When it comes to hemp oil, we have a long way to go when it comes to getting this product into people’s minds as a safe, natural remedy that helps people in pain. Many people do not realize that this product is completely harmless and will not make you high, hallucinate, or smell like you’ve been smoking.
Rather, it is a high-quality natural medicinal that has been used for years in Eastern medicine. With each passing day, more and more education is prevailing and showing doubters the goodness that this oil packs in just a few drops. This article aims to show others just 13 outstanding benefits of hemp oil on your skin and hair.
Benefits of Hemp Oil on Your Skin and Hair
1. Great for a Healthy Heart
Hemp seed oil has a ratio of 3 to 1 for Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids. This balance has been shown to support a healthy heart and encourage proper cardiovascular functions. Spanish researchers found that hempseed oil has potential to be part of a healthy diet.
Says the research: High amounts of one Omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid, may possess favorable implications for nutrition and good physiological effects on preventing coronary heart disease as well as cancer. The researchers were also able to detect plant chemicals like beta-sitosterol and campesterol, which have been linked to lowering the risk of a heart attack. These may also lower inflammation.
2. Helps the Skin
Your use of hemp oil on your skin can be done topically or by consuming it. Doing so might get you benefits of healthier looking skin. You can expect it to moderate oil production, because it can moisturize without clogging up pores. It can help you balance out skin that is oily, giving it hydration and regulating oil production.
Hemp oil also can prevent dry skin without clogging pores. The omega-6 fatty acids that are found in hemp oil act as a powerful anti-inflammatory that encourages skin to grow. Hemp oil has anti-aging properties, too, such as reducing of fine lines and wrinkles.
3. Helps with Hair
Hemp oil can get you the thick, healthy hair you want. It is full of lipids which will bring moisture and shine to your hair. It will strengthen strands that are fragile and breakable, give your hair body, and even thicken it in the best case. It prevents hair loss from happening and promotes new growth. It can also reduce the itchy scalp that leads to dandruff.
It can improve your blood circulation and of course reduce inflammation, keeping scalp infections at bay. You should apply this topically. It absorbs better and is a lot less sticky than most other vegetable oils. Ask your hairstylist for a shampoo or conditioner with hemp.
4. Helps with the Brain
Hemp oil is good for the brain. To keep our brain active and memory on point, brain cells need to be “fluid and flexible,” to quote Dr. Oz. The fatty acid content in hemp oil and the perfect ratio of linoleic acid to alpha linoleic acid helps the brain perform its functions at its most optimal level.
This is a rare consumable that has the perfect balance of nutrition that coincides perfectly with the brain’s need for cannabinoids. Your brain also needs Omega 3 fatty acids because it aids in the repairing of brain cells that are damaged due to stress and processed food consumption.
5. Good for Dogs
Your beloved four-legged furry friend benefits when you give him or her hemp oil. Many commercial dog foods are like processed foods for humans-made only to taste good and lack in the nutrient department. You can give your dog hemp oil to moisturize his or her fur correctly. It is herbal and therefore has no side effects like fish oil does.
Make sure to administer it in the correct quantity. It can prevent dog dandruff, dog eczema, dog acne, dry nose, and dog rash. Your dog’s cognitive thinking may be stimulated. It can enhance blood circulation. You might even notice a lesser amount of shedding too.
6. Hemp Oil as Wood Varnish
You can use hemp oil as a way to shine up the wood around your home. Just mix some of the oil in with lemon oil and apply it over finished woodwork. You can then buff it out to make the furniture shine with a chemical-free sheen.
Bonus-the kids and the pets can breathe it in and you don’t have to worry about them taking in harsh chemicals. You can also use it on a squeaky door or even a bike chain that won’t stop catching. It is environmentally friendly and a great alternative to petroleum-based oil.
7. It Helps Relieve Cancer Treatment Side Effects
According to a 2007 study, not only did hemp oil prevent heart disease, but it also helped relieve cancer treatment side effects. Cannabinoids which are found inside hemp oil, such as cannabidiol (also known as CBD), are partly responsible for hemp’s healing properties. This CBD could be infused into edibles, or even used in vaporizers. Vaporization allows patients to get the most cannabinoids in the least amount of time compared to other intake methods.
8. It Can Help with Anxiety
Approximately 18% of Americans suffer from some sort of anxiety disorder, and hemp oil may help to put some of that at ease.
Hemp seed oil is derived from the seeds of the hemp plant. The seeds are the most powerful part of the plant, as it contains the best oils with those Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids we discussed earlier. These compounds are known to affect a person’s level of anxiety.
As you may have guessed, there was a study published that showed the reduced anxiety in its participants by as much as 20% just by having them ingest an Omega-3 supplement for a period of 90 days. Another study indicated that having the proper amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids helped reduce the occurrence of migraines and headaches.
9. It is a Superfood
Hemp seeds, hemp protein, and most importantly hemp oil all can make your food taste good and get you valuable nutrients. Its high amount of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids make it a great fish alternative for vegetarian and vegan people, and it is also very low in saturated fat at only 5-7%.
Just one tablespoon of this stuff and you will have your daily requirement for these necessary fatty acids. You can make all sorts of great dressings with it, such as hemp honey mustard or hemp oil vinaigrette to make your salad more of a super healthy dish. Just use it sparingly so the flavor isn’t overpowering.
10. Fighter of Free Radicals
Hemp oil can help you steer clear of free radicals.
Some oxidative stress is just a fact of life that we have to deal with. But many of us eat way too many processed foods, encounter tons of environmental pollutants, and do high-intensity exercise. Combine this with our already stressful lives, and you end up with huge level of oxidative stress.
Over time, these free radicals can damage cells and DNA. You can fight this by taking in antioxidant rich herbs and plants. Hemp oil contains tons of powerful antioxidants that fight these free radicals and bring down your oxidative stress levels.
11. Can Prevent Psoriasis
The CBD that is found in hemp oil has been known to prevent and even treat severe skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. The cause of these conditions is not known but is thought to have a connection to the immune system. Hemp oil has the ability to treat and manage psoriasis by providing regulation to the immune system and act as an anti-inflammatory for psoriasis flare ups.
12. Hemp can Regulate Insulin
Hemp works in tandem with our ECS, or endocannabinoid system. Hemp also has an ability to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. Having low insulin means that fat can be burned up throughout the course of the day, and users end up with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, depending upon other lifestyle factors.
13. May Help Alzheimer’s Disease
A study conducted upon mice showed that the oil prevented development of social recognition deficit, which is a common part of Alzheimer’s disease. More research, however, is needed to determine how it affects humans.
Conclusion
In choosing your hemp oil product, be sure to use a few criteria as you shop.
For starters, verify that the plants are grown 100% organically so as to minimize pesticide exposure. Second, be sure that the hemp is extracted using CO2, olive oil, or ethanol. Olive oil extracts should be stored in a dark cool place so that it does not get rancid.
Lastly, ask for a third-party certificate of analysis. This shows the chemical composition of the hemp and lets you know if anything is in there that you don’t want, like heavy metals.
This plant has so much to offer us, and more research is being conducted daily. Enjoy the benefits today!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5289988/
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/hemp-oil-uses-and-benefits
