Thousands of nutraceuticals, topical consumer products, and beauty products claim benefits of cannabidiol (CBD). Loose regulations on labeling and quality control sometimes prevent consumers from knowing the true concentration or purities of these products. In another post we have written about this. 

More broadly, there remains some uncertainty over whether, and how much, CBD applied topically actually penetrates the skin. Findings from a study in the United States published in August of this year (ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science 2022 Jul 18;5(8):642-651) have shed light on this. 

Thirteen over-the-counter consumer products were analyzed for cannabidiol, cannabinol, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiolic acid, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A. Penetrative efficacy of each topical application was investigated in a porcine skin model, assaying particle size and zeta potential. Zeta permeability is the micro-voltage difference at the slipping plane between the surface of a particle in a conducting liquid and the bulk of the liquid. It is a measure of dispersion, or more precisely, separation of mobile fluid from fluid that remains attached to a surface. 

The CBD creams did permeate, along with their active ingredient. But skin permeation was not a function of CBD content. It correlated to particle size and relative stability in skin-like conditions. This is a critical matter. It means that topical products need to be engineered, at nano-level, for skin penetration and overall bioavailability. 

Since not all creams are likely to be the same, in other words, CBD content is not the only criterion by which to choose a product. 

DiolPure products contain PureForm CBD™ transformed from aromatic terpenes for pharmaceutical-grade purity. PureForm CBD™ is bioidentical to CBD extracted from hemp and cannabis, but free of any residual cannabinoids like THC or impurities or chemicals that can associate with traditional plant-derived production processes. 

The foregoing is a report on trends and developments in cannabinoid industry research. No product description herein is intended as a recommendation for diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease or syndrome.