So, You Got a Sunburn: How CBD Lotion Could Be the New Aloe Vera

It’s so easy to forget to apply sunscreen or to forget to reapply after getting some much-needed pool time or during endless surf sessions, especially during summer. Hello, sunburn. Typically, you’d rummage around for some aloe vera to soothe that red and irritated skin. Now, there’s a new kid on the block: cannabidiol. Does CBD for sunburn work? Let’s take a look at aloe vera and CBD lotion for sunburn to discover which is the best post-burn remedy for skin!

Understanding Sunburn

Before we get into a little bit of canna-science, let’s review how sunburn works. Sunburn itself is a healing response to too much sun exposure in which inflammatory cells are released to repair the damaged skin. To make the process faster — or simply more comfortable — we apply gels and creams to soothe the burn.

Aloe vera, for example, contains salicylic acid, amino acids, and glycoproteins that, together, work to cool, calm, hydrate, and soothe the skin. Cannabidiol, as we know, is a natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic that has been tested for other inflammatory skin conditions like acne and dermatitis. We’ll look into the studies on CBD and anti-inflammatory skin care below.

What is the evidence that CBD for sunburn could really help?

Topical Anti-Inflammatory Action

A 2019 study provides some interesting insight into the way that CBD for sunburn could work. In this study, a team of researchers from the University of Milan in Italy tested two full-spectrum hemp and cannabidiol-only extracts on inflamed skin cells and monitored the way that inflammatory markers changed. At the conclusion of the study, both extracts reduced markers of inflammation, but the full-spectrum hemp oil had more widespread effects than CBD alone.

Localized Analgesic Action

The second way that CBD for sunburn could help is by soothing the pain that comes with the burn. So far, studies about topical CBD for pain have mostly been done on animals. And the results look good for joint pain that’s associated with inflammation. Seeing that the skin contains high numbers of cannabinoid receptors, we could expect that CBD would help with pain on the surface as much as — if not more than — pain in an underlying joint.

Compared with Aloe Vera…

CBD lotion for sunburn is looking good so far. Now, let’s review the ways that aloe vera helps to heal your skin:

• Reduces Inflammation

  In a similar way to CBD for sunburn, aloe vera reduces inflammation as well as aids in calming down swelling, redness, and pain from the burn.

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  Boosts Collagen

  Aloe vera stimulates collagen production to restore the skin’s firmness and elasticity after UV-exposure damages the skin cells.

• Hydrates the Skin

  Aloe vera helps hold the moisture in your skin with compounds known as mucopolysaccharides to prevent excessive dryness from damaging the skin further. Amino acids compound the hydrating effect by softening up hardened skin cells.

• Prevents Infection

  Aloe vera contains salicylic acid, which is a natural antiseptic that helps prevent infection while the damaged cells are shed and new ones emerge to take their place.

• Neutralizes Free Radicals

  Aloe vera is rich in vitamins A, C, and E, which are natural antioxidants that work to neutralize free radicals and reduce long-term damage to the skin.

Aloe Vera and CBD for Sunburn: The Best of Both Worlds?

By now, you’re probably noticing that CBD for sunburn and aloe vera have quite a few things in common. And anecdotal reports trend towards CBD plus aloe vera being the new hottest (or coolest) partnership for soothing the burn.

Here at EndoCoast, we have developed a special CBD lotion for sunburn that contains several ingredients that are great for your skin:

Combine these skin superfoods and you’ve got a CBD lotion for sunburn that also serves as your daily do-it-all broad-spectrum moisturizer!