Hello there! My name is Emma and I work for Ildi Pekar Skin Care, in NYC I have been working at ldi’s for nearly two years now. One of the things Ildi is most known for is her renowned collection of skin care products including some infused with Cannabidiol or CBD. In the spring of 2019, I had the pleasure of treating the lovely Makayla Herdman with a signature CBD facial! Our shared values and passion had us chatting the whole time and we still maintain regular contact to date.
At Ildi Pekar we carry CBD tincture for consumption to help with anxiety, sleeplessness, among other things. However, my greatest love is to use CBD topically. CBD does not get enough credit in my world, it is anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and it also carries vitamins such as A, C, & E. CBD would be beneficial for anyone who is consistently in the sun, being that it can help protect against UV damage, but still I wouldn’t recommend to skip that SPF! EVER! People suffering from eczema, psoriasis, contact dermatitis or acne prone skin can get the most benefits from CBD.
You may have heard about CBD or even medicinal cannabis but what is it and why has the narrative of a cannabis consumer changed? Well the explanation all starts with ECS…
Endocannabinoid (ECS) is somewhat of a mystery, I’d like to explain to you some of the things we do know.
To put it plainly, ECS is a system within your body whose major function is to promote homeostasis when there are intrinsic or extrinsic stressors. Or in layman’s terms, bring your body and health back to balance when there are internal and external factors interfering with your equilibrium. This can include but is not limited to sleep, stress, appetite, & memory. The most interesting part of this enigmatic system is that it “flares up” as needed. The endocannabinoid’s major components are its receptors, its ligands (body-made endocannabinoids, which attach to the receptors to create action), and the enzymes (which synthesize the endocannabinoid when needed and breaks down when they are no longer of use).
Endocannabinoid receptors are located throughout the body as CB1, which is found in the central nervous system, and CB2 found in the peripheral nervous system (specially the immune system, take note!). Receptors are needed in order to signal the system to start to run its course; for example when tired it’ll remind you to sleep, when hungry to eat, etc. Sounds unreal, right? Why would they keep this secret from us and why isn’t it taught in school!?
I bet endo-CANNABInoid sounds familiar… well maybe because you’ve heard of Cannabis.
Cannabis has been problematic because often policy makers associate it with its psychoactive properties. Though this may be the case, phytocannabinoids found in the cannabis plant mimic the endocannabinoid receptors found in our bodies meaning it has the potential to supplement these receptors. IF your body fails to waken the ECS, you can modulate it with phytocannabinoids. THC is one of these phytocannabinoids it is the one responsible for the “high” felt when consuming cannabis, CBD is another main component of the cannabis plant but it does not give you the “high”; however, it is suspected to delay the breakdown of the endocannabinoids therefore allowing more time for it to have its therapeutic effects over the body. The phytocannabinoids found in the cannabis plant aren’t limited to CBD and THC, ongoing studies have found hundreds of other phytocannabinoids that show promise. CBD is important because it allows the body more time for its healing functions. CBD has been found to help with anxiety, depression and seizures.
What’s important to know about CBD is that although it is getting the spotlight it deserves (in America) it is not to be confused with HEMP!
Hemp seed oil is produced from cannabis sativa seed, however, its low levels of cannabinoids and lack of CBD and THC inhibit it from the healing benefits of the endocannabinoid system. Hemp is beneficial in it’s own right; it contains Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids, it has antioxidant and anti-aging benefits although it may lack the healing benefits of CBD. When purchasing a product it is important to check where it came from in order to know if you’re using it for the correct problems.
“Now this is where I jump in! The distribution, sales and consumption of cannabis or cannabis products including CBD are highly illegal in Australia without a prescription from a cannabis doctor and enrolment to the Special Access Scheme.
When there is an amazing product you are always going to find people trying to take advantage of that and unfortunately in Australia we see a lot of pyramid scheme type sales of ‘CBD’ that claims all the benefits of medicinal cannabis without the correct product to sell.
What does this mean?
If you can purchase CBD or any cannabis product online, over the counter or from one of these new ‘consultants’ then you are either buying a fake product (which may be hemp derivative) or illegally and these people selling it would be deemed drug dealers.
HOWEVER we are fortunate enough to have cannabis dispensaries in Australia, the laws are just so strict that if you are selling this product you cannot suggest it or prescribe it without the patient specifically mentioning it and you definitely cannot promote it or educate the public about it! So all those ‘CBD instagram pages’ ….. You guessed it!
If you do believe cannabis could help you or would like to discuss it further I will proudly recommend you make an appointment at RELEAF CLINIC ST KILDA where a cannabis trained doctor can talk you through all your options regarding ratios (THC:CBD), dosage and consumption methods.” – Makayla Herdman
