Study Shows CBD Could Protect Skin From Sun Damage By Exposing Participants To 3X UV Radiation

Scientists at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences recently discovered that CBD can help protect skin from sun damage.  

"We have some great evidence that, when delivered in a meaningful way, cannabidiol can have an important impact on skin health," Dr. Adam Friedman, professor and chair of dermatology at GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences said.

A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology examined how cannabidiol (CBD) protects the skin from ultraviolet-A radiation (UVA). CBD is a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant. The study concluded CBD can help against mtDNA mutations associated with UVA-induced skin aging.

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Study Highlights

The researchers focused on how CBD has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that could mitigate damage from UVA exposure. UVA radation contributes to photoaging by causing inflammation and oxidative damage, scientists wrote.

To test how effective CBD is in protecting skin from sun damage, researchers asked 19 participants to apply nano-CBD (nCBD) or vehicle (VC) cream to their buttocks twice a day for 14 days. Nano-CBD is CBD processed into very small nanoparticles, typically less than 100 nanometers in size and is used for better bioavailability and absorption.

The participants were then exposed to three times the amount of ultraviolet radiation that normally causes damage. After 24 hours, the volunteers’ buttocks were biopsied for a thorough examination, including histology and immuno-histochemistry.

The analyses showed that 21% of participants had less observed erythema on CBD-treated skin than VC skin. Erythema is redness of the skin caused by increased blood flow in superficial capillaries It occurs with any skin injury, infection or inflammation.

More importantly, the study results also showed that 50% of the people treated with CBD had no DNA damage from the UV exposure, Friedman said, according to Wtop News.

More Research Needed

The small sample size was one of the limitations of the study. Friedman added that further research should be done to reveal how CBD can be used to protect against skin damage caused by the sun. Even though sunscreen is still the best way to protect the skin, Friedman pointed out that there are still areas of the skin that will be damaged. He said he hoped that CBD can help prevent this damage.

"I look at this nano-CBD as the cleanup. … It can help repair and protect our DNA from the harmful effects of UV radiation," he said.

"While this is the most involved study and the largest study of its kind, certainly more research is needed to really find out where CBD delivered in this unique way has a place in managing healthy skin and protecting against the harmful effects of the environment like the sun," Friedman concluded.

In addition to GW's School of Medicine, the study was conducted by the Center for Clinical and Cosmetic Research in Florida.

Similar Research

This research is similar to a recent study that suggested cannabis sativa extracts might help prevent or treat sun damage. Scientists looked at how an extract derived from the leaves of cannabis sativa exhibits the potential to prevent and reverse photoaging (sun damage) by suppressing the overproduction of pro-inflammatory proteins and enzymes connected to collage degradation.

Photoaging happens with prolonged overexposure to the sun, which can cause the skin to age prematurely and, in some cases, lead to skin cancer. According to the World Health Organization, skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the world and in the U.S. Some 90% of non-melanoma skin cancers are linked to exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. These UV rays can burn and damage skin without the feeling of getting warm.

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