17 Things You Need to Know About CBD Skincare & Aurora Ampoule
By this time, you've probably heard the buzz about CBD (cannabidiol) and all the excellent benefits it brings with it. Traditionally CBD is taken internally to help with things like inflammation and anxiety, but it's a relatively new buzzword in the world of beauty. We wanted to take an ingredient with such good properties in your body and put it on your body. We are proud to introduce our newest *Limited Edition* product, Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule, brimming with CBD, of course! We’ve anticipated all of the great questions this new skincare gem will get, and put them into a convenient FAQ format so that you can become the go-to CBD whiz among your friends and family!
What is CBD?
Cannabis, aka marijuana, contains a variety of compounds specific to the Cannabis plant. These include THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is most famous for producing a high, and CBD (cannabidiol), and many other compounds.
In the beauty industry, most beauty products that contain a cannabinoid will feature CBD as the star ingredient.
CBD and marijuana both come from the Cannabis sativa plant. CBD is the essential component of medical marijuana that is extracted from it, and the psychoactive compound THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is significantly reduced or even entirely removed from different grades of CBD oil. The CBD isolate we use in our Aurora CBD Ampoule has no THC.
What are the different types of CBD?
CBD isolate is pure CBD with no other cannabinoids, nor flavonoids or terpenes that are also naturally occuring.
Full spectrum is CBD plus all other cannabinoids naturally found in the cannabis plant, from THC to other cannabinoids such as CBG (cannabigerol). Note that trace amounts of THC will be detected, but must fall below 0.3% to not be categorized as active.
Broad spectrum is CBD where no THC is detectable and contains multiple other cannabinoids.
What type of CBD is in Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule?
Our Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule contains non-GMO CBD isolate, which means that it has no trace amounts of THC and is the purest form of CBD. It’s actually extracted as a powder!
There are many options of CBD out there, including CBD isolate, full-spectrum, or broad-spectrum, but we wanted to make sure we chose the absolute purest and most recommended kind for sensitive skin for our Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule, which is why we carefully chose CBD isolate. We also wanted to ensure our product contained so many skin-loving properties, without the THC and the legal red-tape it brings with it.
How much CBD is in the Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule?
Each bottle of our Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule contains at least 270mg (per 1 ounce), which is nearly 3x higher than the industry standard. We chose this amount based on expert opinions as to what a necessary dosage of CBD is for seeing and feeling tangible results. P.S. If you tested it yourself, you may even find that it actually contains closer to 300mg; we just like to over-deliver rather than over-promise. ;)
How do you source your CBD Isolate?
After carefully researching the CBD supplier, we selected Mile High Labs in Colorado to supply our CBD isolate. We chose a company that exclusively produces CBD, without any THC, without pesticides, without GMOs, and who deeply values sustainability. Their CBD is rigorously tested, and although more expensive, they have an excellent, renowned reputation and industry-leading processes and testing methods.
What is the difference between CBD and Hemp?
While many people often think hemp and the marijuana plant are the same, they're closely related but far different. While they may look and even smell the same, the key difference is the amount of THC present. Less than 0.3% of THC present— and it's a hemp plant; greater than 0.3%— and it's a marijuana plant.
Hemp oil and CBD oil are very different products but can be used synergistically. How they are derived is what makes the difference. CBD uses the stalks, leaves, and flowers of the hemp plant in its production and is extracted as a powder, only later to be infused with a carrier oil that officially makes it ‘CBD oil’. Meanwhile, hemp oil comes from the seeds. When it is derived this way, it contains a higher concentration of CBD— the key compound with numerous potential health and skin benefits.
Both our Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule and Aurora Superfood Luminance Ampoule contain hemp seed oil. But just our Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule is blessed with the benefits of both hemp seed and CBD.
What is THC?
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces the "high" sensation. It can be consumed by smoking cannabis or utilized in oils, edibles, tinctures, capsules, and more. We’re going to emphasize here again that the CBD we use in Aurora CBD Ampoule has no THC, so you don’t have to worry about that.
When choosing a CBD product, does quality make a difference?
It does! Just like how the quality of clothing you buy or the quality of food you eat makes a difference, so does the quality of CBD oil. That's why we have sourced the most premium and highly sought-after CBD oil for our Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule.
When shopping for skincare that contains CBD, you want to make sure you're selecting high quality and pure product. Here are our tips to help you sort out the finest CBD skincare products:
- Make sure that the CBD oil is referred to as "cannabidiol" on the ingredients list. If a product says "CBD" or just "CBD Oil", there's a lot of a grey area in how the ingredient terminology is marketed and regulated. And avoid products that use phrasing like "CBD-enriched" because it’s likely that it doesn’t contain cannabidiol at all. It’s a good idea to check with the company if you don’t see the FDA-regulated name, cannabidiol (this regulated labeling is called the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients— or INCI).
- Make sure that the product identifies how much CBD is in the product.
- If not listed on the company's website, ask the company for information on their CBD source. Knowing this allows you to research the quality of the CBD in the product itself (its sourcing, testing, etc.)
- Some products will label their CBD ingredient as "full-spectrum", "broad-spectrum", or "CBD isolate". While these phrases still aren't fully regulated, it helps you as a consumer to understand what type of CBD is used.
- Whether it contains CBD or not, you want to look for company-wide transparency when shopping for skincare. If a company doesn't disclose details about its products or ingredient sources, they may have something to hide—usually quality (just sayin’!).
What are the benefits of CBD in skincare?
CBD has been used for a very long time internally to help relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression, or inflammatory diseases, but CBD in skincare is relatively new to the beauty industry.
As more and more research is coming to light about CBD's many benefits, compelling research is beginning to prove the fantastic benefits it contains in skincare.
CBD is non-toxic and non-intoxicating and contains all known amino acids and is rich in essential fatty acids, such as Omega 3 and 6. These fatty acids help reduce inflammation and mitigate skin damage from UV light and the sun, making CBD especially useful for very sensitive, reactive, mature, and acne-prone skin types.
CBD can even be considered as an antioxidant. Some studies show it to be more potent than vitamins A, C, or E, which are some of the most essential and beneficial vitamins to help your skin age well by combatting free-radical damage. All of these benefits make CBD a superfood for your skin!
Another great benefit of using CBD in skincare is that it contains gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA). GLA is very beneficial for the skin by helping to reduce the severity and symptoms of many skin conditions, including eczema, acne, psoriasis, among many others.
Research on topical CBD applications shows that it can even encourage collagen production. Collagen plays a vital role in skin health and appearance by reducing fine lines and wrinkles, helping your skin age well and gracefully. Collagen helps your body create firm-looking skin and muscles, allowing a youthful, contoured, and radiant glow to shine through.
Another topical benefit of CBD is that it has a soothing effect on muscles, making it a great post-workout go-to for applying to your body not— just your face!
How does CBD impact different skin types?
As mentioned above, skincare containing CBD can be beneficial for many skin types, including (but not limited to): sensitive, reactive, mature, and acne-prone skin.
Sensitive Skin: Sensitive skin is in constant need of soothing and TLC. CBD has a very soothing effect on the skin and has shown even to help normalize sebum production.
Reactive Skin: Like sensitive skin, reactive skin is a skin type that can react quickly to many triggers that could include ingredients, treatments, environmental factors, and even food. CBD helps combat reactive skin because it is non-toxic and fares well when applied topically to reactive skin.
Mature Skin: Since CBD is anti-inflammatory, removing inflammation from mature skin can significantly reduce fine lines and wrinkles' appearance. But furthermore, CBD helps your skin combat free-radical damage and mitigates damage from the sun or artificial UV light.
Acne-Prone Skin: Acne is an inflammatory skin condition, so any product you put on your skin that helps reduce the inflammatory response is going to help soothe and reduce acne severity.
What is the difference between Aurora Superfood Luminance Ampoule and Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule?
The key difference between our new Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule and the original Aurora Superfood Luminance Ampoule is CBD. Both products contain hemp oil, but our Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule contains 270mg of the purest CBD isolate.
Basically it takes Aurora to a whole new level of soothing, calming, and rejuvenating skin (check out all those aforementioned benefits!). Fans of the original Aurora Superfood Luminance Ampoule don’t have to worry because she’s not going anywhere, but for a high-level dose of relief for whatever has your skin stressed, Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule is your new BFF. It basically makes her formula even more intuitive to the needs incurred by specific changes and stressors that your specific skin is experiencing.
What is the best way to use Aurora CBD Ampoule?
For a hyper-concentrated treatment: Apply two or more drops to your skin after cleansing and toning, as needed. If using another treatment and/or moisturizer, massage Aurora until absorbed.
For a daily skincare cocktail: Add two or more drops of Aurora to any Earth Harbor treatment or moisturizer both morning and night.
Customize: Aurora is as versatile as she is safely potent, so feel free to use her any way that best fits your skincare ritual preferences, even as a facial oil that you apply as the last step in your skincare ritual.
Store at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.
Note: We don’t list the recommended total cannabidiol content per use, because everyone has individualized skin that requires different usage; trust that you will find the sweet spot for your skin! There is also currently no consensus for the amount of CBD that skin needs per application. What little is known is that your skin has unique receptors for CBD that cut off signals telling your skin to freak out when connected with cannabidiol!
How is having CBD in beauty products legal?
As the cannabis industry evolves, more and more states are legalizing cannabis use both recreationally and medicinally. Using CBD isolate in skincare products versus full or broad-spectrum CBD allows the product to remain legal at every states’-level because CBD isolate is the only type of CBD legal at the federal level. There's plenty of red tape and obstacles when introducing and legalizing a full or broad-spectrum CBD oil in a product and by utilizing CBD isolate, we are able to give you all the skin-loving benefits this oil has to offer without worrying about the legalities.
Although CBD isolate is legal at a federal level in the United States, there are still varying laws in other countries, which means at this time, we cannot ship Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule internationally.
Can I get high from CBD?
Using our new Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule may make you feel on top of the world, but that's the only high you'll get from her. That's the other advantage of choosing CBD isolate. THC's level in CBD isolate is non-existent, and thus is well below the THC's regulatory trace amounts allowed in full and broad-spectrum CBD, so it will never be intoxicating nor impact an employer drug screening in any way.
We found the lab's testing and methods to source our CBD to be top-notch to other companies we compared. They are leaders in the industry, ensuring that our products will remain consistent and pure batch to batch.
Can I use a CBD skincare product if I am pregnant or nursing?
CBD isolate causes almost no side effects, and it is an all natural and purely sourced ingredient. However, we always encourage our pregnant or breastfeeding mommies (or anyone with questions) to check with their health care provider first.
Is Aurora CBD Ampoule FDA approved?
Aurora CBD Ampoule has not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means claims cannot be made on whether CBD can treat or cure any disease or health condition. If you have any concerns or questions about CBD, you should direct them toward your healthcare provider. All of our products, including CBD containing products, are for topical use and are not intended for internal use.
What about the stigma associated with CBD?
Only until recently were we able to produce CBD, let alone for skincare legally. As many benefits that CBD brings with it, even more so come when it is in skincare. We believe that CBD in skin care can help many people. Our goal is to reduce the stigma around it by empowering our customers by educating them on CBD's benefits in skincare and making the highest quality products accessible.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that CBD in skincare products has the potential to help your skin radiate with happiness. We wanted to take an already fantastic product and amp it up a notch (or two) to take your skincare ritual to the next level. Aurora CBD Luminance Ampoule is very special to Earth Harbor’s founder, Ali, who initially created it for her brothers that have special needs including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism along with their skin conditions that included severe acne, eczema, and psoriasis. We’re excited to be a part of the movement that is banishing the stigma behind CBD. This isn’t just a trend; we believe it is here to stay, and look forward to all the new research developments supporting the many benefits of CBD!
Written by:
Kurt Stradtman, FDN-P, AADP
Stradtman Family Wellness
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6429381/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31178109/
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-hemp
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4151231/
*Edited to include links and to note here that Aurora CBD Ampoule is currently unavailable through our website. Stay tuned for when we bring her back here. ;)
Comments on this post (1)
Thank you so much for the clarification on CDB. Very informative.
— Donna