How A Facialist Convinced Me To Start Using CBD Skin Care

When it comes to CBD in topical skin care, I can usually take it or leave it. But when one of the most sought-after facialists in the world, Georgia Louise, tells me that CBD skin care is bigger than just a niche trend, and actually something she's now recommending to all of her clients, from Cate Blanchett to Reese Witherspoon, I start considering the pros (and potential cons) of bringing it into my everyday routine.

The primary reason Louise is endorsing CBD in skin care? Our chronic stress and inflammation. "I've been an aesthetician for over twenty five years, and through seeing clients, I've noticed everyone's skin [is] getting stressed — it's our environment, our work, what we're eating, " Louise explains. I'm seated in her Georgia Louise Manhattan Atelier to understand the origin story of her newest skin-care product that's been years in the making: Your Grace, a bi-phase nighttime renewal serum, created in partnership with Toast, a hemp-based CBD brand.

Stress leads to inflammation, which shows up on our skin. "No matter what skin type you have — normal, dry, oily, with fine lines and wrinkles — the bottom line is that we all have inflammation," Louise explains. "So it makes sense that there is a huge trend in anti-inflammatory skin care." To the celebrity aesthetician, the most effective way to fight inflammation across the board is to use a powerhouse product that includes the hemp plant — both CBD and CBG — plus retinol, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, and omega fatty acids for lipid-barrier protection.

"To me, it's the combination of CBD and CBG — plus other antioxidants like vitamin C, bilberry, and marine algae — that makes for the most natural remedy," Louise explains. Now, there's research showing the benefits of combining CBD and retinol, but what does the CBG do? Think of CBG (cannabigerol) as the baby version of CBD. "CBG actually in young [hemp] plants — it's ubiquitous — but as the plant matures, it converts into THC and CBD," explains Shovahn Rincón, Co-Founder and COO of Toast. Harvested in the early stages, the hemp extracts in Your Grace, a combination of CBG and CBD, create what Rincón calls "peak cannabinoid profile" or a more holistic, plant-based experience.

Louise massaged the Your Grace serum into my very-dry skin, and afterwards, my forehead lines were smoothed and my skin looked so much brighter. (A strong facial massage also helps promote circulation.) I took it home and began using it nightly. Louise described it to me as a multitasking serum, really the only thing I need at night. "If you have a lot of serums, this is one you can use on its own," she explains, sharing that because it's a 'bi-phase' serum, it knocks out both the serum and oil step in your routine. "Cleanse your skin, use your essence or toner, then use this serum-oil. I always say use a cream over it to act as an occlusive over top. This is a nighttime treatment, like a long-term solution for skin recovery."

The smell — which is sometimes a problem I face with CBD skin-care products — is actually one of my favorite parts about using this; it's a light jasmine that smells like the ritual of winding down to sleep. Beyond the calming sensation in breathing in the serum while pressing it into my face, the results are pretty instant: my skin looks plumper, smoothing the fine lines caused by dehydration. Stress is unavoidable, but I feel better knowing that my skin is getting a Georgia Louise-approved treatment every night.