Board-certified Doctor Julius Few MD has enjoyed a 23-year career in the plastic surgery industry and now, he is turning his attention to the CBD industry. Why? Because when combined with retinol, CBD may provide ample skincare benefits.

On a global scale, the CBD market is estimated to top USD$47.22 billion by 2028, according to a report by Vantage Market Research. To-date, the number of studies that have been carried out into CBD is in the low hundreds, but more are expected to take place as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) eases its restrictive stance on cannabis research.

An existing clinical trial into CBD’s skincare-enhancing potential was led by Dr. Few, who was intent on finding out whether or not the cannabinoid’s anti-inflammatory properties can help to relieve the irritation caused by retinol, all the while amplifying retinol’s capabilities.

CBD and retinol for skincare: About the study

In order to find out if CBD really is a good addition to people’s skincare regimen, Dr. Few first had to get his hands on a water-soluble CBD concentrate. 

Once he ticked this off the list, he was in the prime position to get the ball rolling on his research efforts. To ensure a broad understanding of CBD and retinol for skincare, Dr. Few assessed adults aged 18-65. 

Two groups partook in the study – an “experimental” group and a “controlled” group. The experimenters used a topical mixture of water-soluble CBD and retinol, whereas the controlled individuals sought to treat their skin only with retinol.

So astonishing were the study results that Dr. Few and his team managed to get them published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 

“What we found is that the results went even further than my hypothesis,” Dr. Few explains. 

He went on to say that, aside from working with no irritation, CBD and retinol for skincare also resulted in “decreased inflammation in the skin.”

Combining CBD and retinol for skincare offers ample benefits

Although CBD has been shown to provide anti-inflammatory effects when used alone, its combined use with retinol appears to have an even more powerful effect on skin conditions like acne and rosacea. 

“Participants with acne, both male and female, saw results,” Dr. Few noted in his findings. “I had someone with a pretty significant maskne, especially around her menstrual cycle, and after two weeks of use, it was gone. Not just reduced, gone. Even patients with rosacea, who often struggle with retinol because it can make rosacea symptoms worse, they saw skin improvement with the combination of CBD and retinol.”

Dr. Few concluded by saying that the use of water-soluble CBD in skincare treatment allows for retinol to be used in higher concentrations – a particularly appealing notion for people who rely on retinol to restore a youthful appearance and/or treat sun-damaged skin.