What is CBD? Is it truly helpful or is it just a hype? If you’re wondering, so are we and many others. In this article, we take a closer look at all the skepticism surrounding CBD and why do companies put it in foods, sleep aids, makeup and beauty products.

“The popularity of CBD has exploded and it was evident at CosmoProf. There were a ton of vendors exhibiting skincare, haircare, makeup, wellness, grooming and hygiene products with CBD,” says Yvon Nguyen of Yvon Lux, a lifestyle influencer and tastemaker whom attended CosmoProf North America last month in Las Vegas as press and media. The annual beauty trade show and event draws in over 40, 000 attendees globally. “There’s no sign of it slowing down.”

So before you start rubbing CBD all over your face or pouring it into your tea, here’s a look at what the research has to say.

What is Cannabidiol (CBD)?

This substance is a non-psychotropic component of hemp and cannabis. This means it doesn’t affect your mental state. CBD is being promoted as a miracle cure, and it’s being served in everything from cocktails and coffee to skin creams, pills, gummy bears, and more.

According to research conducted in 2017, there is insufficient evidence of CBD being effective in treating conditions such as insomnia, cigarette addiction, or Parkinson’s Disease, etc. The clinical trials found limited evidence that the substance has the ability to treat anxiety.

However, based on some successful clinical trials, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved Epidiolex, which is a CBD concentrate, for the treatment of two very rare forms of epilepsy.

What Does This Mean?

CBD is being promoted by many as the latest cure for everything from injured muscles to migraine headaches. It’s touted as an anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, anti-depressant - pretty much anti-anything-you-don’t-like. But, the critical question still remains: 

Is CBD effective, and for which types of ailment?

The bottom line is that cannabidiol have very little direct effect on CBD receptors in your brain. This means that it’s largely devoid of any euphoric effects, such as those of THC (the main intoxicant in marijuana).

However, it wouldn’t be so popular if it didn’t have at least some psychotropic effects in the body. In fact, CBD could very well affect thinking and feeling since it changes the brain’s serotonin receptors - which, in turn, may interfere with the body’s breakdown of anandamide, a cannabinoid naturally produced by the brain.

Having said that, the only real evidence available at this point paints CBD as little more than a very expensive placebo than an actual panacea.

To be fair, there is a scarcity of data on the safety and effectiveness of CBD, thanks mostly to the irrational restrictions the Federal government placed on cannabis research. While present studies cannot provide hard evidence to prove that CBD works well in treating a wide range of health conditions, we cannot say what future studies may show, if the Federal restrictions are loosened so more extensive studies can be done.

This is particularly true now that in the wake of its explosive popularity, many people are clamoring for evidence to support the efficacy of CBD - or at the very least, some reassurances that it won’t cause any serious adverse effects.

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Avery Bullock is a blog writer and contributor with interests in beauty and business. averybullock@livestowrite.com