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CBD is everywhere these days. From teas to pillows, anything you can buy can be infused. But where is this cannabinoid actually a useful addition, and where is it just a marketing ploy?
There are dozens of beauty brands hopping on the CBD train, adding this cannabinoid to products from face oil to body butter. But what does the second-most abundant cannabinoid bring to the table as an ingredient in body butter?
Why add CBD to body butter?
First and foremost, cannabis-infused body butter (or any other topical products) won’t get you high, although it may be possible if you use excessive amounts or apply to mucous membranes. These products work by activating the endocannabinoid receptors locally in your skin, rather than being absorbed into your circulatory system where they are transported throughout your entire body. Molecules moved throughout your body by way of blood vessels is also referred to as systemic absorption, and CBD body butter has minimal systemic absorption.
Despite this, there are still potential benefits to using CBD body butter, because CBD has several properties that may help keep your skin hydrated and healthy.
- A well functioning endocannabinoid system (also called cannabinoid signaling) is important for skin health, helping you maintain a healthy skin barrier and heal from issues like cuts, scrapes, or popped zits. 1
- A 2020 review of existing research determined that topical CBD may help soothe skin disorders such as dry and itchy skin, eczema, and psoriasis. 2
- CBD has been found to desensitize us to pain by binding to TRPV receptors (aka vanilloid receptors) and reduce our sensitivity to pain. 3
- CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe irritated skin, and can also reduce oil production in skin. 4
- CBD also has antimicrobial properties, which can prevent the growth of unwanted microorganisms in your products. 5
In other words, CBD can help hydrate and soothe your skin, improve your skin barrier, and even potentially help your products last longer on the shelf.
What’s body butter?
Body butters are different from your standard lotions. They’re named such because of the texture; a thick, buttery consistency that can take longer to absorb and keep your skin hydrated longer. Body butters use heavier moisturizing ingredients than lotion, making them perfect for indulging in a spot of luxurious self-care or moisturizing dry and angry skin.
6 CBD-infused body butters for 2022
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250 mg of CBD
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Vegan and cruelty-free
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Made with non-GMO ingredients
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240 mg of CBD
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Short ingredient list, mostly organic
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Hemp grown in Colorado
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500 mg of CBD
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Blend of CBD and hemp oil
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Four kinds of butter
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100 mg of CBD
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Cruelty-free, vegan, and recyclable
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Trusted skincare brand
CBDMD Body Butter
- Anti-inflammatory effects: yes
- Vegan friendly: yes
- Animal testing: no
- Special features: three scents
- Price range (budget/medium/luxury): budget
- Price: $24
If you want body butter from a company that knows CBD, reach for this jar from CBDMD. Crafted with non-GMO ingredients and without parabens or sulfates, this body butter combines the power of CBD, shea butter, and argan oil and comes in three delicious scents. CBDMD products are vegan and cruelty-free so you can feel good about what you’re buying.
NED Hemp Infused Body Butter
- Anti-inflammatory effects: yes
- Vegan friendly: yes
- Animal testing: unknown
- Special features: hemp grown in Colorado
- Price range (budget/medium/luxury): luxury
- Price: $52
NED is a CBD brand striving to set a higher standard of quality in the industry. Not only is this body butter formulated with a short list of easily pronounceable ingredients, you can also find the farm and farmer that grew the hemp you’re using on the product page – what could be more transparent than that? The 240 mg of CBD combined with moisturizing shea butter and jojoba oil meet the relaxing scents of lavender and frankincense for a body butter that helps you find a moment of pause and unplug from the world.
Laguna Herbals Cloud 9 CBD Body Butter
- Anti-inflammatory effects: yes
- Vegan-friendly/animal testing: no
- Special features: uses hemp and CBD oil
- Price range (budget/medium/luxury): medium
- Price: $48
500 mg of CBD packs an anti-inflammatory punch in this body butter from skincare brand Laguna Herbals. Four kinds of butter are whipped together to create a luxurious texture that delivers lasting hydration. This butter uses both CBD oil and hemp seed oil to soothe, repair, and help your skin look its best.
Truly Unicorn CBD Body Butter
- Anti-inflammatory effects: Yes
- Vegan friendly: Yes
- Animal testing: No
- Special features: rainbow colors and whipped consistency
- Price range (budget/medium/luxury): medium
- Price: $35
The body butter that took the internet by storm! This rainbow whipped body butter from skincare brand Truly has a luxuriously thick texture that delivers long-lasting moisture to your skin. It also has 300 mg of CBD and skin-supporting ingredients like jojoba seed oil, coconut oil, and three kinds of butter. Best of all, this body butter is vegan and not tested on animals.
Josie Maran Skin Dope CBD Body Butter
- Anti-inflammatory effects: yes
- Vegan friendly: yes
- Animal testing: no
- Special features: argan oil-based formula
- Price range (budget/medium/luxury): budget
- Price: $29
If you want to try CBD body butter without outsourcing your skincare to an unknown brand, reach for a jar of Skin Dope CBD Body Butter by Josie Maran. 100 mg of CBD meets the nourishing power of argan oil, aloe vera, and two kinds of butter from a skincare brand that’s been around since 2007. This body butter is cruelty-free with no parabens or sulfates and comes in a recyclable container.
YUZU Soap CBD Body Butter
- Anti-inflammatory effects: yes
- Vegan friendly: yes
- Animal testing: unknown
- Special features: three scents
- Price range (budget/medium/luxury): medium
- Price: $30
This plant-based body butter contains no animal ingredients but delivers 100 mg of CBD for a hydrating and soothing sensation. Add in your aromatherapy of choice by choosing between the refreshing scent of lavender sage, the cooling sensation of eucalyptus mint, or the nourishing power of Japanese Yuzu oil.
Bottom line
While CBD is certainly added to more products than it needs to be, research shows it’s a good addition to many skincare products, body butter included.
Topical absorption of CBD is safe and it won’t get you high. It activates the endocannabinoid receptors in your skin without being absorbed into the bloodstream, so you don’t have to worry about unintentionally consuming anything intoxicating.
CBD derived from hemp plants is legal in all 50 states in the US as well as Canada and the United Kingdom.
Sources
- Tóth KF, Ádám D, Bíró T, Oláh A. Cannabinoid Signaling in the Skin: Therapeutic Potential of the “C(ut)annabinoid” System. Molecules. 2019 Mar 6;24(5):918. doi: 10.3390/molecules24050918. PMID: 30845666; PMCID: PMC6429381.
- Baswan SM, Klosner AE, Glynn K, Rajgopal A, Malik K, Yim S, Stern N. Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD) for Skin Health and Disorders. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2020 Dec 8;13:927-942. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S286411. PMID: 33335413; PMCID: PMC7736837.
- Muller C, Morales P, Reggio PH. Cannabinoid Ligands Targeting TRP Channels. Front Mol Neurosci. 2019 Jan 15;11:487. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00487. PMID: 30697147; PMCID: PMC6340993.
- Oláh A, Tóth BI, Borbíró I, Sugawara K, Szöllõsi AG, Czifra G, Pál B, Ambrus L, Kloepper J, Camera E, Ludovici M, Picardo M, Voets T, Zouboulis CC, Paus R, Bíró T. Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and antiinflammatory effects on human sebocytes. J Clin Invest. 2014 Sep;124(9):3713-24. doi: 10.1172/JCI64628. Epub 2014 Jul 25. PMID: 25061872; PMCID: PMC4151231.
- Blaskovich, M.A.T., Kavanagh, A.M., Elliott, A.G. et al. The antimicrobial potential of cannabidiol. Commun Biol 4, 7 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-01530-y
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