Debunking CBD & Skin Care Video Replay

Hi dear one!

As you know, I’m passionate about truth and transparency. As a skin care formulator, I’m weary of all the new “CBD skin care products” on the market. After formulating CBD rich topicals myself, I can analyze and recognize the watered down counterfeits on the market, and want the same for you.

So what’s all this jazz about CBD and skincare?

It’s ALL RIGHT HERE! Listen to this live webinar replay with Aliza, the CEO of Ellementa and yours truly.

**PS. Grab our 25% reduced price offer below for trusted, organic CBD.

Here are the cliff notes!

This awesome and informative video focuses on how CBD (cannabinoids) is a potent antioxidant, and when used topically- it is an easy, low-commitment way to bring new life support into your daily skin health routine.

Cannabis extracts are being added to skin and beauty products. Some of what is appearing on the market today is part of a trend, there are some ways cannabis – and particularly CBD – can be beneficial to you.

• Many products on the market contain Hemp Seed Oil and are now labeled as containing “cannabis sativa.” Technically, that is correct – Hemp is a version of the cannabis plant. But extractions from hemp seeds do not have the same properties as extractions of the hemp plant or cannabis sativa plant.

• Hemp Seed Oil benefits for skin include:
Contains linoleic acid and oleic acids, both helpful to skin health and can be taken internally
Reducing fine lines and wrinkles
Helping to prevent signs of aging
Good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids the help maintain healthy cells o Moisturizing/hydrating with protectant qualities via lipids/fats

• Products that contain Cannabidiol or CBD can be useful in reducing inflammation, swelling, irritations and acne and also preventing it.

• Terpenes found in cannabis can also be helpful to reduce inflammation. The terpenes known to have anti-inflammatory properties include: Caryophyllene, Alpha-pinene and Beta-pinene, Alpha-bisabolol (anti-irritation and analgesic properties), Humulene, and Myrcene. Linalool is an anti-microbial and antifungal.

• Cannabis and CBD can be used internally to reduce systemic-wide inflammation and address auto-immune conditions that present on the skin such as eczema, psoriasis and contact dermatitis.

• Topicals with cannabis or CBD can only penetrate a few layers of skin but can be useful to reduce inflammation that is closer to or on the skin’s surface.

• Transdermals are formulated to penetrate more deeply and can address bigger health issues that affect the skin including systemic inflammation and autoimmune disorders. Transdermals contain an “accelerant” to promote absorption and could include terpenes such as Limonene or Oleic Acid.

• Taking cannabis or CBD internally can address deficiencies in your Endocannabinoid system which in turn can promote healthier skin.

3 Takeaways

1. A healthy Endocannabinoid System can result in healthier skin and hair (scalp). Cannabis can nourish your ECS.

2. Topicals affect only a few layers deep into your skin – good for surface conditions.

3. Transdermals and taking cannabis or CBD internally can have address more systemic issues that could be affecting your skin.

3 General Tips

1. When using cannabis or CBD externally, do a patch test first to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction. If taking internally: Start low, go slow.

2. Keep a journal of symptoms, what you try, and effects over time.

3. Look to address not just surface skin health but the underlying conditions that could be presenting as skin issues by taking a suitable cannabis product as a supplement as part of your regular health routine

Thanks for listening!

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About Your Hosts

​How Your Body Boosts it’s Own Endocannabinoid’s (CBD free calming bio-hack)

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THE ALPHA & OMEGA

to keeping a health ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM.

Hey Hey!

As you know, I'm all about helping you better connect your beauty + biology.  So to lay the ground work for this important article, I think it's critical we each know how we produce our OWN endocannabinoids. The ”cannabinoids” are the healing support agents from phytocannabinoids in CBD in the market.  

What to know: Cannabinoids do NOT just come from CBD. There's a critical piece for you and your underlying biology to make this mind + body + beauty saving compound. 

From the Beginning

Shortly after the first cannabinoid was isolated from the cannabis plant, scientists discovered that the human body produces similar substances on its own. These substances are now known as “endogenous cannabinoids.” Not only do humans produce their own cannabinoids, but they also have receptors designed specifically to recognize and respond to the endogenous cannabinoids produced. Together, the body's endogenous cannabinoids and the receptors that bind with them form the endocannabinoid system. This system is responsible for a number of functions within the human body, such as maintaining homeostasis.

How it Works

The body's endocannabinoid system relies on the natural production of endogenous cannabinoids in order to function properly. In order to produce the proper amount of endogenous cannabinoids, the body requires a sufficient amount of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids are the precursor to endogenous cannabinoids. If they are in short supply, the body will not be able to manufacture the amount of endogenous cannabinoids it needs to maintain a healthy endocannabinoid system. In addition, Omega-3 fatty acids are also essential to the health of other components in the endocannabinoid system. For example, these compounds facilitate the growth and healing of CB1 receptors, which are required in order to process cannabinoids of any type. Furthermore, Omega-3s are important for the overall health of brain cells in general.

Omega-3 Deficiencies

If your diet doesn't contain a sufficient amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, your body may be unable to produce the proper amount of endogenous cannabinoids on its own. In addition, because Omega-3 fatty acids grow and repair your CB1 receptors, the cannabinoids your body does produce may not affect the endocannabinoid system as strongly as they should. For this reason, it is important for everyone to eat a diet high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Not only are these compounds important for the endocannabinoid system, but they also promote human health in general by boosting fertility, lowering cholesterol, lubricating the joints, protecting vision, improving heart health and providing a number of other important benefits.

Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome

Unfortunately, modern diets do not always contain the nutrition required to maintain the endocannabinoid system properly. In cases where nutritional deficiencies or other problems are causing the endocannabinoid system to fail, a person may develop a condition known as “Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome”. This can lead to a variety of symptoms and related conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraines and more.

ECS Tone Treatment Options

If you are suffering from Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome, you may be able to improve your condition by increasing the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. This will help to heal your CB1 receptors, facilitate the growth of more receptors and increase the amount of endogenous cannabinoids your body produces.

It may also be helpful to supplement your body's endogenous cannabinoids with cannabinoids from external sources, such as CBD Cannabidiol. Taking a cannabidiol supplement will increase the concentration of cannabinoids in your body, thus leading to a more efficient and effective endocannabinoid system.

Head over to Evoq Beauty and purchase our everyday Clean Calm and Connected CBD oil to give your ECS a boost.

How do you dose? The True Bioavailability Between Tinctures, Edibles and Topicals.

Believe me, I know when you’re taking the journey of understanding CBD and how it works - is confusing. If you don’t have neurology or biochemistry degrees, even understanding the basics like your endocannabinoid system, it’s vast network and CB1/CB2 receptors can make you dizzy.

Here’s the truth. Cannabis and CBD is a chemical.

In fact, everything in our universe is built of energy and chemicals - and these chemicals interact with your body’s own chemicals.

So you know the difference between the chemical compounds of THC and CBD:

THC binds most notably to receptors in your brain, altering perception, and CBD doesn’t bind to receptors but alters the communication by activating enzymes and receptors; notably CB2 receptors which are found all over the body regulating everything from mood, skin to menopause to fertility.

At the end of the day, choosing a product with high bioavailability is key. The second is that the “hemp” is activated - reading “Cannabidiol or Diols, Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum.”

Dose refers to how much CBD, CBG, THC, CBN, etc. is in your product and bioavailability refers to how much of that dose actually gets into your body to be considered “active.” Today, we’re breaking down dosing and important definitions to understand.

Bioavailability: when speaking of supplements (hemp falls into this category), bioavailability is the quantity or fraction of the ingested dose that’s absorbed into your body to be considered active.

Two things impact bioavailability:

The application and how your ingest: topical, smoked, oral, edible, or pill are a few common ways to get CBD into your body.

The form of supplement: full spectrum, broad spectrum, isolate and whether these ingredients are “nano.”

A note on nano: Evoq’s Clean Calm and Connected Collection of Nano products whether topically or internally, avoid harsh emulsifications, surfactants, and fillers for two reasons: Some science shows that emulsifications (reclump) in the body; and have harsh driving agents in them defeating the purpose.

Based on the research - let’s look at bioavailability.

While the studies we have don’t outline the rate of absorption (% of bioavailability), look for a product that has transdermal technology or transdermal ingredients to make sure it penetrates the skin. What we do know is that topicals don’t get digested (aka first pass metabolism) meaning it’s stronger and more localized relief.

Vaping and smoking appear to have some of the highest bioavailability at between 34-56%. While smoking something like CBD may not have the localized effect you’ll want if you have joint pain, smoking is a good way to get CBD into your system.

Humans are made of water. Most CBD tinctures are made of oil. Your body is hydrophilic and CBD tinctures are the opposite (hydrophobic - oil and water - remember chemistry class). This doesn’t mean nothing will absorb; of all the “oral” methods, this is one of the better ways to absorb CBD. Another repeat here, but how is the product made, what surrounds it to help it drive further to the blood brain barrier for efficiency and absorbance. So, when the bottle says hold under your tongue for 30 seconds, you might want to overachieve and hold for 60 seconds.

Who doesn’t like a good chocolate CBD edible? Unfortunately, the oral bioavailability of CBD in edibles is low due to something called “first pass metabolism.” If you want something that “hits,” you’re going to need to down a lot of edibles. With food products, you’re looking at anywhere from 6-20% bioavailability with pills being more towards the 6% end.

Now that you’ve mastered bioavailability by product type, let’s talk about the different versions of supplements you find in the CBD world:

Full spectrum means you maintain all ingredients found in the hemp flower. This means that full spectrum products have .3% or less THC because it doesn’t strip anything out.

For potency consistency and reduction of “bell curves” (consistent results), some may choose to formulate with CBD extracted alone, which would be called isolate.

Broad Spectrum is when only the THC is removed but all other ingredients and cannabinoids are maintained. The best way to think of full spectrum and isolate is an orange versus a vitamin C pill, with broad spectrum acting more like a full spectrum product.

BAM! You’re now a PRO!

WAIT! At this point, you’re probably wondering “but how much should I take?”

Through my own experience coaching clients and broad data, it all comes back to testing and good to start at 20mg (and bill upwards to 100mg a day), and journal how you feel.

CBD a pharmacological drug. It’s a plant. Use it daily with consistency and be honest about how you feel and if you have serious concerns about your health, please - please go see a doctor.

Thanks for following along, Awakened Beauty!

Love n’ Light - Kassandra (Leave me a comment, what have you found to work best for you? I’m curious!)

Resource: ChillHouse

CBD and the Endocannabinoid System. Your brain and body are dependent on it.

What is the Endocannabinoid System?

The word endocannabinoid roots itself in Latin, endo meaning within and cannabinoid describing a key in the complex system and is often referred to as the ECS.

The key roles of the ECS are growing daily through research studies by top universities and governing bodies.  

The biological influences of the body’s ECS are many, but to put it simply, it is the neurofeedback system keeping your body in balance despite fluctuations in the external environment.

Keeping your ECS in Balance.

Throughout your body there are cell receptors and corresponding molecules which comprise your endocannabinoid system.

There are two primary cell receptors called Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CB1) and Cannabinoid Receptor 2 (CB2). Your body produces cannabinoids with the assistance of fatty acids, not unlike those cannabinoids produced in the cannabis plant (hello CBD).

Your endocannabinoid presence acts as the master communicators with your cells to better regulate inflammation, pain, appetite, sleep, mood, insulin sensitivity, fat and energy metabolism, and also impact neurologic and immune conditions.  

Cannabinoids influence the activity of more than 1000 genes, and help increase our cellular antioxidant defenses as well as downregulate many pro-inflammatory mediators.  Most can attest that one of the most appreciated uses of CBD is it’s direct activation of serotonin receptors, providing you an anti-anxiety effect.

The symbiotic relationship of cannabinoids and your ECS.

There are few plants that render the phytochemical abundance of cannabis. Cannabis hosts over 400 unique chemicals and are critical for bioregulation and homeostasis throughout our body and brain.  

What happens when you take CBD internally?

When CBD is ingested, it acts as a supplement, if you will, that kick starts the body’s ECS which is stimulated to produce its own cannabinoids. Current research shows that ingesting CBD actually assists the body in switching on its own capacity for maintaining balance and well-being.  

Read that sentence again so it sinks in: Research is showing that ingesting CBD actually assists the body in switching on its own capacity for maintaining balance and well-being.

Game-Changing Discovery Linking the Brain and the Immune System

Cerebral Health + ECS

Cannabinoids have shown to have a protective effect in the brain and nervous system.  As a powerful neuroprotective antioxidant, CBD is superior to the largely known Vitamin E  and Vitamin C in preventing toxicity from excess amounts of the neurotransmitter glutamate.  

Cannabinoids are now being studied as a target as a new antidepressant and antianxiety solution due to its ability to help to balance mood by their effect on a serotonin receptors.  They even help regulate excitability in the brain, which now shows a track record on the impact on epileptic seizures.

Proactive Neuron Health

Certain cannabinoids offer an overall tonic for the brain, protecting against chronic stress, which can result in a decrease the growth and density of new neurons. They also influence mechanisms that govern the life and death of neurons, suggesting they may be helpful for neurodegenerative conditions and increase the capacity of the brain to adapt, change and remodel itself in response to experience. 

Your Body + ECS

The chronic stress and abundance of toxins in today’s culture is a great burden on our bodies. Cannabinoids are a first line of defence in combating the oxidative stress that burdens us all. They’ve shown to diminish damage related to diabetes, retinal disease, leaky gut, and other conditions associated with oxidative stress and immune activation.

As early adopters of CBD, many start taking Cannabinoids  to address inflammation and pain, which may also support musculoskeletal system function and joint health.  We also know how important recovery from sleep is. Good news! According to a 2017 review of scientific research,  cannabinoids were found helpful in improving disturbances in REM sleep leading to excessive daytime sleepiness.

In summary, nature in her brilliance and infinite creativity, has gifted us with a stream of plant bliss-genes,  blooming perfectly for our own innate regulatory cannabinoid system.

What happens when your ECS does not produce enough cannabinoids or regulate the cells properly?  

We are now starting to discover the everyday and more severe autoimmune health issues to be linked to a  “Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome (ECDS).” I will help you explore this concept in a future article.  

We think CBD taken internally is pretty remarkable, which is why we created our tinctures to keep you in check. I think of our ECS as a great harmonizer, helping us to regain equilibrium and balance.

Thank you for following along and discovering more of your inner-brilliance!

Are you happy?

It’s a journey to INNER JOY….

Everyone you meet always asks if you have a career, are married or own a house; as if life was some kind of grocery list

…. But nobody ever asks if you are happy.

- Heath Ledger

Anxiety & Depression. Using CBD for a Happy Go Lucky Life!

Hi!   Get a little anxiety from time to time?  Who doesn't! Living with it daily, is a problem.

I'm staying outside the spiritual and mindfulness  self assessment path on this post - and strictly focusing on the healing benefits of the medicinal plant world that we rely on and share a rich existence with.  

General Anxiety an depression is at all ages and ranges, and has put mental health awareness on the rise.  

Life events, work stressors to menopause hormonal shifts easily effects our brains activity level - in which holds us back from living life at it's best. 

I recently ran across some stressful U.S. statistics:

• 48% of people say stress and anxiety has a negative effect on their life and work.
• 78% experience physical symptoms caused by stress and 73% experience psychological symptoms.
• 48% say stress has increased for them in the last 5 years.

if you’re one of those people, cannabinoid medicine
might be able to help you.

Image: Doen

What Is CBD, and How Does It Work?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical compound found exclusively in the cannabis plant. Unlike THC, CBD does not cause a high. Because of its increasing evidence of its numerous health benefits. One benefit seen from many of our CBD users, is the experience of less anxiety.

Getting Happy - Go - Lucky.     
How tho?  

Experts believe that it reduces anxiety by influencing what’s going on in your brain. Your brain is an astoundingly complex system that controls every interaction in your body.  Every thought and feeling you have is the result of its billions of nerve cells and chemicals, which are constantly interacting together.

Usually, all these chemical reactions go smoothly and you feel happy and healthy, but sometimes the chemicals cause feelings that you don’t want, like anxiety. Experts believe that when this happens, CBD can be used to change the chemistry in your brain and throughout your body, and get things running smoothly again.

Those who had taken cbd experienced significantly less anxiety and discomfort than those who received the placebo.

Evidence: The anecdotal evidence on CBD is abundant, which has brought many men and women to a fork in the road of choosing CBD a try for their anxiety

Receptor Systems in the Brain

>> The brain contains large numbers of highly specialized cells called neurons.

>> Each neuron connects to many others through structures called synapses.

>> These are sites where one neuron communicates to another by releasing chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters.

A neuron’s sensitivity to a specific neurotransmitter depends on whether or not it contains a receptor that “fits” that transmitter.  If a neuron contains receptors that match a particular neurotransmitter, then it can respond directly to that transmitter. All neurons contain multiple neurotransmitter receptors, allowing them to respond to some neurotransmitters but not others.

Plant Medicine & Receptors

Brain receptors are not only sensitive to neurotransmitters produced naturally within the brain, like dopamine or serotonin, but also chemical messengers produced outside the body, such as plant cannabinoids like THC or CBD.

So when you ingest an edible or tonic, the components travel through your bloodstream, and enter your brain. Once they arrive, these plant-derived compounds influence brain activity by interacting with receptors on neurons. But they don’t interact with all neurons, just the ones that have the appropriate receptors.

CBD and the Receptor Systems [and the misconceptions]

Although it is a cannabinoid, CBD does not directly interact with the two classical cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2).  Instead, it affects signaling through CB1 and CB2 receptors indirectly. This partly explains why, in contrast to THC, CBD is non-intoxicating. In addition to its indirect influence on the CB1 and CB2 receptors, CBD can increase levels of the body’s own naturally-produced cannabinoids (known as endocannabinoids) by inhibiting the enzymes that break them down.

Even more intriguing: CBD also influences many non-cannabinoid receptor systems in the brain, interacting with receptors sensitive to a variety of drugs and neurotransmitters.  

CBD & Opioids

These include opioid receptors, known for their role in pain regulation. Opioid receptors are the key targets of pharmaceutical pain killers and drugs of abuse such as morphine, heroin, and fentanyl.

CBD can also interact with dopamine receptors, which play a crucial role in regulating many aspects of behavior and cognition, including motivation and reward-seeking behavior.

This raises the intriguing possibility that CBD’s ability to influence either opioid or dopamine receptors may underlie its ability to dampen drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms, effects directly relevant to the treatment of addiction.

CBD and a Happy Serotonin System

CBD’s ability to target a specific serotonin receptor, the serotonin 1A receptor, is associated with a remarkable range of therapeutic possibilities.

Professor Roger Pertwee, a pharmacologist from the University of Aberdeen, spoke with Leafly about this aspect of CBD biology.

“It’s apparent ability to enhance the activation of serotonin 1A receptors supports the possibility that it could be used to ameliorate disorders that include: opioid dependence, neuropathic pain, depression and anxiety disorders, nausea and vomiting (e.g. from chemotherapy), and negative symptoms of schizophrenia,” he said. “One big unanswered question is what the human clinical relevance and importance of each of these potential therapeutic uses of CBD, identified solely by examining data from non-human preclinical research, actually is.”

CBD Partnering with Complex Pharmacology

Understanding CBD’s neurological effects is a complicated business, because of the wide variety of receptors with which it interacts.  But that complexity may be the key to its promise as a therapeutic agent.

Motivational disorders like addiction and anxiety are themselves highly complex; they arise from incompletely understood causes that span multiple receptor systems and neural networks in the brain. CBD’s complex, multi-target effects may therefore be crucial to its potential for aiding the treatment of such disorders. Over the coming years, researchers will continue to further understand this complexity and uncover the full scope of CBD’s therapeutic potential.

So How Do I Use It?

Unfortunately, since CBD hasn’t been officially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for anxiety, there are no official guidelines on how to use it if you decide to do so. Most experts recommend starting with a low dose, and working your way up slowly, taking note of how it makes you feel. Everybody reacts differently to CBD

Studies state 300-600mg per day brings relief.  

A lot of people do seem to be finding their own sweet spot. In a 2017 survey of 2,400 people from the medicinal cannabis community, researchers found that the majority use CBD products, and the most common medical condition they are using it for is anxiety.

Most of the CBD-users in this study reported that CBD works very well, with 42 percent saying that they have actually stopped using traditional medications now that they use CBD. Great news!

As noted, research validates that starting with 300-600mg can benefit the user. From my experience, this is good starting place to begin building on your specific needs.  Most likely, the body's not just experiencing "anxiety." Theres a root origin that intertwines a myriad of physiological and mental symptoms together.  So in conclusion, as an adaptogen like compound, the receptors feed what is most deficient first.  

Find our Advanced Terpene Rich + Broad Spectrum 300MG CBD HERE. 

A little more tense?  Our 1000mg CBD + CBG is a HOT SELLER for instant and long lasting benefits.  This tonic is also infused with additional terpenes and an additional cannabinoid profile for incredible healing power and bioavailability. Find that HERE.

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.What About the Risks?

The good news is that despite the lack of FDA approval, people commonly take CBD for anxiety and a wide range of other health and wellness benefits, and negative side effects don’t seem to be too common.

Many people prefer CBD—clinically tested or not—to other common anti-anxiety drugs since these other options can cause some fairly unpleasant side effects; things like confusion, muscle weakness, and vomiting. Anti-anxiety medications can also be very addictive. In one 2017 review researchers conclude that the potential side effects of CBD are generally much more tolerable than those from alternative medications.

Here are eight lifestyle antidotes to be aware of when addressing anxiety and stress:

Keep your relationships strong. You may have 1,000 Facebook Friends and 500 LinkedIn connections, but do you have at least a few close relationships with people who care about you and whom you trust? These are people where you have regular interactions in more than 140 character sound-bites: where you speak about what’s really going on with you and find support and encouragement.

Resolve conflicts quickly. Do you have unresolved relationship tension that’s causing stress? Are you holding a grudge? Maybe it’s time to deal with these and move on. Trying to avoid relationship challenges is usually more draining long-term than having that difficult but needed conversation now.

Don’t worry. Worrying is stressful. It saps energy, life, creativity and resilience. We all worry; the key is not getting stuck there. There are several ways out:

Ask for help. One way out of worry may involve asking a boss, mentor or co-worker for advice or for a hand in getting something done. Or maybe you find yourself taking too long to complete a task because you’re over-analyzing it. If so, collaborate with a “doer” to help you get to decision and action. Delegate. Pray. Or all of the above.

Be thankful. It is amazing how remembering to be grateful can positively shift perspective and reduce worry and stress. How might you develop and maintain an attitude of gratitude?

Stay positive. With bad news, difficult circumstances, Debbie Downers and Doug and Wendy Whiners all around us, focusing intentionally on the good can be like swimming upstream. Get time with positive people. And mix inspirational reading and reflection into your day so your thought life and attitude isn’t governed purely by your intake of news and entertainment.

Do what’s important. Some of us are addicted to busyness; and it’s easy to get busy with stuff that’s not really important. Clarifying what is important and where we really want to say “yes” makes it easier to say “no” to distractions that just wind up creating more stress.

Take care of yourself. Find an exercise routine that works for you. Eat well. Get the rest you need. These habits make a huge difference when it comes to increasing your energy and preventing and coping with stress.

Resource: https://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/what-does-cbd-do