-independent pathways. Cannabinoids have a “most promising role” in the treatment of itch, the report says.
A separate 2017 study from the American Contact Dermatitis Society takes a closer look at the impact of cannabinoids in helping skin conditions. “Disruption of ECS homeostasis is implicated in the pathogenesis of several prevalent skin conditions. We highlight the role of endocannabinoids in maintaining skin health and homeostasis and discuss evidence on the role of ECS in several eczematous dermatoses, including atopic dermatitis, asteatotic eczema, irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis and chronic pruritus.”
The ability of cannabis to restore balance to the ECS—which plays a role in maintaining healthy skin, the body’s largest organ—positions it as a vital alternative medicine not only to treat the symptoms of dermatological conditions such as eczema, but to tackle the pathology of the disease at its origin.
While scientific understanding of the ECS continues to develop, people with eczema can try cannabis topicals for themselves in the quest for relief—and you can learn more here about the soothing cannabis topicals from Mary Jane’s Medicinals.