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Why You Shouldn’t Overlook the Decline of CBD Skincare Products

By Gregory Frye

CBD has failed to take the skincare industry by storm, but why?
CBD has failed to take the skincare industry by storm, but why? /

If you’re a fan of Kristin Bell’s Happy Dance CBD skin-care brand, maybe you’ve already seen the news.

Happy Dance, with its tagline, “It won't get you high!” is shutting down to focus on development of a THC-infused product, according to Glossy.

Another failed celebrity CBD brand – same old news, right?

Not so fast.

Apparently, the whole CBD skincare craze is quickly fading after just a few short years.

According to Amy Zuzunegui, founder of beauty brand Wldkat, who spoke to Glossy, the beauty industry has not taken to CBD as expected.

Around 2018-2019, she noted, there was a lot of optimism that CBD would become popular due to the positive effects it has on the skin.

Fast forward five years, and that optimism has largely waned.

Zuzenegui revealed that eliminating CBD from her brand proved advantageous. Banks were easier to work with, and larger retail brands like Target were willing to carry her product.

While Zuzenegui blames societal stigma for her brand’s CBD woes, others suggest the opposite, that cannabis lovers are simply not interested in CBD – they want a THC buzz.

This would explain the robust demand for cannabis edibles, however CBD brands like Happy Dance were meant to cater toward demographics who weren’t interested in the high.

Perhaps they fixated too much on the “doesn’t get you high” part and not enough on the actual benefits – oh wait, the FDA doesn’t allow that!

Don’t Ignore the Benefits of Topical CBD

Whatever the reason, the lack of interest in CBD skincare is unfortunate because CBD does offer remarkable benefits for the skin.

According to Healthline, the benefits of CBD for skin application should not be overlooked:

  • Controlling oil production is thought to be helpful for acne. A study from 2014 suggested that CBD has a potential anti-inflammatory property when it comes to sebocytes, which are the cells found in the skin that produce (or overproduce) sebum.
  • CBD has the potential to lessen inflammation. Acting as an anti-inflammatory, it may be able to reduce painful and inflamed breakouts, as well as skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
  • Research from 2009 indicates that CBD may be a viable option for relieving dry skin that lacks moisture.

The CBD Boom Turned Bust

It’s no secret that the “CBD Boom” was a total shit show packed with people trying to make quick money under little to zero regulatory oversight.

Even today, finding a quality product you can trust involves too much homework, and many of these products are overpriced.

At least with a THC-infused products, you immediately know that it’s working.

The truth is that cannabis is much more sophisticated than CBD-only products or fixations on THC levels.

For products like Happy Dance to thrive, it doesn’t matter how good they are, doesn’t matter how much celebrity goes into them – a sophisticated regulatory landscape is required.

The regulations around CBD are a complete mess and even quality brands are stumbling as a result.

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