Over the past year, CBD-infused topicals have become increasingly popular. In fact, on the 2019 Oscars red carpet actor Melissa McCarthy praised the cannabinoid cream for reducing her high-heel-induced foot pain. Other celebrities — namely Mandy Moore and Michelle Williams — have made similar claims, all raving about CBD-infused topicals that gave them relief during the awards season..
Now there’s a new product out that’s designed specifically with your tired, overworked feet in mind. An Oregon-based wellness company has just added a CBD Foot Renewal Cream to their line of infused topical collections that also includes calming muscle balms and dermal patches.
Interested in learning a little more about it? Here are some basics about CBD for your feet.
What Is CBD Foot Renewal Cream?
It’s a new product from Social CBD that’s made to “support your stride” with 250 mg of CBD. We’ll cover what exactly that means in a bit. For now, all you need to know is that you put it on your feet and no, it will not get you high.
What Is CBD Foot Renewal Cream Supposed to Do?
While the main point of this product is to reduce foot pain (aside from its CBD, it also contains other soothing ingredients like arnica and menthol), it may also offer deep hydration thanks to ingredients like avocado oil and shea butter. It’s designed for people from all walks of life who may be interested in a holistic treatment for discomfort whether it’s due to working out, standing all day, or just wearing uncomfortable shoes.
Where Can You Get It (and How Much Does It Cost?)
Social CBD’s Foot Renewal Cream will set you back $35 for a 3 oz. tube, and you can find it both on Social CBD’s website and a wide variety of other internet retailers (for now, you won’t find it brick-and-mortar, CBD-friendly stores like Sephora or Urban Outfitters).
In addition to Social CBD, there are a number of different brands that are making CBD-infused topicals specifically for the feet. Companies like Seventh Sense, Khus Khus, CBD For Life and others also have products for foot relief. Even Lord Jones is getting in on the action with their new product, Stiletto Cream.
In some cases you’ll those products in physical retailers (seriously, Sephora is swimming in CBD right now), but as a general rule the easiest way to get your hands on them is by ordering directly from the brands’ websites. All these CBD foot creams can vary widely in cost — you can expect to pay up to $70 for products like Lord Jones’.
Does CBD Foot Renewal Cream Actually Work?
Like many other infused topicals, CBD foot renewal cream doesn’t depend on CBD alone to get the job done — it also includes many complementary herbs that are intended to enhance its qualities. Their formula includes arnica oil, white willow bark, and menthol — all ingredients that are known for their therapeutic characteristics when it comes to pain.
Sometimes, that reputation isn’t quite deserved. For example, while arnica is often used in homeopathic medicine to prevent bruising and relieve pain, a 2003 study in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine found that it “was no better than placebo” at reducing bruising, swelling, or pain.
On the other hand, there’s more scientific support for the pain-relieving qualities of menthol. A 2014 study in the journal Rehabilitation Research and Practice found that it “acutely reduces pain intensity during the working day” (or, presumably, during a night out).
Topical CBD has a bit of a mixed reputation when it comes to pain relief (critics say many CBD topicals can’t penetrate deep enough into the skin), but there’s some evidence that they can be effective when properly formulated. A 2016 study in the European Journal of Pain, one of the most widely-cited CBD studies out there, found that topical CBD “has therapeutic potential for relief of arthritis pain-related behaviours and inflammation without evident side-effects.” The caveat? The study was conducted on rats.
Overall, since no studies have specifically examined whether CBD foot renewal creams work, it’s really a roll of the dice.
Do CBD Foot Renewal Creams Have Any Potential Risks or Downsides?
Unless you have allergies to a specific ingredient or sensitive skin, there shouldn’t be any risks to using a CBD-infused topical specifically for your feet — assuming the product doesn’t contain contaminants, which is why you should always ask to see a certificate of analysis (COA) from an independent third-party lab.
To prevent any mishaps, make sure you check the list of ingredients for any thing that may bother your skin. Otherwise, try a small patch test on an area of skin to see how your skin may react to the product before applying it all over your feet.
