The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
b-side
Thursday, October 11, 2018 — 3B
I don’t smoke weed. Few
things terrify me more than the
idea of ingesting a substance
whose origins I know nothing
about, and I know as much
about marijuana as your friendly
neighborhood Church Lady.
When I first heard about
the emergence of cosmetics
with cannabidiol, or CBD, I
was perplexed. I knew the
substance had something to do
with cannabis. In my mind, that
meant labs full of dermatologists
grinding up the stuff my friends
put in their bongs, only to
sprinkle it into a lotion or lip
balm.
Needless to say, I was wrong.
The story of CBD is far more
complex than I ever could have
imagined. This is my journey
with cannabidiol skin care, made
possible by extensive research
and a beauty brand called Hora.
The
CBD
Movement:
A
Timeline
Cannabidiol
is
one
of
several
compounds
found
in
cannabis.
Along
with
tetrahydrocannabinol,
the
“high”-inducing
compound
THC, it makes up about 40
percent of the plant’s extract.
In western culture, CBD has
been lauded for its therapeutic
properties dating back to the
19th century; it’s rumored that
Queen
Victoria
used
CBD-
rich cannabis to alleviate her
menstrual cramps.
Cannabidiol
wasn’t
individually
extracted
until
1940, when American chemist
Roger
Adams
became
the
first person to separate the
compound from the plant using
a mixture of ethanol and “red
oil.” Six years later, Dr. W.S.
Loewe performed the first CBD
tests on lab animals, through
which he discovered ingestion
of the compound does not
produce an altered mental state.
Scientific interest in CBD slowed
in the following decades until
its three-dimensional structure
was identified, opening a field
of research devoted to exploring
CBD’s potential uses. Studies in
the ’70s and ’80s cited CBD as
reducing nausea and vomiting
caused
by
chemotherapy,
producing
sedative
effects
and diminishing convulsions
in epileptic individuals. From
the ’90s into the first decade of
the new millennium, CBD was
found to hold anti-inflammatory
and calming properties, even
boasting the ability to ease
chronic pains of neurological
origin.
Today, CBD oil supplements
made from hemp are permitted
in all 50 states so long as
they’re produced under the
provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill.
Four years after its technical
legalization, the compound has
garnered widespread use as
a treatment for physical pain,
anxiety and depression, but new
developments have also seen its
incorporation into the beauty
industry. Enter Hora Skin Care,
a Los Angeles-based company
that secured its place on the CBD
bandwagon from its inception
in Jan. At present, its inventory
consists of the Super Serum and
the Overnight Exfoliating Mask,
both of which contain CBD,
along with facial rollers in rose
quartz, clear quartz and jade.
“I
actually
have
another
company called Punch Edibles
in the medical marijuana, now
recreational marijuana, market
here in Cali. I’ve been around
THC and CBD for quite a long
time,”
Samantha
Czubiak,
founder and CEO of Hora, told
The Daily regarding her choice
to use CBD in her products.
“It
became
introduced
into
my skin care because I had a
ton of products on my counter
and every day I would try to
figure out, like, ‘OK, so now I
need to worry about pimples,’
or ‘Today I need to worry
about brightening,’ and all this
different stuff. I was always
concocting stuff in my hand,
and I was like, ‘Why not create
something all in one?’ While I
was doing a lot of research on
the active ingredients that I
knew I already liked, I started
looking into CBD as a benefit to
anti-aging or extra antioxidants,
as well as it’s an incredible anti-
inflammatory. So people are
having a lot of success with it in
acne.”
Czubiak’s
claims
didn’t
come out of thin air. A 2014
study from the Journal of
Clinical
Investigation
found
CBD behaves as an effective
“sebostatic”
and
“lipostatic”
agent,
meaning
it
stifles
secretion
of
acne-producing
gunk in skin’s pores. The study
also indicates CBD reduced
inflammation
when
applied
topically.
“I thought it was going to be
a crucial ingredient in a really
all-in-one product,” she said.
Other ingredients in Hora’s
Super Serum include rosehip
oil and vitamin C, while the
Exfoliating Mask contains the
likes of salicylic acid and MCT
oil, a supplement made from
Medium-chain triglycerides fats
thought to help fight Alzheimer’s
disease. In addition to CBD, the
products, which were conceived
by Czubiak with guidance from
a professional formulator, share
vitamin A as another common
ingredient.
The CBD Cynics
With every rising cosmetics
trend comes a skeptic movement.
Those who doubt CBD’s skincare
benefits cite a lack of studies in
the field. Meanwhile, existing
research indicates less efficacy
in CBD when it’s extracted from
the greater cannabinoid system
in isolation, a phenomenon that,
according to The New York
Times, has been dubbed the
“entourage effect.”
Many CBD beauty brands,
like Hora, employ this isolate, a
decision that Czubiak defended.
“It’s the purest way to get
it,” she explained. “There’s no
other plant material in there
or extra fats or lipids from the
plant itself. You’re literally just
getting the active ingredient
that you want. It really is just a
refined process, and then from
there, it really just depends on
what you’re using it for.”
The uncertainty doesn’t stop
there. As The Times points out,
there is more CBD in cannabis
strains containing THC than
in hemp, but only CBD derived
from
hemp
can
be
legally
distributed. This could result
in
pain-relieving
and
anti-
inflammatory effects that are
less magnitudinous than CBD
superfans make them out to be.
Not only that, in addition,
there is no evidence for what an
effective dosage of CBD would be
for treatment of skin conditions
like acne. What scientists do
know is a higher dosage seems
to signal more potent results. An
article from California nonprofit
Project CBD reports, “Studies
have established that synthetic,
single-molecule CBD has a very
narrow therapeutic window and
requires precise, high doses for
efficacy.”
The question then arises:
What constitutes a high dose
of CBD? A 2017 study from
the Journal of the American
Medical
Association
showed
of 84 different CBD products
analyzed,
the
average
concentration
for
CBD
products was 30.96 mg per
mL. Compare that to the 250
mg/oz of CBD in Hora’s Super
Serum and 422 mg/50mL in
the
Overnight
Exfoliating
Mask. That said, Hora has very
low concentrations of CBD in
their products compared to the
average.
All things considered, most
mainstream
dermatologists
have yet to get onboard with the
CBD push.
“There may be some promise
for
future
use,”
Jeffrey
Orringer, chief of the cosmetic
dermatology division at the
University,
said
regarding
the
potential
advantages
of
CBD skin care. “But it is too
early to determine the safety
and efficacy of many of these
products
because
rigorous
studies are generally lacking in
this area.”
She Really Tried It
When Hora’s public relations
coordinator
reached
out
to
me asking if I’d be interested
in sampling their products, I
immediately signed on: This
would be my time to put CBD’s
claims to the test. After receiving
my samples in the mail, I got
down to business, applying the
Super Serum every morning and
night for two weeks, swapping
it out for the Exfoliating Mask
a total of three times — the
package notes it can be used up
to four times a week.
Most days, I applied the
products with my Hora-branded
jade facial roller after cleansing
with Cetaphil wash. The roller
is said to promote absorption of
the products, reduce under eye
circles and stimulate collagen,
the skin’s elasticity agent. This
is not an article about jade
rollers, so I will keep my praises
to a minimum, but that little
gadget was especially useful
for massaging my sinuses when
flu season came for my immune
system.
The Super Serum has a thin
consistency
and
comes
out
milky white. Though both dye-
and fragrance-free, it emits a
noticeable scent that I’ll call
“earthy” for our purposes. The
Exfoliating Mask is a similar
color, though slightly runnier
with a less discrete smell. Both
were easy to apply, and I was
left with no sticky residue after
using the roller atop my product-
covered pores.
During this two-week period,
I documented my skin care
procedures each day, reporting
significant
changes
in
my
skin. Below, I’ve rounded up
some of my most noteworthy
observations:
Night 1 - Sept. 22: Smell is
subtle but a little funky and
vaguely fungal, kind of like the
high school biology classroom
the day of the sheep brain
dissection.*
Morning 4 - Sept. 26: When I
woke up, my formerly giant lip
zit no longer hurt, its whitehead
was gone. Less large, but still
red.
Morning 10 - Oct. 2: Chacne
looks so much better!
I went on several skin-picking
rampages while testing Hora’s
products.
Evidence
of
each
almost completely faded over
the course of a good night’s
sleep.
“I’ve had tons of positive
feedback from the product,”
Czubiak said. “I think just
statistically, people are always
scared
or
the
marijuana
industry doesn’t get the credit
it really does deserve. I think
it’s just going to take a long
time
with
THC
and
CBD
products to really be recognized
in
mainstream
beauty
or
mainstream pharmaceuticals. I
mean, I just heard the other day
that there was a CBD drug that’s
the first FDA-approved drug out
there, so I think we’re making
waves, and we’ll start to hear
more positive things coming out
about CBD, especially. It really
is a rockstar product, honestly.”
My foray into Hora’s CBD-
rich regimen has given me no
reason to disagree. I’ve seen
the texture of my skin improve
in a remarkably short time.
My cheeks, once covered in
miniscule bumps, are now silky-
smooth aside from a few small
areas of inflammation. Plus
— and I’m fully aware of how
silly this sounds — my face feels
brighter now. I even received
several compliments on my
“natural glow” throughout my
trial run.
In Conclusion
I
love
Hora’s
products.
Whether CBD is the reason
they’re effective is beyond me,
but frankly, I don’t really care.
In
most
CBD
skin
care
products
on
the
market,
cannabidiol is one of several
ingredients,
most
of
which
have benefits more generally
accepted than CBD’s. Czubiak
echoed these sentiments:
“I would say that we’ve
created just a master formula,
and CBD is just one of the
ingredients, honestly. I started
with,
I
was
getting
really
obsessed with hyaluronic acid
and argan oil … I feel like I was
way more focused on making it a
complete product and what else
was going to go into before I was
really like, ‘OK, CBD and just
throw whatever else in there.’”
Czubiak is not a scientist, nor
does she masquerade as one.
That doesn’t change the fact that
Hora’s products deliver exactly
what they promise: a fast-acting,
naturally-derived solution to
acne and inflammation. They
also just so happen to contain
CBD.
*In retrospect, this was a
dramatic exaggeration. I stopped
noticing the smell by day three.
TESS GARCIA
Daily Style Editor
COURTESY OF TESS GARCIA
Trust me, CBD cosmetics are much
more than just smoke and mirrors
B-SIDE SECONDARY
My Pet Rocks:
A journey with
healing crystals
I’m sitting in the testing
accommodation center, flicking
my pencil and worrying about
the exam I’m about to take. I
open my glasses case, slide on
my glasses and pick out my two
stones — usually an emerald and
a tiger’s eye.
I have severe anxiety, but
luckily, I have my stones.
Since I can remember, I have
lived around stones, crystals
and rocks. My homeopathic,
Buddhist dad raised me with
this form of healing, and it’s a
significant part of my identity
and spiritual practice. An active
stone-bracelet
wearer
and
crystal-pocket carrier, he knew
that my sister and I needed good
energy, and that we needed a
type of healing that strayed from
modern medicine.
I had crystals everywhere:
my nightstand, my backpack,
my swim bag, my glasses case.
I would rub them when I
had stressful exams to take, I
would play with them before
my races. When I got serious
about meditation practices, I
began to meditate with them
in my palms or right beside me.
No one understood my unique
rock collection or the energy it
cultivated.
When I asked my
dad to talk about
his
journey
with
healing crystals, he
told me he was not
necessarily the right
person to speak with.
A dear friend of his
and an alternative,
homeopathic healer,
Carrie
Hamilton,
was
indeed
the
expert.
Launching
her
own
practice
and
specializing
in
flowers,
gem
and light essences,
chakra based healing
and energy medicine,
Hamilton’s journey
with
the
natural
world has led her to
spread her powers
with others.
“I
remember
playing with them
when I was a kid. I
was drawn to stones
and rocks and nature. My mom
was always into gemstones and
she was an artist, so I was always
around colors,” Hamilton said
in an interview with The Daily.
After dabbling with crystals
and energy healing in college,
Hamilton decided to pursue it
further and more intensely after
experiencing her own health
issues.
“I started studying chakras
and found out there are certain
stones related to certain organ
troubles … you can lay stones
on your body for certain parts
of
your
system,”
she
said.
Many think the idea of healing
crystals is a bunch of bologna,
but Hamilton replied that the
more she studied it, “the more
(she) found out how ancient this
practice is.”
One of the earliest records
of crystal and stone uses can be
traced back to Ancient Egypt,
where they used them as a
form of decorative wear and
symbols of wealth. Over time,
crystals and stones made their
way through Europe and Asia,
where communities began using
them for medicinal and spiritual
practices.
But it’s a different world for
those of us who were raised
with modern, Western medicine.
Crystal healing doesn’t work as
simply as taking a pill or getting
a shot. As living, breathing
creatures, crystals should be
nurtured with our own energy
and vice versa. They involve
communication and care, as
one would have with a pet or a
plant. Hamilton mentioned that
different “frequencies of a stones
and densities of crystals” is what
we can most resonate with. But
it’s subjective.
“I learned how to work
with colors and stones with
corresponding
challenges,”
Hamilton said. These challenges
can vary from person to person.
For example, if one feels sadness
or an overwhelming heartbreak,
rose quartz can help lighten that
emotional
weight.
Carnelian
serves as an energy booster and
can help find the strength within
ourselves. Depending on what
people need, crystals provide
an energy to heal our chakra or
emotional imbalances.
One of the most important
aspects to crystal healing is
finding ones that work best for
you. Each person is drawn to
certain stones for various reasons,
including the stones’ color, shape,
texture and radiating energy.
Hamilton emphasized trusting
that luring instinct because there
is something in the subconscious
mind that needs a certain crystal
for a certain purpose. Regardless
of our internal or external
healing needs, crystals can show
immense changes to our mind,
body and soul.
“I encourage people that,
if they’re traveling, to pick up
a rock or stone, even from the
ocean of the side of the road,” she
said. “I’m always fascinated to
see the different types of stones
that you could find.”
After my dad introduced me to
crystals, I gradually found myself
instinctually
picking
up
sea
glass
from
the ocean or shiny
rocks on hiking trails.
Despite
knowing
their potential power,
I’m drawn to certain
stones
for
specific
reasons,
quickly
adding them to my
spiritual rock family.
If
the
concept
of
“using”
healing
crystals
still
feels
funky, Hamilton also
makes mala jewelry:
a string of different
stones, crystals and
rocks that is used in
spiritual
practices,
similar to the use of a
rosary. Just by having
the mala beads around
your wrist and sharing
your energy with it,
these beads can have a
positive effect on your
thoughts
and
your
aura.
I’ll
hold
my
citrine
in
meditation, play around with
larimar in my pocket before
an interview and I’ll sit with
my quartz in the bathtub. Just
like medicine, crystals serve
different functions in a method
that feels so natural, so ineffable.
Here, I can feel a change in their
temperatures, the vibrational
pull and push they have in my
hands. My crystals make me feel
more grounded and connected to
the natural world.
“When you realize the core
of the Earth is made of (rocks)
and is affecting it, how could
we also not be affected by these
crystals?” she asked.
After
the
interview
with
Hamilton, I look to my crystals
sitting on a clear plate near my
bedroom window. I close my eyes
and try to embrace the energy
that is currently circulating
in my very own room. “People
forget that (crystals) are like
plants. They are growing and
shifting. It’s just a much slower
process than we are used to
seeing,” Hamilton said.
I face challenges each day
knowing that I am growing with
each mistake or stressful event
that comes my way. Yet, there
are my crystals, in their dish,
bathing in sunlight. They’ve
always been there, sharing their
energy, healing me and growing
alongside me.
“Be playful. Enjoy it. Get back
to that childhood state of really
connecting without judgment.
They (stones) absolutely respond
to our affection, our conversation,
and our connection with them …
It’s that living energy that we are
part of it and helps us feel that
oneness again.”
ERIKA SHEVCHEK
Daily Arts Writer
PROFILE
One of
the most
important
aspects
to crystal
healing is
finding ones
that work
best for you