Can THC Be Absorbed Through Skin? Facts & Myths

If you're holding yourself back from the potential benefits of CBD and THC topicals because you're worried the THC might get through your skin, don't worry. Most topicals aren't designed to enter your bloodstream.

We break down how THC topicals work, their potential benefits, and which ones might get absorbed through your skin, to help you choose the perfect product.

Key Takeaways

• THC molecules generally can't pass through the skin barrier into your bloodstream.
• Most topical products aren't designed to enter your bloodstream.
• CBD and THC topicals are used to support skin health and provide relief from muscle and joint pain.
• Certain specialized topicals contain chemical ingredients that help THC pass through your skin.

See More: The Benefits of CBD for Pain, Sleep, and Stress

Can Topical THC Be Absorbed Through Skin?

Meredith Farrow, founder of Clean Remedies, says:

"Standard THC topicals aren't designed to be absorbed through your skin. Instead, they provide localized effects."

CBD and THC topicals are exploding in popularity. They provide a number of potential benefits, from supporting skin health to reducing muscle and joint pain.

If you've been considering diving into the world of topical cannabis and hemp products, you might be wondering if the CBD and THC can get through your skin into your bloodstream. You might worry these products could get you high or cause you to fail a drug test.

The short answer is no. Most CBD and THC topicals are not designed to penetrate through your skin. They shouldn't cause psychoactive effects or show up on a drug test.

The long answer is more complicated. Certain factors, like your skin health and the formulation of the specific product, can influence whether THC or CBD enter your bloodstream. Some products are made with transdermal formulations that are explicitly designed to go through your skin.

We break all of that down and more to help you decide which CBD and THC topicals are the right fit.

What Are THC Topicals?

CBD and THC topicals are products derived from cannabis or hemp plants. Manufacturers take hemp or cannabis oil and combine it with other, ideally natural ingredients, like coconut oil and essential oils.

There are all kinds of CBD and THC topicals. You can get lotions, balms, creams, salves, and even roll-ons. Your local dispensary might stock them; if not, you can order them online.

How Do THC Topicals Work?

CBD and THC topicals work differently from other hemp and cannabis products. With other consumption methods, like smoking, inhalation, and ingestion, the CBD and THC enter your bloodstream, resulting in systemic circulation. That essentially means they affect your entire body.

Topicals aren't like that. They provide localized effects. That means they should affect only the area you apply them to. They shouldn't cause psychoactive or intoxicating effects.

Here's how that works. Your skin is part of your body's endocannabinoid system. It contains cannabinoid receptors. The cannabinoids in your topical product, including CBD and THC, can bind to these receptors.

Topicals can also affect nerves, muscles, and skin cells in the area you apply them to.

What Are the Potential Benefits of THC Topicals?

People use CBD and THC topicals for all kinds of reasons.

One of the most popular reasons people use topicals is pain. Research suggests that cannabinoids, including CBD and THC, may help reduce pain. People often use topicals for joint and muscle pain, including relief from arthritis.

Another popular reason for using topicals is skincare. Many people find that CBD and THC topicals help them with inflammation, hydration, and overall skin health.

Can THC Topicals Get Into the Bloodstream?

As we discussed, most CBD and THC topicals are designed to affect the area you apply them to. They aren't designed to enter your bloodstream.

In order to enter your bloodstream, THC would have to pass through multiple skin layers, starting with your stratum corneum.

There are a few reasons that's unlikely. First, THC is lipophilic. That means it's attracted to lipids, or fats. Your skin barrier happens to be packed with lipids, so THC molecules have a hard time getting through.

Second, THC molecules are quite large. Your skin barrier blocks most large molecules, including THC. It can't reach the blood vessels under your skin.

Research backs this up. One study gave participants THC topicals and then tested their blood and urine. All of the samples tested negative for THC.

Will THC Topicals Make Me Feel High?

THC topicals shouldn't cause any psychoactive effects. In order to get you high, THC needs to reach your brain. To do that, it needs to enter your bloodstream. Topicals generally can't do that, so they shouldn't get you high.

That means many THC topicals are safe for daytime use. You should be able to apply it and still think clearly.

Will THC Topicals Make Me Fail a Drug Test?

Drug tests look for THC or its metabolites, the products your body produces when it breaks THC down. That only happens when THC gets into your bloodstream. Therefore, THC topicals generally shouldn't cause a positive drug test.

Two of the most common kinds of drug tests are urine and blood. That study we mentioned before used both tests on people who used THC topicals and got negative results every time.

Bonus: Is CBD Legal? Legality, Drug Testing, & More

What Is Transdermal Delivery?

Some THC products are specifically designed to cross through your skin and into your bloodstream. This is called transdermal delivery.

Transdermal products often use chemicals called permeation enhancers that help cannabinoids, like THC, pass through your skin barrier and into your bloodstream.

One example of a transdermal THC product is a transdermal patch. These patches are designed to deliver measurable doses of THC over time. They're similar to nicotine patches. The idea is to produce systemic effects, like with smoking or ingestion.

The amount of THC that actually gets into your bloodstream depends on a few factors, including:

• The product's formulation, including the THC content and any permeation enhancers. Higher concentrations of THC and more enhancers may lead to more THC absorption.
• Your skin's health. A damaged skin barrier might lead to more THC absorption.
• Where on the body you apply your topical. Applying it to thinner, weaker skin might lead to more absorption.

Where Can I Get CBD and THC Topicals?

When looking for CBD or THC topicals, quality is paramount. You don't want something with more or less THC than stated on the packaging, or something contaminated with toxic substances.

One way to prevent that is to look for evidence of third-party testing. Clean Remedies submits all of its CBD and THC products to an independent laboratory, which tests them for potency and purity. You can check the results of these tests by looking at the certificate of analysis attached to each product.

The next thing to consider is what kind of topical you want. Are you looking to support skin health? Relieve joint pain? Target sore muscles?

If you want to restore tired muscles and ease overworked joints, try a full-spectrum Muscle Rub & Pain Cream. Full-spectrum means it contains trace amounts of THC, as well as CBD. These cannabinoids are blended with other supportive ingredients, like menthol and MSM, to deliver layered, purposeful relief.

For quick, localized relief, try a full-spectrum Roll-On Gel. The portable, mess-free roller-ball applicator is designed for precise, mess-free application. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are blended with menthol and capsicum for cooling and warming sensations, plus arnica and MSM to support circulation, mobility, and natural recovery.

Conclusion

Most THC topicals are designed for localized relief, so the THC shouldn't be absorbed through your skin. However, some specialized topical products, like THC patches, include chemical enhancers that allow THC to be absorbed into your bloodstream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can THC Get In My System From Touching It?

Generally, no. Touching dried cannabis or hemp shouldn't cause THC to pass through your skin. THC in general shouldn't be absorbed through healthy skin.

Does Topical THC Get Into Your Bloodstream?

Usually not. Most standard THC topicals aren't absorbed into the bloodstream. Instead, they provide localized effects. Specialized THC topicals, like patches, contain specific ingredients to promote absorption.

Does THC Age Your Face?

That depends on what you mean by THC. Some THC topicals are designed to support skin health. Smoking cannabis may contribute to premature facial aging, though that's more due to the smoke rather than the THC itself.

Keep Reading: Your Guide to Using CBD for Pets

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Clean Remedies is a woman-owned, independent family business that uses clean and natural hemp extract to create products that are free from harmful chemicals, cruelty-free, and made in the USA, meant to benefit your well-being and meet our own high standards of efficacy. For CBD facts, product discounts, and more, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.