4 of the Best Products To Bring CBD Into Your Skincare Routine

Yes, over the past year or so we've all heard all about CBD creams, CBD drops, CBD water -- CBD everything. It's as pervasive as Starbucks. So it's not a total surprise, then, that CBD-infused beauty products have also been trying to attract customers without making too outrageous of benefit claims. But are they any good?

Let's begin with a heads-up: Full-spectrum CBD (sometimes referred to as hemp oil) contains THC, the psychoactive, euphoric part of the hemp plant, and some full spectrum CBD/hemp oil serums -- available mostly in droppers, gummy bears, and gel caps -- can produce a positive THC drug test. To be clear, full-spectrum CBD doesn't make you high, even if the test result says it does. I stopped smoking pot more than 25 years ago because I don't like the sensation -- or feeling perpetually sleepy and hungry. And since I've introduced CBD products into my daily routine, I'm free from a huge host of ailments I suffered from, including occasional insomnia, muscle aches, arthritic pain, and more. I'm a believer.

And since I'm a proud black belt beauty expert in anti- aging skin care and devices, I was dabbling with and testing CBD beauty lines nearly a decade ago. But until I started using a non-THC CBD serum to counteract exercise stiffness and joint pain, the whole head-to-toe CBD lifestyle didn't really connect with me. First the drops got me; then the leg salve; and then the facial regimen. No, it hasn't replaced my other, more comprehensive skin care regimen, but it's certainly now an additional part of it. A big part.

First up, Gnome Serum. This upstate New York company came highly recommended, and became the first CBD beauty products I fully indulged in. In a still-confusing world rife with CBD misinformation, Gnome Serum came to me as a savior. I initially began weaving in its skin care products slowly, until they became a definitive part of my routine. Know that I layer my serums and skin care multiple times a day. Gnome Serum became my first point-of-entry topical before layering on other targeted, super-premium skin care, because the products' organic purity truly penetrates the skin -- a point I can't underestimate its importance. Gnome Serum's Timeless series of skin serums were potent, regenerating, firming and spot treating (Anti-Aging & Elasticity and the Calm Serum), as were the Repairing and Rejuvenating Serum I started with at night. The brand's Joints & Bones full-spectrum hemp extract is an arnica and sweet birch blend meant for instant comfort upon contact. I wet one hand and emulsify the cream for added value. Check them out for yourself.

You could also enjoy all the benefits of CBD products and support an all-women-owned company. Incann touts itself as a brand that wants its customers to "live with intention," and the company's compact, serious serum lineup is indeed intentionally quite effective. I particularly love the full-spectrum CBD/hemp oil capsules because you can micro-dose pain management on top of a serum -- and it's easy for travel as well. Using the Bio Soothe Salve is a great way to begin (or end) your day after showering or working out, or at bedtime. The smart women at Incann are definitely on to something.

The latest CBD-infused beauty product line to catch my eye is Haoma, a brand that wears its Earth-first sensibility proudly with its practice of planting a tree with every purchase of their products. I know! Cool, right? That said, its CBD line is a terrific option as a topical beauty regimen. My main interest was on exploring its facial products. Hoama's Cleansing Balm is rich, adding a heightened sensory experience to cleansing and hydrating simultaneously that is certainly not the norm. It feels, well, elevated . The brand's Day Cream and Night manufacturer's claim about how much CBD is in its product. The three brands' products we discussed here have all undergone extensive research and have been tested by certified third-party labs for transparency, potency, and per-batch purity. In short, they're legit.

Want to be ahead of everyone right now? Yeah, me too. Kovo Essentials' all-plant-based CBD and probiotic skin care line includes bakuchiol, a rarified, green retinol alternative (apparently, bakuchiol is the new buzzword in noninflammatory retinols). With facial serums and a toner mist among Kovo's offerings, you can even skip moisturizer! The line also boasts collagen, peptides, and broad-spectrum CBD oil, and transforms these plant-based actives into potent organic skin care products.

Though there remains a lot of noise in the anti-aging zeitgeist regarding CBD and its effectiveness, only you can decide which (if any) product line is right for you. Or, you can be like me and give them all a try. Beauty, after all, takes work too.