Why Pot, Charcoal, and Real Food Are Suddenly in Your Skincare Routine

1. Marijuana

The bud helps your skin chill out, too.

Cannabidiol (CBD) has long been an alt-medicine remedy, credited for soothing skin and relieving inflammation when used topically. Although CBD is nonpsychoactive, it is still extracted from marijuana plants, so it couldn’t go mainstream until now, when more states have legalized pot. “Topicals with CBD are often chosen by people who want the benefits of marijuana without the euphoria associated with other delivery methods,” says Ellen Marmur, a dermatologists in New York City. Choose a CBD-infused-product for aching muscles and inflammation or to relieve skin issues like eczema.

LOOK FOR CBx for Men, from Perricone MD, has a CBD postshave tonic, great for reducing razor burn. In pot-legal states, try Dr. Kerklaan skin cream for inflammation, or Dixie Elixirs bath soap and muscle rub. The THC in these gets you high when smoked but just relaxes you in the tub.

2. Charcoal

It looks toxic but is just the opposite.

Charcoal has made its way into grooming products on the promise that it removes toxins from your skin. It shows up in soaps, shampoos, deodorants—even toothpaste.

“The body cannot absorb charcoal, so toxins that bind to it get washed away and are eliminated safely,” says Heather Rogers, a dermatologist in Seattle. For instance, charcoal in a face scrub extracts dirt and oil from pores to help avoid breakouts.

One caveat: Deploy these products sparingly. Use soaps and cleansers two or three times a week and masks once a week at most, so you don’t dry out your skin, Rogers says.

LOOK FOR Origins active-charcoal face mask prevents pimples. Treat dandruff with Briogeo charcoal and tea tree oil serum. Try Schmidt’s cedar and juniper charcoal soap for the woodsy scent alone.

3. Real Food

Some ingredient lists sound like a salad bar.

Boosters of the food-as-product-ingredient trend say that whole foods are best for your skin for the same reason they’re good for your diet. And some foods are just as effective as their lab-made counterparts—or more so.

Essential oils from nuts and other plant components, like hazelnut and carrot seed, 20 are hydrating. And green tea is a great detoxifier.

But be cautious. Just because the label says “tomatoes” doesn’t mean that ingredient will benefit your face. Eat a kale salad and you’ll get vitamin C, but your skin doesn’t digest food. Antioxidants can degrade fast, so a kale-infused facial cleanser may not totally deliver, warns Houston dermatologist Rajani Katta.

LOOK FOR Plant Apothecary matcha face mask uses green and chamomile teas with white clay. Nova Scotia Fisherman scrubs contain sea buckthorn oil, kelp, and sea salt, of course.