How might CBD help treat rosacea?

CBD could be your best friend if you are looking for relief from the symptoms of rosacea, a chronic skin condition characterised by irritated areas on the face and neck. In addition, red patches and small swellings with pus often appear. Even the veins are visually visible.

Currently there are many treatments for this condition, although rosacea as mentioned above is a chronic condition, i.e. there is no cure for this condition at the moment. It therefore becomes essential to take care of the skin. In response to this, treatments with CBD and other components from hemp, such as hemp seed oil, have shown various skin benefits, which you can learn about in our article.

What is rosacea?

The rosacea is a chronic skin disorder, which affects between 5% and 10% of the world's population, has no cure, appears in outbreaks that are triggered by various factors, but these outbreaks can be controlled.

It can be given in both women and men. Women are more prone to suffer from it, especially those with fair and thin skin. In men it tends to appear more severely.

Redness appears on the face, especially on the forehead, nose, chin and cheeks, sometimes accompanied by pimples and pustules.

In many cases, the rosacea on the facehas a high impact on the self-esteem and daily life of some patients.

Types of rosacea

There are even 4 types of rosacea each with different characteristics, which are defined below.

–ROSACEA ERYTHEMATOSA or TELANGIECTASIAIt is characterised by the appearance of widespread redness on the face, which may be accompanied by pain and burning. Small blood vessels and spider veins also appear on the skin.

–PHYMATOUS ROSACEAIt is more common in men than in women and consists of a thickening of the nose. It is treated surgically to remove tissue.

–OCCULAR ROSACEAAs the name suggests, it affects the eye area in the form of itching, redness, swelling of the eyelid and eyes. It produces a dryness in the eye, a gritty sensation. It is associated with the appearance of blepharitis and sties.

–PAPULO-PUSTULAR ROSACEAAcne-rosacea: This is the characteristic acne-rosacea, in the form of pimples and redness.

What are the causes of rosacea?

The direct cause that triggers rosacea is not entirely clearbut it is believed that factors such as geneticsthe neurovascular dysregulationthe immune and environmental factors play a fundamental role in the appearance of this pathology. 

A genomic study conducted in European rosacea patients found two single nucleotide polymorphisms in these individuals, suggesting that certain genes have predisposition to the development of rosacea.

The cause of rosacea is unknown, but it could be due to an overactive immune system, heredity, environmental factors or a combination of these. Rosacea is not caused by poor hygiene and is not contagious.

Outbreaks can be triggered by the following:

• Hot drinks and spicy food
• Red wine and other alcoholic beverages
• Extreme temperatures
• Sun or wind
• Emotions
• Exercise
• Medicines that dilate blood vessels, including some blood pressure medicines
• Some cosmetic, skin or hair care products

Symptoms of rosacea

Signs and symptoms of rosacea include the following:

• Facial flushing or reddening. Rosacea can cause persistent flushing or redness in the central part of the face. This sign of the condition can be difficult to see in dark and black skin.
• Visible veins. Small blood vessels in the nose and cheeks break and become visible (spider veins).
• Swollen bumps. Many people with rosacea also develop pimples on their face that look like acne. These bumps sometimes contain pus.
• Burning sensation. The skin in the affected area may feel warm and tender.
• Eye problems. Many people with rosacea also have dry, irritated and swollen eyes and eyelids. This is known as ocular rosacea. For some people, the eye symptoms precede the skin symptoms.
• Enlarged nose. Over time, rosacea can thicken the skin of the nose, making it look bulbous (rhinophyma). This happens more often in men than in women.

Risk factors for rosacea

Anyone can develop rosacea. But you are more likely to get it if you:

• Being a woman
• Having photosensitive skin
• Over 30 years of age
• Smoking
• Family history of rosacea

Learn how CBD could be beneficial for people with rosacea

In rosacea, inflammation is one of the main symptoms. However, the studies confirm that CBD exerts anti-inflammatory and soothing effects on our skin.

This is made possible by the fact that our body is equipped with a endocannabinoid system. This cell signalling system is made up of a number of different receptors that respond to phytocannabinoids such as CBG and CBG. Therefore, if there is an imbalance in any of our body's systems, CBD may be able to restore the balance. In turn, it could alleviate the related symptomatology through its interaction with endocannabinoid receptors.

On the other hand, rosacea brings with it a number of side effects for our mental health, let's be clear, looking red and irritated should not be complacent for anyone, anxiety and stress are two fundamental pillars that prevent the correct treatment of rosacea. For this reason, the anxiolytic properties and anti-stress effect of CBD oil could be of great help to sufferers.

Additionally, it is believed that certain mites found on the skin, and an intestinal bacterium called helicobacter pylori, can activate the defence system. In particular, to increase blood vessels and produce inflammation and redness on the face. However, the anti-inflammatory property of CBD can soothe these symptoms and reduce related pain.

Sunlight is another factor that aggravates the symptoms of rosacea. However, as mentioned, CBD has antioxidant properties. Consequently, this is very effective, as antioxidants protect our skin from UV rays.

Can CBD be useful for treating rosacea and what does the scientific evidence say?

It is well known that rosacea is an inflammation of the skin that mainly produces symptoms such as itching, pain, burning and other symptoms. The cannabidiol (CBD) has been widely shown to have anti-inflammatory and soothing effects on the skin, so it could be very useful in treating this skin condition.

As we have explained in previous blog posts, CBD, as well as other cannabinpids such as CBG acts by exercising its function through the endocannabinoid system (ECS) which is found in our body and in all mammals. This system is made up of phytocannabinoid receptors that are activated or repressed by CBD, so if there is an imbalance in the body, this molecule could restore the balance through various benefits:

1- Anti-inflammatory effect

When Cannabidiol (CBD) binds to the docannabinoid receptors of the SEC (CB1 and CB2) it inhibits the molecular drivers of inflammation, which allows the inhibition of the entire inflammatory process associated with dermal disorders such as psoriasis and rosacea. Recent scientific reviews have found that activation of the endocannabinoid CB2 receptor leads to a decrease in % ROS, which reduces oxidative stress and therefore inflammation.

2- Analgesic effect

Current pain therapies focus on the central and peripheral nervous system, based on antidepressants, NSAIDs and anticonvulsants. The problem with this therapeutic approach is that it exposes the chronic patient to the potential side effects of the drugs (e.g., antidepressants, NSAIDs and anticonvulsants).source).

Treatment with topical cannabinoids has been shown to reduce peripheral inflammation.without the side effects of analgesic drugs. A clinical study The study on topically applied CBD for the treatment of pain shows its promising properties in this field. It is worth mentioning that the compound is also being studied orally for these applications. In this field, preclinical studies clearly indicate that taking cannabinoids reduces neuropathic and inflammatory pain, and a moderate level of clinical evidence supports their use for chronic pain.

3- Anxiolytic effect

Preliminary data from human trials in healthy volunteers and individuals with social anxiety disorder suggest that CBD may have anxiolytic effects. While these findings are promising, future research is warranted to determine the efficacy of CBD in other anxiety disorders, to establish appropriate dosages, and to determine its long-term efficacy. Most preclinical and clinical research has been conducted with males only. Among individuals with anxiety disorders, prevalence rates, symptomatology and response to treatment differ between men and women. Therefore, future research should focus on this area due to the lack of research in women and the lack of knowledge about sex and gender differences in the efficacy of CBD as a potential treatment for anxiety.

How to care for skin with rosacea?

For preventing the onset of rosacea The main factors that trigger it should be avoided and an appropriate care routine should be followed:

1- Gentle and correct cleaning

Good skin hygiene is important, using gentle cleansers especially for sensitive skin and skin with rosacea. How many less products you apply to it, the better the result on your skin. However, don't forget that not just any product is suitable for treating this condition. For example, when you wake up and when you go to bed, you should opt for a mild cleanser 

2- Good hydration

The next step after cleansing is always a good moisturiser. It is essential to use moisturising and soothing products which can be creams and that also contain soothing and photoprotective properties to improve circulation in the area and reduce the burning and itching sensation. 

3- Always use sun cream (SPF 50).

For people with Rosacea sunscreen is an indisputable element in your everyday life. Sunny, cloudy or rainy. The sun can affect us 365 days a year and in people with rosacea, more aggressively. That's why this article on sun creams for rosacea is of great interest to you.

4- Avoid alcohol and spicy foods.

Eating spicy foods or spicy dishes can cause blood vessels to dilate and make rosacea episodes more likely to occur. Alcohol also causes vasodilation in the capillaries and reddening of the skin.

Proper nutrition for skin with rosacea

The connection between the skin and the intestine is increasingly proven, so it is very important to take care of the type of food we eat as this will result in a better skin condition.

What foods are bad for you? You should avoid or moderate the consumption of alcohol, cold meats, cured cheeses, red meats, spicy foods, industrial pastries, fried foods, soya.

And you must increase consumption of fruit and vegetablesomega-3 foods such as walnuts or salmon.

References

Makhakhe L. Topical cannabidiol (CBD) in skin pathology - A comprehensive review and prospects for new therapeutic opportunities. S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2022 May 30;64(1):e1-e4. doi: 10.4102/safp.v64i1.5493. PMID: 35695447; PMCID: PMC9210160.

Oge' LK, Muncie HL, Phillips-Savoy AR. Rosacea: Diagnosis and Treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2015 Aug 1;92(3):187-96. PMID: 26280139.

Buddenkotte J, Steinhoff M. Recent advances in understanding and managing rosacea. F1000Res. 2018 Dec 3;7:F1000 Faculty Rev-1885. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.16537.1. PMID: 30631431; PMCID: PMC6281021.

Mikkelsen CS, Holmgren HR, Kjellman P, Heidenheim M, Kappinnen A, Bjerring P, Huldt-Nystrøm T. Rosacea: a Clinical Review. Dermatol Reports. 2016 Jun 23;8(1):6387. doi: 10.4081/dr.2016.6387. PMID: 27942368; PMCID: PMC5134688.