You've probably heard of CBD, the wonder-ingredient that has found its way into a plethora of products and is currently the hottest trend in health and wellness. It's a close cousin to THC, the ingredient in cannabis that gets you high, though it won't give you that heady buzz, enabling you to consume it whenever needed. But are you aware of CBG?
There's more than a hundred cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, and CBG - cannabigerol for the science set - is an exciting new ingredient that is proving to be great for skin care. CBD has already found its way into various salves, creams, and balms as a way to treat pain and inflammation, and the minor cannabinoid CBG is now receiving its due attention as a kind of "stem cell" that is responsible for forming the other cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, in the cannabis plant.
What Is CBG?
As one of many cannabinoids, CBG is a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant that is crucial to the development of all other cannabinoids. It's known as a minor cannabinoid because it's found in low quantities in the cannabis plant, on the order of less than 1 percent, though it's vastly important. In fact, CBG is responsible for creating the three main cannabinoids: THC, CBD, and CBC.
But when CBG becomes other cannabinoids, there's less of it available to turn into others, which explains why CBD content goes down when THC goes up, and vice versa. To try and hold on to this fleeting but valuable compound, breeders are creating certain high CBG strains that retain more CBG within. Growers can also extract more CBG by processing a growing plant early, such as six weeks into an eight-week flowering cycle.
What Is CBG Used For?
Most promisingly, CBG helps maintain healthy skin. It hooks into the CB1 and CB2 endocannabinoid receptors in the skin as it penetrates to subcutaneous layers and can help reduce inflammation, blemishes and skin oil production, as well as cleaning pores and generally enhancing the feel of your skin. Some properties are similar to CBD, such as anti-inflammation, but while CBD is primarily used for managing pain and inflammation, CBG is particularly good for skincare, helping the body - as well as the skin - achieve homeostasis, or balance.
While science is only just now starting to realize the benefits of CBG, this powerful compound seems to have an outsized effect on skincare as well as our physical and mental states. That makes CBG a powerful ingredient in skincare products, in addition to capitalizing on the synergistic benefits of products with both CBG and CBD within, which can help soothe pain and restore the look and feel of skin.
The Medical Benefits of CBG
Because CBG works with the body's endocannabinoid system, it has the ability to affect cell behavior at the most basic level. That means CBG is great for skincare as well as acting as a sort of regulator when it comes to the body. Not only has CBG been found to influence physiological systems, it's becoming a promising treatment for various conditions.
In the eyes, endocannabinoid receptors allow CBG to help treat glaucoma by reducing intraocular pressure, as well as acting as a powerful vasodilator to protect and soothe. Additionally, some experiments have shown that CBG is effective at decreasing inflammatory bowel disease, in addition to protecting neurons in animals with Huntington's disease.
On the cancer front, CBG has been shown to block receptors that contribute to cancer cell growth, slowing colon cancer in mice and inhibiting tumors in colon carcinogenesis.
As an antibacterial agent, CBG goes where other drugs can't, helping to fight Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. Cannabis topical formulations have also been used for decades to help fight skin infections, though an understanding of why it works is only recently coming into focus with the use of CBG for skincare.
Other medicinal benefits of CBG include appetite stimulation, which is of particular interest to cancer patients and other muscle wasting diseases. And the best part is that CBG, like CBD, is non-psychotropic, making it a good option for those that may want the medicinal benefits of cannabis without the high associated with it.
Is CBG Better Than CBD?
While some are touting the benefits of CBG for skincare and other uses, there's still a lot of overlap with its close cousin, CBD. Although, it's not like one is better than the other. Instead, it may help to think about cannabinoids as providing synergistic benefits. Rather than evaluating CBD and CBG separately, many brands and products are starting to provide full-spectrum and broad-spectrum formulations that include CBD, CBG and other beneficial cannabinoids.
That said, while CBD can be found in large quantities in hemp, CBG is only present in the smallest of amounts, meaning that extraction is more challenging. That can help drive costs up, though CBG should be thought of as a luxurious counterpart to CBD products. If you have a skincare need and CBD hasn't done the trick, you may want to consider a CBG or CBD/CBG product.
More Skincare Benefits of CBG
With decades of research into the body's endocannabinoid system, we're only now starting to learn about all the ways that it keeps our bodies balanced and on track. For the skin, CBG is unique in that it hooks into endocannabinoid receptors in the skin and can help regenerate and support the health of cells in the skin, Resulting in skin that is more supple and healthy.
For those with chronic skin conditions, CBG skincare products provide numerous benefits, helping to fight stressed-out skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, scleroderma, and acne. Pigmentation disorders, keratin diseases, and general itching is also helped by CBG, and it may be able to help your skin achieve homeostasis instead of spending its time fighting itself. While the science is complicated, the only thing you need to know is that CBG can help improve your skin.
Studies have also shown that CBG is a powerful anti-inflammatory, which is crucial when it comes to treating and managing dry skin. It can help treat issues from simple dryness, to rashes and even chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. Additionally, when tested on mice with atopic dermatitis, scientists have found that CB1 receptors are important for skin health.
MOVE CBD + CBG
If you're ready to give CBG a try, our MOVE CBD + CBG product is a full-spectrum oil formulated specifically with CBD, CBG and other cannabinoids to provide a synergistic effect that does more than just CBD or CBG alone.
