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I Literally Showered Myself in CBD, and Let Me Tell You, It Was Luxurious

Rachel Lapidos

March 22, 2019

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Photo: Stocksy/Mihajlo Ckovric

By now, there's so much buzzing about CBD that it's practically been incorporated in some manner of fashion into most parts of my life. It's a steady part of my beauty routine (for both my skin and hair), my supplement regimen, my workout recovery, and it's even in my, uh, bedroom (ICYDK: CBD lube is a thing). But it's not like I'm showering in the stuff.

Just kidding. As of this week, I have been. The wellness ingredient known for its stress-reducing and anti-inflammatory benefits is now sitting alongside surfactants in bar soap, so that I can take my skin-cleaning to new heights with extra bubbly benefits.

Leef Organics' Nooks + Crannies bar soap ($22), has 20 milligrams of CBD in it that are meant soothe inflammation and work as a nourishing antioxidant. "This small bar of soap yields mighty results with topical skin irritations," says Emily Heitman, CMO and COO of brand Leef Organics. "It contains a carefully curated ingredient deck that feeds the skin thoughtfully and calms irritations to reduce long-term discomfort."

Since my skin's just battled the dry air of the winter, it's definitely thirsty for some soothing hydration both in and out of the shower (namely: my flaky elbows and shedding legs). When I get the bar all sudsed up in the shower, it provides a nice lather that feels moisturizing at the same time. There's none of that unhealthy stripping action going on, which is thanks to the other ingredients like coconut milk and olive oil. Also it smells delicious, which is from the lavender in it—which also helps to keep skin calm and relaxed.

So you can say that I'm a fan....but I'm also wondering how I'm getting the all-praised CBD benefits if it's just being washed down the drain rather than staying on my skin via a moisturizer. "The main reason you wash is to rid your body of dirt and impurities, but as you stand in a warm shower, your pores are readily taking in what you put on," explains Heitman. "It's at this time that the CBD—plus the other botanicals—are absorbed into the skin and begin doing their good work, which is reducing inflammation, soothing skin, fighting free radicals, and hydrating." A-ha—makes sense, considering the practice of steaming your face to open your pores pre-putting on skin-care products.

It checks out with the dermatologist I asked, too. "The benefits of CBD are still there, via bar soap or even a bath oil," says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Schweiger Dermatology Group. "The longer the product has contact with the skin, the more effective it'll be. So I wouldn't lather it on and wash off quickly for best results—I'd lather it on and leave for a few minutes. But the results are certainly still present in soap form." So I'm happy to report that, yes—you absolutely can shower in the buzziest wellness ingredient around.

Whatever you do while you're in there, though, do not wash your face in the shower. And here's exactly how long your shower should be, according to a derm.