Your skin doesn’t care how packed your calendar is—it thrives on simple habits. This streamlined, cannabis-friendly routine blends evidence-based derm advice with steps you can keep on deadline days.
Morning: cleanse, treat, defend
Start with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanse to remove overnight oil. If dryness or sensitivity is your norm, layer a barrier-supporting moisturizer—look for ceramides and lipids, which lock in water and keep irritants out. Next, reach for your cannabis-adjacent hero: a CBD or hemp seed oil serum or cream. Early research suggests cannabinoids may help calm itch and inflammation; results aren’t a cure-all, but they’re promising for comfort.
Now protect
Apply a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ to your face, neck, and hands 15 minutes before stepping outside. Most adults need about a shot-glass worth for the body and around a teaspoon for the face; reapply every two hours or after sweating. If you’re office-hopping near water or reefs, a mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) is a practical pick; “reef safe” isn’t a perfect term, but these filters are accepted choices.
Desk-day boosters
Air-conditioning and screen time don’t mix well with skin. Keep a small tube of fragrance-free moisturizer at your desk and tap it onto tight areas at lunch. If midday redness is your issue, a CBD spot-soother can be tried as a calming layer—just remember the evidence base is still evolving and products aren’t FDA-approved to treat disease. Reapply sunscreen before your commute or any outdoor meetings.
Pre-workout or commute home
If you exercise after work, wipe down with a gentle, non-comedogenic micellar water and put on a light moisturizer; sweat plus city grime can be irritating. Stash an SPF stick in your bag for quick, mess-free reapplication on the go. Two-hour reapplication still applies—even to higher SPFs.
Evening: reset and repair
Double cleanse if you wore makeup or water-resistant sunscreen. After patting dry, use your treatment of choice (retinoid, gentle acid, or a derm-recommended active) on alternating nights if you’re new to exfoliation. To support the barrier, finish with a rich cream—ointment-like textures can outperform lotions at sealing in moisture, especially on dry or eczema-prone skin.
Where cannabinoids fit at night
This is a smart window for a CBD balm over tight, itchy, or stress-flared zones such as the jawline or neck. A 2025 meta-analysis found modest, statistically significant pruritus improvement with cannabinoid interventions; that’s encouraging, though not definitive. Consider hemp seed oil for lightweight occlusion and essential fatty acids—it’s non-psychoactive and pairs well with barrier creams. As with all cannabinoid topicals, manage expectations and patch test first.
Weekend reset (10 minutes)
Exfoliate gently, then layer a ceramide moisturizer and a thin CBD cream where you tend to react. Focus on consistency over novelty; your skin prefers repetition to a rotating door of actives. Keep a mineral lip SPF and a sun-protective hat in your bag to reduce reliance on frequent reapplication during long outdoor blocks.
Label literacy for pros
Because FDA does not currently recognize CBD or THC as dietary supplements—and has issued warning letters over unapproved claims—treat skincare marketing as marketing, not medicine. Choose brands with clear testing, batch COAs, and simple ingredient lists.
Bottom line
Build a steady base: cleanse, moisturize, sunscreen; then personalize with cannabinoid topicals for calm and comfort. Reliable daily sun protection and barrier care do the heavy lifting; cannabis-infused add-ons can play a supportive role while science continues to mature.
Learn more: What “Broad-Spectrum Protection” Really Means in Cannabis Sunscreens