Cannabis Topicals for Health and Beauty

by Billee Sharp

Who doesn’t like to be complimented on our complexion? We describe attractive skin as “glowing”, “ luminous”, “rosy”, or being “clear” and “smooth”. Research is telling us that cannabinoids play a central role in the health and appearance of our skin and yields direct access to damaged or inflamed tissue beneath.

We often forget that our skin is an organ, actually our largest organ! The skin is complex with an array of  functions; from cell, hair and nail creation, maintenance of the cutaneous barrier: keeping water in the body and external contaminants out, body temperature control, melatonin regulation, UV protection, wound healing and more.  Moreover, the skin, as all of our organs, has CB receptors which activate the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) to redress imbalances. 

In the past twenty years much research into topical cannabinoids and pain relief have returned overwhelmingly positive results. In Portugal a long running clinical trial on cannabinoid topicals collected patient data over an eighteen year period, from 2003 to 2021. Their conclusions were that topical cannabinoids, particularly CBD, were extremely effective for treating eczema, psoriasis, contact and atopic dermatitis and acne. The researchers cited that CBD’s “ antiproliferative, immunnomodulatory and anti-inflammatory actions” were undeniable at the conclusion of their study.

CBD Face Oil - Healthy Skin is Beautiful

We decided to create a CBD face oil specifically to vitalize and protect delicate skin. We formulated our face oil paying attention to the positive research results on problem skin conditions, and the restorative value of CBD for discolored or damaged skin.

We selected our oils carefully, choosing Caster Oil, Jojoba Oil and Meadowfoam Seed Oil to create the base carrier oil. 

Caster Oil is deeply nourishing, moisturizing and hydrating, recommended for reducing dark circles under the eyes and softening wrinkles, it’s both antimicrobial and antibacterial. 

Jojoba Oil is often cited for its anti-ageing properties, it is easily absorbed and soothes swelling and pain from sun damage or skin irritants. 

Meadowfoam Seed Oil, is a light silky oil which hydrates the skin and prevents moisture loss by forming a protective barrier on the skin for sustained nourishment. 

Rosehip Oil is rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids giving it a reputation for anti-ageing, also noted for fading scars and blemishes. 

Vitamin E Oil also carries significant antioxidants in fast soluble lipid form preventing damage from free radicals and UV damage. 

The final touch is Frankincense Oil, an essential oil for skin regeneration and calming anti-inflammatory action. 

In this medium CBD can penetrate the epidermis easily, activating receptor sites located in the dermis and subcutaneous dermis and stimulating responses to alleviate skin health issues. Our respondents who beta-tested our CBD Face Oil have returned enthusiastic feedback for significant improvement in facial skin appearance, moisture retention and blemish reduction. 

We are delighted to have formulated this unique CBD facial beauty treatment oil that has no synthetic ingredients or preservatives. 

Synergy Salve - Relieving Pain and Protecting Skin

Synergy Salve has long been a mainstay of our topical offerings. It is one of our most popular products for relief from muscular, neuropathic and arthritic pain. Formulated with a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC and enriched with CBG Isolate it is designed for pain relief and general skin health. As salve is applied topically there are no psychoactive effects at all. We also offer an Extra Strength Salve for chronic pain relief,  which was originally developed for skin cancer applications and contains double the amount of cannabinoids, it has the potential to relieve even the most stubborn pain.. 

Our salve’s have worked magic for eczema, resolving mysterious skin irritations, in calming angry moles, for healthy healing of post surgical scars and, for one member, in successfully treating a basal cell skin cancer condition.

Did you know ? : Some extra ideas on how to use your CBD products

- by Billee Sharp

Recently I came across a revised edition of my favorite macrobiotic cookbook by Christina Pirelli. In the new version, Pirelli extolls the benefits of hemp seeds and hemp seed oil recommending a daily dose for the many health benefits and a good deal of her recipes had been updated to include hemp seeds or oil. 

It is worth reiterating: Hemp seeds are highly nutritious and support heart health and provide a complete source of protein, and improve skin conditions. They are rich in essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber, making them a valuable addition to a balanced diet. Furthermore they are delicious!

This little discovery made me very happy, I loved that when the author revised her copy she added in her new knowledge.

Then I started thinking about whether I had any new tips to share, specifically about our Synergy Wellness product line.

Here is what I came up with:

Tinctures for Topical Pain Relief:

Synergy tinctures are made with either an alcohol or oil base, both of which taken sublingually have a fast uptake of effect. Last summer on a camping trip I strained a shoulder muscle while clambering over a boulder. I didn’t have any salve in my first aid kit but I did have an alcohol based CBD tincture which worked to relieve my pain topically. Since then I have often used a drop or two of tincture, alcohol or oil based,  to relieve muscle pain when I don’t have any salve to hand. 

Tincture for Oral Health:

One of our Synergy team came up with the idea to add tincture to her water pick to heal her gum disease. Using a CBD alcohol-based tincture orally supports health gums and works well on gingivitis and inflamed gum tissue. 

Skin loves Salve :  

Synergy salve is designed to alleviate pain and inflammation with a 1:1 CBD:THC ratio and this works very well for muscular and arthritic pain. The bonus is that when the skin receives cannabinoids it activates receptors with an array of functions. Protecting the cutaneous border between the body’s interior and the outside world is mediated by receptors maintaining hydration levels and UV protection. 

Our salve can be used to calm sun-damaged skin, and can also  be used as a sunscreen substitute. Recently a Synergy member gave us a testimonial for his positive outcome on a facial skin cancer, his biopsy results came back negative after a month of using  the salve twice daily. He now uses Synergy salve as his daily sunscreen as a preventative  treatment.

I’m sure there are many more innovative ways of using our products, do write in and let us know if you have any tips you have to share. The sheer versatility of cannabinoids offers such very wide range of benefits to maintaining a health balanced body.

Further Reading:

Christina Pirelli - ‘Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Whole Foods But Were Afraid to Ask’ Penguin Publishing Group  2004

The Benefits and Advantages of Vaping Cannabis

- by Billee Sharp

Vaping is a relatively new technology, the first vape pens became available in the 1990s, known as ‘e-cigarettes’, they were touted as a tobacco-smoking cessation aid and quickly became popular. The technology attracted the attention of the cannabis community and ‘desktop vaporizers’ were developed. The advantages of a smokeless inhalation device appealed to cannabis clinicians as a clean and fast method for getting cannabinoids into the bloodstream via the lungs.

Inhalation has long been accepted as the fastest route for the rapid onset of effect, but smoking has several drawbacks. Inhaling tar and plant particulates is not good for anybody, particularly those dealing with respiratory issues. Smoking plant material is also an inefficient delivery method as so much medicine literally goes up in smoke, it is estimated that only 5% of available cannabinoids are actually absorbed through the lungs when smoking.

Vaping nicotine has garnered a bad reputation because of the impurity of the nicotine cartridges which often contain unhealthy fillers and additives which are unsuitable for inhalation. Nicotine vapes, unlike cannabis vapes, are physically addictive. Companies have been sued for promoting vapes as a safe method to conquer a smoking habit while actually promoting nicotine addiction and introducing dangerous additives with subsequent negative health effects. Vaping any substance produced using low quality extraction processes or containing chemical additives can be damaging. Vape cartridges should always be scrutinised for purity of ingredients and purchased from a reliable company.

A good cannabis vape cartridge will contain only pure cannabis distillate oil, extracted via alcohol or CO2, which is considered to be the cleanest method. Synergy Wellness carries only CO2 extracted oils containing no additives. Vaping concentrated cannabis oil delivers more cannabinoids than regular smoke inhalation. Using a vape pen, optimum doses can be calibrated puff by puff and because of the rapid onset of effect, topping up a dose is simply an extra puff or two.

There are many conditions where a rapid onset of relief from symptoms is highly desirable. At Synergy Wellness we particularly recommend vaping for pain relief, anxiety and panic disorders, mood modulation, anti-nausea w/appetite stimulation and to ward off imminent migraine. We offer eight different cannabinoid cartridges to address these different needs.

For the fastest relief of pain: arthritic, neuropathic, chronic or episodic we suggest any THC vape. For muscle spasms we prefer Indica varieties and for nausea we prefer Sativa. A combination of CBD and THC is also analgesic with CBD acting on inflammation while THC works on pain relief. 

Varying ratios of cannabinoids are available in vape form. We have 1:1, 4:1 and 8:1 (CBD:THC) to address different needs and pain levels. A higher CBD to THC ratio might be preferable for dealing with pain at times when very little alteration of consciousness is necessary (work days), when pain is lighter or anti- inflammatory/anti-anxiety effects are desired along with your pain reliever a 1:1 or full strength THC vape may be in order. We are happy to help guide you on best choices! 

Setting a dose with a vape pen is easily achieved with incremental inhales, start with a couple of puffs and see if you feel an effect, if you don’t begin to feel some relief, take a couple more inhales. This is how you can set your dose, many people use the vape pen sparingly to great effect.

In addition to the value of rapid onset of effect and precise dosing, vaping is a discreet & affordable delivery system. Unlike conventional smoking which is pungent and unmistakable, vapor has a light odor which is short-lived and most often goes undetected. This is a huge advantage for many people, particularly those who need to top up doses regularly. There is a great deal of medication in each cartridge making vape a very cost effective affordable delivery method.

Many Synergy members who choose to vape had never smoked cannabis or didn’t like the idea of smoking anything due to the negative connotations of lung health. Vaping can be a valuable tool for those who have not found relief using other methods and we encourage our members to keep an open mind to this innovative and effective new way of using plant medicine.