Marijuana and Skin Care: What the Research Shows

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Can marijuana make you “more beautiful”? Not in any proven way yet. Lab studies show cannabinoids act on skin cells, and in a small 2005 trial in people with eczema, skin dryness and itching improved after a period of eating hempseed oil. Beyond that, the beauty benefits of marijuana are unproven in people.

It sounds strange if you picture the old stereotype of the unkempt pot smoker. That picture leaves out patients who also care about their skin and hair. Stereotypes aside, people use cannabis for many reasons, including medical ones, and you may use medical marijuana for a qualifying condition and still want to know whether a cannabis cream is worth buying.

Product labels make many skin claims, and the evidence behind them is thin. Most of that evidence comes from lab dishes and animals, not from people. The only trial in people cited on this page tested hempseed oil taken as food, not a cream on the skin. Bisabolol, which can appear on skin product ingredient lists, is covered in our bisabolol guide.

The beauty industry has taken notice, and hemp and CBD skincare products are now widely sold. FDA says cosmetics and their ingredients, other than most color additives, do not need FDA approval before they are sold.

Old attitudes about marijuana and personal beauty deserve a fresh look, and so do the newer marketing claims. We look at what holds up, starting with smoking and then creams and oils.

Smoking Marijuana vs. Topicals for Your Skin

Is Smoking Bad for Your Skin?

First, let’s address a commonly held belief: smoking marijuana is bad for your skin.

We found no skin study that tests that belief directly. The better documented concern is what smoke of any kind does to your lungs.

NIDA says cannabis smoke contains many of the same toxins, irritants and carcinogens as tobacco smoke, and CDC says smoked cannabis can harm lung tissue. If you have eczema, psoriasis or rosacea, ask a dermatologist about triggers.

Water pipes still deliver smoke, and the FDA and CDC recommend that people not use THC vaping products. Edibles avoid smoke entirely, though they take longer to act.

So what about putting cannabis on your skin instead?

What Topicals Can and Cannot Do for Your Skin

Any effect marijuana has on skin would come from chemical compounds called cannabinoids.

The marijuana plant contains more than 100 cannabinoids, and the two most familiar are THC and CBD. THC causes the high; CBD does not, and its only FDA-approved use is for certain seizures, while evidence for anxiety or pain is limited.

Your skin contains cannabinoid receptors, and these receptors are part of your body’s endocannabinoid system. Lab studies suggest this system helps regulate oil production and inflammation in skin cells.

How much of a cannabinoid in a cream reaches those receptors, and whether it changes your skin, has not been well studied in people.

Here is what the evidence says about five label claims: antioxidants, calmer skin, dry or itchy skin, terpenes and hair.

Marijuana’s Beauty Claims, Checked

Do Cannabinoids Work as Antioxidants on Skin?

“Antioxidants” has been a health buzzword for quite a while. The idea is that antioxidants may limit damage from free radicals, unstable molecules that can harm cells.

UV rays from the sun can damage skin through free radicals, also called reactive oxygen species, and may add to visible aging over time. Repeated sun exposure is the main cause of skin tumors, including melanoma, the same review says.

A 1998 lab study found CBD protected rat brain cells from damage better than vitamin C or E in culture. It did not test skin, and we found no trial showing that cannabinoids reduce lines or wrinkles.

Can Cannabinoids Calm Inflamed Skin?

If you have a rash, eczema or psoriasis, see a dermatologist: cannabinoids have anti-inflammatory effects in lab studies, but they are not proven treatments for these conditions. A 2015 review of plant remedies for acne mentions cannabis seed oil, and a 2014 lab study found CBD reduced oil production in human skin cells.

Does Hempseed Oil Help Dry or Itchy Skin?

Hempseed oil contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In a small 20-week crossover trial in people with atopic dermatitis, skin dryness and itching improved after the hempseed oil period, but hempseed oil has not been shown to protect against sun damage or skin cancer.

What Do Terpenes Add to Skin Products?

Terpenes are aromatic compounds found in the cannabis plant that give the plant its familiar aroma. Terpenes are studied for many properties. Limonene, for example, gives off a citrus-like aroma and is widely used as a fragrance in cosmetics, but once exposed to air it can form compounds that cause skin allergies in some people.

Does Hempseed Oil Help Hair?

Hempseed oil is also sold in many hair products.

We found no clinical trial testing claims that it softens or strengthens hair, adds shine or reduces dandruff.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will These Beauty Products Get Me High?

Most topicals are not meant to cause a high, but some cannabinoids can pass through skin: in a 2016 rat study, a CBD gel produced measurable blood levels.

What Kind of Marijuana Beauty Products Are Available?

As noted above, hemp and cannabis beauty products are widely sold. Common types include:

Soaps
Lotions
Creams
Balms
Pomades
Perfumes
Shampoos

How Popular Are Marijuana-Infused Beauty Products?

Hemp and CBD skincare is now sold widely in stores and online.

Fashion and beauty magazines cover them often, which adds to their appeal.

Coverage is not evidence, and popularity is not proof, so weigh any product against the evidence above.

Where Are Hemp and Marijuana Skin Products Sold?

FDA lists hempseed oil among the hemp seed ingredients that can be legally sold in food in the United States, and it is sold at natural food and health stores.

Hempseed oil contains no or only traces of cannabinoids, NCI notes. Some labels stress cannabinoid content, but that matters little for skin, because the skin benefits of cannabinoids have not been proven in people.

The idea that fatty acids, cannabinoids and terpenes work better together, the entourage effect, is still a hypothesis, so there is no proven reason to choose cannabis-infused products for skin care.

In Florida, only a licensed treatment center may dispense marijuana products, from a local dispensary or by delivery, and only to qualified patients and caregivers for the patient’s medical use.

Marijuana and Skin Care: What to Remember

Caring about your skin is not vanity. Skin and hair that are healthy usually look their best, too. When your hair or skin is damaged, a dermatologist is the place to start, and cannabis skin products are an unproven extra.

Florida law allows medical marijuana for patients with qualifying conditions, but the beauty benefits of marijuana are still unproven.

If you have questions about marijuana products, or you want to see whether you qualify for a Florida medical marijuana card, Dr. Green Relief is available to help.

Last updated October 18, 2026 by the Dr. Green Relief Editorial Team.

Medical review

Medically reviewed by Achilles Kalnoky, M.D.

Reviewed on October 16, 2026.

He is licensed in Florida as a medical doctor, license ME115088, which you can check on the Florida Department of Health license lookup.

His review covers the medical statements in this post and the sources cited for them.

Marijuana and Skin Care: What the Research Shows