The Best CBD Products for Acne: Reviews & Guide (2024)

By | Updated on January 9, 2024

Medically reviewed by
Kimberly Langdon

Evidence Based 16

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Early research on CBD’s benefits for acne, eczema, and other skin issues is promising.

Unfortunately, finding the right topical CBD product for acne can be difficult. The market is filled with thousands of products, many of which contain less CBD than they should, carry contaminants, or aren’t strong enough to provide an effect.

That’s why we compared dozens of CBD creams and other topical products based on their formula, third-party lab test results, hemp quality, potency, customer reviews, price, and other criteria.

Here are the best CBD creams, lotions, and face masks for acne.

3 Best CBD Products for Acne

Topicals products like creams and lotions are your go-to choice for acne. See our top picks for the best CBD products for acne below, broken down into convenient categories.

CBD Glossary

  • Hemp: cannabis variety with high CBD and low THC levels (no more than 0.3%).
  • Terpenes: aromatic plant compounds with various beneficial properties (1).
  • Minor cannabinoids: CBN, CBG, CBC, and other beneficial cannabinoids found in smaller amounts in hemp. They may work in synergy with CBD.
  • Full-spectrum: whole-plant hemp extract containing multiple cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. This form of CBD is about four times more potent than pure CBD (2).
  • Broad-spectrum: whole-plant hemp extract similar to full-spectrum CBD, but with THC removed (may contain trace amounts).
  • CBD isolate: pure CBD without any other hemp compounds.

Cornbread Hemp CBD Lotion (Best Overall)

Cornbread hemp cbd lotion

5/5

CBD Potency8 mg/ml
Volume60 ml
Total CBD500 mg
Cost per mg CBD$0.10
TypeFull-spectrum
Third-Party TestView report

Pros:

  • Multiple anti-acne ingredients
  • Full-spectrum CBD

Cons:

  • Watery at room temperature

Our top pick for acne is Cornbread Hemp’s CBD lotion. Aside from CBD, it contains several ingredients that can help with acne: jojoba, olive leaf, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree oils. These ingredients have antiseptic and antimicrobial properties that can help with acne-causing bacteria, anti-inflammatory effects, and other benefits. They’re also backed by some research evidence (3, 4).

On top of that, several customer reviews mention that it was helpful for acne, like this one:

Absolutely love how it makes my skin glow, and helps keep my acne at bay.

Cornbread Hemp customer

My experience: I tried the menthol-containing version of this lotion for pain, not skin concerns. But it did feel nice on my skin. My only complaint is that the lotion was very runny at room temperature, so you may need to store it in a colder place.

CBDfx Charcoal Face Mask (Best Face Mask)

cbdfx charcoal face mask

5/5

CBD Potency50 mg
Cost per mg CBD$0.14
TypeBroad-spectrum 
Third-Party TestView report

Use coupon code FXSAVINGS15 for 15% off

Pros:

  • Contains charcoal
  • Other anti-acne ingredients

Cons:

  • No multi-mask packs

Several reviews mention that this face mask from CBDfx helps with acne. It contains activated charcoal, the key ingredient that can help with acne by binding to oil and dirt and helping cleanse pores. It also contains other anti-acne ingredients, like AHAs, that can help exfoliate the skin and prevent clogged pores.

This mask contains CBD sourced from organic Kentucky hemp. Like all CBDfx products, it undergoes comprehensive third-party testing to verify its safety and potency, with the results available online.

Lazarus Naturals Skin Repair Cream (Best Value)

lazarus naturals skin repair cream

5/5

CBD Potency27 mg/ml
Volume2.5 oz (75 ml)
Total CBD2000 mg
Cost per mg CBD$0.01
TypeFull-spectrum 
Third-Party TestView report

Pros:

  • Unbeatable value
  • Full-spectrum CBD
  • USDA-certified organic hemp source

Cons:

  • Primarily designed for dry skin rather than acne

If you’re looking for the best value, we recommend the full-spectrum skin repair cream from Lazarus Naturals. It costs only 1 cent per mg of CBD. Not only is this a ridiculously low price, but it also comes with the quality that Lazarus Naturals is known for. 

This high-potency cream has several skincare ingredients that can be helpful for dealing with acne, including witch hazel leaf extract, jojoba and sweet almond oils, aloe vera, calendura flower, and glycerin.

Lazarus Naturals is an employee-owned company and directly grows its hemp in Central Oregon: a rarity among CBD companies. It offers the best combination of price and quality on the CBD market.

How We Choose CBD Products for Acne

Here are the key criteria we considered to come up with our list of the best CBD products for acne:

  • Third-party testing: Only CBD products with up-to-date third-party test reports should be bought. We always check the results for products we want to buy or recommend to ensure they match the label.
  • Type of CBD: It’s always best to choose full-spectrum products containing the full range of hemp’s beneficial compounds.
  • Potency: The concentration of CBD matters less for topicals than other products. Still, we recommend products that contain at least 5 mg of CBD per ml.
  • Additional ingredients: the best CBD products for acne carry other beneficial anti-acne ingredients, like tea tree oil, activated charcoal, aloe vera, and AHAs.
  • Hemp source: The quality of hemp influences the quality of the finished product. We favor brands that cultivate their own organic hemp and are transparent about its origin. Certifications like USDA-organic are a bonus.
  • Company reputation: We gravitate towards well-established brands that are transparent about their production and have positive customer feedback.
  • Price: We evaluate the value of CBD products by calculating the cost per mg of CBD. We also factor in perks like free shipping.

Buying Guide for CBD Products for Acne

In this section, we’ll cover everything you need to know about topical CBD products and how they can help with acne.

What are CBD Topicals?

topical-cbd-cream-acne

Unlike CBD oil, capsules, or edibles, topical CBD products are designed to be used directly on the skin. They can’t penetrate deep enough to reach the bloodstream, so they’re unlikely to cause any side effects.

CBD topicals include lotions and creams, balms and salves, oils and serums, cleansers, and face masks. Although these products can have different uses, they all work as a way of applying CBD to your skin.

Aside from CBD, topicals often contain many of the same natural, beneficial ingredients you’d see in standard skincare products. These can include common substances such as:

  • essential oils, like lavender and peppermint oil
  • shea and cocoa butter
  • beeswax
  • coconut oil
  • aloe vera
  • vitamin E
  • Tea tree oil

Also, CBD topicals designed for acne can contain popular anti-acne ingredients such as tea tree oil or activated charcoal. The precise ingredient list will vary depending on the product. 

What is Acne?

Also known as acne vulgaris, acne is a skin disorder characterized by pimples (blackheads and whiteheads), oily skin, and scarring. Acne occurs because your hair follicles become clogged with dead skin cells and oil.

Acne usually appears on the face but can also occur on your chest, shoulders, back, and other parts of the body. It can happen in people of all ages, although teenagers are the most commonly affected group.

Health experts estimate that acne affects about 9.4% of the world population, making it the 8th most prevalent disease (5).

The causal factors of acne include:

  • Overproduction of sebum, the oily substance produced by your sebaceous glands to lubricate the skin
  • Inflammation of sebocytes, the skin cells that make up the sebaceous glands
  • Overgrowth of Cutibacterium acnes, one of the bacteria that can cause acne

Acne can be treated with various approaches, including drugs and dietary changes. However, standard treatments are not always effective and can cause significant side effects.

CBD and Acne: The Research Evidence

Research into CBD’s anti-acne effects has only just begun. However, the findings are promising and suggest that CBD can help with acne in several ways.

One 2019 study looked at the effects of a CBD-infused gel in people with psoriasis, eczema, and scars from acne and these two conditions. The researchers found that CBD alleviated psoriasis symptoms, reduced scars and blemishes, and improved measures of skin health such as elasticity and hydration (6).

Meanwhile, the researchers of a 2014 study applied CBD to human sebocytes, skin cells that produce the oily sebum implicated in acne. 

They found that CBD lowered inflammation, the production of new sebocyte cells, and the secretion of sebum, three processes involved in causing acne (7). The researchers concluded that “CBD has potential…for the treatment of acne vulgaris.”

Another 2022 study found that CBD reduced inflammation produced by Cutibacterium acnes, a bacteria linked to acne (8). Meanwhile, a 2023 study out of Ecuador found that CBD oil had antibacterial effects that significantly slowed the growth of Cutibacterium acnes, the main acne-causing bacteria (9).

Finally, a 2022 review paper on CBD’s use for acne concluded that it may be beneficial in addition to other treatments, primarily for its anti-inflammatory effects. But the researchers also stressed the need for human studies (10).

How Does CBD Help With Acne?

As noted by the study above, CBD can improve acne by reducing inflammation and sebum production. It achieves this by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) (11). 

This system helps our bodies maintain a healthy state of balance called homeostasis. To do so, it regulates key processes, such as pain, immune function, sleep, mood, appetite, and digestion.

The ECS and its receptors are present in every body part, including the skin. Research suggests it plays a vital role in skin health by regulating inflammation, skin cell growth, and other processes (12).

CBD supports healthy endocannabinoid system function by reducing the breakdown of anandamide, one of the two main endocannabinoids made by our bodies (13).

Another way CBD can fight acne is through its antimicrobial properties (14). There’s some evidence that the overgrowth of Propionibacterium acnes and other skin bacteria is involved in acne (15).

acne-cbd

Are CBD Topicals Safe?

CBD is considered a generally safe compound with few and minor side effects (16). More importantly, because CBD cannot penetrate the skin effectively enough to reach the bloodstream, topical products are unlikely to cause drowsiness or other side effects that can occur with ingested products such as tinctures.

Having said that, it’s possible to experience an allergic skin reaction from other ingredients present in CBD topicals, such as terpenes.

CBD Products for Acne: Additional Ingredients

If you’re looking for a topical CBD product for acne, we recommend looking at the ingredients list. See if you can find at least some of the following anti-acne substances:

  • White Willow Bark: Contains salicin, a natural form of salicylic acid, which helps exfoliate the skin, unclog pores, and reduce inflammation, making it beneficial for acne-prone skin.
  • Benzoyl Peroxide: Kills acne-causing bacteria and removes excess oils and dead skin cells.
  • Salicylic Acid: Exfoliates the skin and unclogs pores, reducing breakouts.
  • Retinoids (e.g., Tretinoin, Adapalene): Increases cell turnover, unclogs pores, and reduces the formation of acne.
  • Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): Exfoliates the skin’s surface, leading to smoother skin and preventing clogged pores.
  • Niacinamide: Reduces inflammation and oil production, improving the skin’s texture.
  • Tea Tree Oil: Natural antiseptic that can kill acne-causing bacteria.
  • Azelaic Acid: Reduces inflammation, kills bacteria, and helps unclog pores.
  • Sulfur: Removes dead skin cells, dries out blemishes, and reduces excess oil.
  • Green Tea Extract: Contains antioxidants that reduce inflammation and decrease oil production.
  • Hyaluronic Acid: Hydrates the skin without clogging pores, ensuring the skin remains moisturized.
  • Witch Hazel: Natural astringent that can reduce inflammation and oil.
  • Zinc: Reduces inflammation and inhibits the growth of acne-causing bacteria.
  • Clay (e.g., Kaolin, Bentonite): Absorbs excess oil and draws out impurities from the skin.
  • Glycolic Acid: Exfoliates the skin, helping to clear dead skin cells and prevent clogged pores.
  • Lactic Acid: Gently exfoliates and hydrates, helping to clear pores and improve skin texture.
  • Licorice Root Extract: Reduces redness and inflammation associated with acne.
  • Aloe Vera: Soothes and hydrates the skin, reducing inflammation and redness.
  • Turmeric: Contains anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce acne breakouts.
  • Honey: Natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties help soothe and heal the skin.
  • Jojoba Oil: Mimics the skin’s natural oils, helping to balance oil production without clogging pores.
cbd cream

CBD for Acne FAQs

Sources

  1. Russo, Ethan B. “Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid‐terpenoid entourage effects.” British journal of pharmacology 163.7 (2011): 1344-1364.
  2. Pamplona, Fabricio A., Lorenzo Rolim da Silva, and Ana Carolina Coan. “Potential clinical benefits of CBD-rich cannabis extracts over purified CBD in treatment-resistant epilepsy: observational data meta-analysis.” Frontiers in neurology 9 (2018): 759.
  3. Malhi, Harsimran Kaur, et al. “Tea tree oil gel for mild to moderate acne; a 12 week uncontrolled, open‐label phase II pilot study.” Australasian Journal of Dermatology 58.3 (2017): 205-210.
  4. Meier, Larissa, et al. “Clay jojoba oil facial mask for lesioned skin and mild acne–results of a prospective, observational pilot study.” Complementary Medicine Research 19.2 (2012): 75-79.
  5. Tan, Jerry KL, and K. Bhate. “A global perspective on the epidemiology of acne.” British Journal of Dermatology 172 (2015): 3-12.
  6. Palmieri, B., C. Laurino, and M. Vadalà. “A therapeutic effect of cbd-enriched ointment in inflammatory skin diseases and cutaneous scars.” La Clinica Terapeutica 170.2 (2019): e93-e99.
  7. Oláh, Attila, et al. “Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and antiinflammatory effects on human sebocytes.” The Journal of clinical investigation 124.9 (2014): 3713-3724.
  8. Jiang, Ziqi, et al. “Cannabidiol Inhibits Inflammation Induced by Cutibacterium acnes-Derived Extracellular Vesicles via Activation of CB2 Receptor in Keratinocytes.” Journal of Inflammation Research 15 (2022): 4573-4583.
  9. Pila, Grace, Danny Segarra, and Marco Cerna. “Antibacterial effect of Cannabidiol oil against Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and level of toxicity against Artemia salina.” Bionatura 8.1 (2023): 14.
  10. Peyravian, Nadia, et al. “The anti-inflammatory effects of Cannabidiol (CBD) on acne.” Journal of inflammation research (2022): 2795-2801.
  11. Lu, Hui-Chen, and Ken Mackie. “An introduction to the endogenous cannabinoid system.” Biological psychiatry 79.7 (2016): 516-525.
  12. del Río, Carmen, et al. “The endocannabinoid system of the skin. A potential approach for the treatment of skin disorders.” Biochemical pharmacology 157 (2018): 122-133.
  13. Deutsch, Dale G. “A personal retrospective: elevating anandamide (AEA) by targeting fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and the fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs).” Frontiers in pharmacology 7 (2016): 370.
  14. Blaskovich, Mark AT, et al. “The antimicrobial potential of cannabidiol.” Communications Biology 4.1 (2021): 1-18.
  15. Bhatia, Ajay, Jean-Francoise Maisonneuve, and David H. Persing. “Propionibacterium acnes and chronic diseases.” The Infectious Etiology of Chronic Diseases: Defining the Relationship, Enhancing the Research, and Mitigating the Effects: Workshop Summary., Knobler, SL et al.(eds.). 2004.
  16. Larsen, Christian, and Jorida Shahinas. “Dosage, efficacy and safety of cannabidiol administration in adults: a systematic review of human trials.” Journal of clinical medicine research 12.3 (2020): 129.

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