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14 best CBD skincare products to have on your radar, from face creams to serums and balms

Harness the healing and anti-inflammatory benefits of these CBD-infused formulas

Ruby Deevoy
Thursday 11 May 2023 09:58 BST
Ease problem areas such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and either oily or dry skin
Ease problem areas such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and either oily or dry skin (iStock/The Independent)
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According to the British Skin Foundation, around 60 per cent of people in the UK currently have or have had a skin condition, and 70 per cent of those say this affects their confidence.

While most skin conditions, from acne to eczema, are usually best treated from within, having skincare to help heal, soothe and strengthen along the way can also be beneficial. And, even without a skin condition, a little self care never goes amiss.

CBD skincare is something we’ve seen saturating the beauty market for a few years now and, although not all are made equal, studies have shown that the CBD molecule (and other components in whole hemp plants, such as hemp seed oil) can have a dramatic impact on the health and appearance of your skin.

Preliminary research suggests that topical use of CBD may hold potential for treating acne, and atopic dermatitis, keratin diseases, eczema and more. This is supposedly achieved through the normalising of excessive sebum production, assisting with the turn-over of new skin cells and reducing the effects of free-radical damage.

CBD is also well-documented as having potent anti-inflammatory properties, which is good news for inflamed skin or painful spots. With prolonged use, studies have shown the effects go deeper: working with cells throughout all layers of the skin to regulate sebum production, reduce inflammation and produce anti-oxidant effects.

How we tested

Over the course of a year, we’ve tested hundreds of CBD skincare products on a wide range of skin types. Testers, both men and women, ranged in ages from 18 to 65 and had varying skincare conditions and needs including acne, eczema, psoriasis, ageing, dryness, oily skin and breakouts. Products were rated for consistency, absorbability, scent, packaging, ingredients, price and most importantly, results.

The best CBD skincare products for 2023 are:

BNatural face oil

best cbd skincare products
  • Best: For acne
  • CBD content: 100mg
  • Size: 30ml

This oil has won awards and we can see why. The delicate geranium rose scent makes this a joy from the moment you open the bottle, and testers loved the way it glided on and absorbed into the skin almost like a serum. Many oils we tried left an oily residue on the skin, but this one absorbed well and fast, making it a beautiful addition to a skincare routine, even in the morning before applying makeup. Testers with acne found this one really helped to clear up and rebalance their skin, too.

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Honey Heaven multivitamin age defying recovery serum

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: Face serum
  • CBD content: 500mg
  • Size: 50ml

This product, while considerably cheaper than others, delivers exactly the same level of results, making it a total steal! The formula is lightweight and not at all greasy, allowing it to absorb straight into the skin moments after applying, leaving your face ready to layer on follow-up products, such as the brand’s moisturiser (£25, Honeyheaven.co.uk) which really impressed our testers too. Age-defying ingredients include beauty favourites hyaluronic acid, moringa and rose hip oil, as well as full spectrum CBD and hemp seed oil to deliver all the skin benefits of the hemp plant.

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Vive intensive anti-blemish treatment

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: For breakouts
  • CBD content: 300mg
  • Size: 50ml

You know those spots that just won’t go? Well, get ready for those to become a thing of the past. This potent treatment cream was put to the test on a number of painful, acne blemishes that were sore, swollen, red and would not budge – and they reduced dramatically overnight. An absolute must-have product for anyone with spot-prone skin, particularly as it’s also perfume free making it safe for sensitive skin.

The only downside to this product is the price, which is certainly high for a 30ml supply. But the brand often has great deals on so we’d recommend keeping an eye out for those!

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Dreem Distillery moonlit mask

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: For hydration
  • CBD content: 300mg
  • Size: 50ml

Want skin that really glows? Then this overnight mask is the product for you. The plumping, illuminating combo of broad spectrum CBD, bakuchiol oil, willow bark extract, hyaluronic acid and kaolin works fast to enliven the skin overnight. Our testers loved using this as instructed, but also as a day cream for those with very dry skin. Unlike other overnight treatments this one does absorb pretty quickly, which makes it more versatile. Definitely on the pricey side, but you do get what you pay for, testers reported dewy, radiant skin the first day after using this, and reduced fine lines after prolonged use.

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Ardoa Market teal 22 recovery cream

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: For pain relief
  • Size: 50ml

This amazing product was loved by testers with dry skin conditions, and even more so by those with arthritis. As well as soothing and healing the skin externally, with amazing results on eczema and psoriasis, this also helped to dramatically reduce arthritis pain in finger joints when used as a hand cream.

Although not the most glamorous packaging, this one really stood out when it came to results both as a body cream and for pain relief. Parfum is used in this one and it’s on masculine side, but it’s a fairly gentle fragrance. A blend of 18 nourishing botanicals makes this a real powerhouse product, designed to boost blood circulation, reduce inflammation and repair the skin.

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BioBloom soothing organic CBD ointment aua power

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: Ingredients
  • CBD content: 600mg
  • Size: 30ml

With an ingredients list like this, it’s no wonder that this balm (and other products too!) yielded such great results. Boasting unusual, powerful botanicals such as devils claw, St John’s wort and comfrey and hemp root, there are many actives in this balm besides full spectrum CBD. Testers found that it worked in many ways, soothing and relaxing sore areas of the body as well as nourishing and healing the skin. Testers also loved that this product is organic and free from mineral and silicone oils, PEG derivatives, plasticizers (phthalates), microplastics and nanoparticles, too.

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Healing Alternatives CBD & dandelion cleansing milk

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: For sensitive skin
  • CBD content: 200mg
  • Size: 250ml

If you’ve got dry or sensitive skin, the last thing you want to do is strip it bare when you wash your face. Harsh soaps and foaming cleansers can be problematic, but this exceptionally gentle cleansing milk leaves your skin clean and clarified without that squeaky, stripped feeling. This product was transformative for two testers who struggled with quite severe acne, revealing clearer, calmer skin after switching their harsh washing routine to this skin-kind alternative.

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Lady A massage oil

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: Body oil
  • CBD content: 1000mg
  • Size: 100ml

Our testers found this oil to be luxurious and effective as a body oil, bath oil and as a therapeutic massage oil. Everyone loved the delicate lavender fragrance, especially when applied as part of a bedtime routine. And the hefty 1,000mg CBD helped to ease muscle aches and pains too. Unlike other oils which have a tendency to sit on the skin, this one absorbed beautifully leaving us feeling deeply moisturised.

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Biogenics rebalancing day cream

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: Moisturiser
  • CBD content: 1,000mg
  • Size: 50ml

If you’re looking for a rich, balancing moisturiser that suits all skin types, this gorgeous cream, boosted with botanicals, should be on your shopping list. Our testers found that makeup glided on a little easier the day after use, and over time fine lines and dry patches were reduced. While this is a gentle fragranced with essential oils, our testers welcomed the lack of strong, synthetic perfume found in so many facial moisturisers, which can be very irritating to the skin.

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Ascend neck and decolleté ceramide cream

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: Anti-ageing CBD cream
  • CBD content: 200mg
  • Size: 60ml

If you’re looking for something to target neck lines and sagging skin, reach for this cream. Testers were impressed with the whole range of skincare from this brand, with its night serum (£35, Ascendskincare.co.uk) in particular working overnight miracles on acne so it was hard to pick just one product. But this one really stood out.

This 100 per cent plant based cream was a joy to apply, with skin on the neck and décolleté feeling deeply hydrated, and all of our testers noticed lifting and firming over the course of a month. Neck lines were visibly reduced and the skin overall appeared more youthful.

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Herbotany sumptuous CBD salve

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: Multi-tasking balm
  • CBD content: 1200mg
  • Size: 60ml

This 1,200mg CBD balm was found to be best suited to joint and muscle pain, partly thanks to the proprietary blend of cooling essential oils (which do have quite a strong wintergreen scent). But one tester found this balm also helped enormously with healing very sunburned, peeling skin on their face, which with the help of this product was instantly relieved and went on to recover quickly. Loving how multi-tasking this balm was, our testers were also fans of Herbotany’s other products.

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Naturecan eczema cream

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: For eczema
  • CBD content: 100mg
  • Size: 50ml

The intelligent blend of anti-inflammatory, wound healing CBD and mineral-rich natural emollient oatmeal makes this a bit of a god-send for eczema sufferers. The cream itself is very thick and a little goes a long way, but what our testers found remarkable is how quickly the product absorbed, leaving no sticky residue despite its intense coverage. Sore, itchy spots of eczema were instantly soothed on application of this product, and testers also noticed that their condition flare ups healed much faster than usual.

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Oto rejuvenating CBD eye cream

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: Eye cream
  • CBD content: 375mg
  • Size: 15ml

Like our testers, you too can say goodbye to puffy eyes with this rejuvenating eye cream. We loved how this silky eye cream glided on with ease and felt immediately cooling and soothing for tired eyes. After a couple of weeks of use, our testers noticed that puffiness and fine lines under and around the eyes were reduced, which was particularly impressive for the sleep-deprived mums in the group. We also found this to be a great product to apply in the mornings around half an hour before applying makeup, for crease-free under-eye concealer. Even those with the most sensitive skin and eyes found this product to be non-irritating.

  1.  £39 from Otocbd.com
Prices may vary
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Dr Watson CBD arnica balm

best cbd oil hemp beauty skincare benefits
  • Best: Muscle balm
  • CBD content: 1000mg
  • Size: 50ml

A great muscle balm for anyone on a budget, containing an impressive 1,000mg of CBD along with arnica, to help melt away those aches and pains. Testers found this balm to not only be effective at relieving post-gym muscle soreness, but also noted that it acted as a wonderful body moisturiser too, leaving the skin nourished and soft to the touch. We also found this was great for applying to bruises, which disappeared unusually fast. This was perfect for one of our testers who had been trying out a new aerial hooping class – ouch!

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CBD skincare FAQs

How does CBD work?

One of the main ways CBD interacts with the body is via the endocannabinoid system – a system much like the immune system or nervous system, which is made up of receptors and chemicals that trigger those receptors, called endocannabinoids (or ECs).

Unlike other physiological systems, the ECs can be found just about everywhere – through all other systems, in your bones, joints, organs, and in every single skin cell. In actual fact, your skin has its very own endocannabinoid system, and keeping this in good condition (promoting something called “endocannabinoid tone”) is vital for maintaining skin that has a strong waterproof barrier (something that is damaged in conditions like eczema) and an ideal sebum balance (something that’s often out of control with acne).

ECs receptors, whether internal or external, can be activated by our naturally produced endocannabinoids or phytocannabinoids, like CBD. This then helps to regulate the normal function of the skin – our first defence against microbes, UV rays, free radicals and pollution.

The verdict: CBD and hemp-derived beauty products

We’ve chosen the BNatural face oil as our best buy, because it beats far more expensive products for a fraction of the price, feels beautiful on the skin, helps heal acne and smells amazing. We also loved Ardoa Market’s Teal 22 cream for the way it soothes inside and out. Perfect for dry, problem skin, but also great for easing the pain of arthritis.

We’ve also rounded up the 15 best CBD drinks that will help you relax: From infused tea to gin

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