SEASON DISCOUNT!
40% Off - Code: BEWELL

Bisabolol Terpene Overview: Bisabolol Benefits | Bisabolol Effects

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE TERPENE BISABOLOL: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE.
What is Bisabolol and the Benefits, Effects, Research, Science & More?

In this article, we take you through the benefits, options, and important criteria you should consider when looking at products containing the terpene bisabolol.

Introduction into the Terpene Bisabolol

Scientifically reviewed by: Dr. Vance Green, PharmD.
Updated on August 24, 2021

Bisabolol is a terpene, a common scented compound, which is best known as the scent of chamomile. However, this unique terpene can also be found in some strains of hemp and cannabis.

Bisabolol, or more formally α-(−)-bisabolol, α-bisabolol, alpha bisabolol, also known as levomenol, belongs to monocyclic sesquiterpene alcohols found in various plants.

If you’ve enjoyed a cup of chamomile tea or perhaps a soothing chamomile-scented sachet, then you’re familiar with the slightly sweet, floral scent of bisabolol. For centuries, people have used chamomile for its purported anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, bisabolol is a likely source of chamomile’s beneficial effects to the extent these effects have been backed up by science literature.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some interesting scientific research surrounding the possible effects and benefits of bisabolol. We’ll also explain whether it’s easy to find in hemp and cannabis strains.

Bisabolol terpene Icon

Bisabolol, or more formally α-(−)-bisabolol, α-bisabolol, alpha bisabolol, also known as levomenol, belongs to monocyclic sesquiterpene alcohols found in various plants.

Where is bisabolol found in nature, and what are the uses?

Bisabolol, scientifically known as alpha-Basabolol and sometimes also known as levomenol, is from a class of terpene known as a monocyclic sesquiterpene. Sesquiterpenes appear in abundance throughout nature, most commonly used by insects for communication in pheromonal signaling and used by plants for defense. (source)

Famously, the scent of German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) grows stronger when the plant is crushed or stepped on, which may very well have evolved to ward off potential predators. But, like so many other botanical defense mechanisms, the scent actually attracted humans or our distant ancestors and helped us discover chamomile’s benefits.

Bisabolol also appears in the Brazilian Candeia tree. Myoporum crassifolium, a shrub with thick leaves and small white flowers, grows native to several chains of islands in the South Pacific, where it gets harvested for bisabolol extraction.

Bisabolol is considered relatively non-toxic, leading to its classification as “generally regarded as safe” by the Food and Drug Administration, which allows it to be readily added to many over-the-counter products.

In addition, thanks to the purported benefits of chamomile and bisabolol itself, this compound frequently appears in skincare products and other topical applications, including our CBD Salve.

benefits-of-bisabolol-terpene

Scientists think terpenes play a key role in the “entourage effect.” In brief, the entourage effect is the idea that all the compounds of the hemp or cannabis are more effective working together in harmony rather than isolated into their individual parts.

That’s why so many consumers report better effects from full-spectrum hemp supplements versus those made with just CBD isolate. While the additional cannabinoids like THC, CBG and CBN play a role, so do the terpenes.

For example, researchers think the pinene terpene in hemp flower may contribute to its anti-inflammatory effects.

Bisabolol is a good source of panthenol, a form of vitamin B. This is a natural humectant, which means it helps skin hold onto moisture.

What are some possible benefits of bisabolol?

Here is one list of possible benefits of bisabolol assembled by experts in the cannabis industry:

  • Analgesic (pain reliever)
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Anti-irritant
  • Antioxidant
  • Anti-microbial
  • Gastroprotective (eases digestion and protects digestive tract)

This list is based on a combination of how the compound gets used in skincare products and based on other scholarly research. As always, we don’t have nearly enough research to understand all the ways this terpene interacts with human biochemistry, especially when mixed with hemp and cannabis.
In addition, the potential cumulative effects of all the numerous compounds found in hemp known as the “entourage effect” is a question for further study.

Keeping in mind we still have much to learn, here are a few exciting pieces of research we found when looking into the potential benefits of bisabolol.

Bisabolol-terpene-chamomile-img

Learn more about hemp flower

The authors of an overview of bisabolol in the Journal of American Oil Studies summed up the breadth of potential benefits as follows: (source)

“The use of α-bisabolol or bisabolol-rich oil as an anti-inflammatory agent is ubiquitous,” they noted. “This compound also exhibits several other pharmacological properties such as analgesic, antibiotic activities.”

A 2011 rodent-based study, published in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology, further documented that bisabolol shows both analgesic and anti-nociceptive properties. (source) Nociception is a scientific term for being able to sense injury. So, in other words, the rodents’ nervous systems were less sensitive to injury in addition to feeling less pain overall from those injuries.

Another study, published in 2014 in Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, found that bisabolol reduced both inflammation and cytokine production, a key marker of immune system activity, after injuries to the skin. (source)

“These findings suggested that α-(-)-bisabolol may be a useful therapeutic candidate for the treatment of skin inflammation,” wrote the authors.

Finally, much like other terpenes such as pinene, at least one study suggested bisabolol could be beneficial in the treatment of the parasitic disease leishmaniasis. (source)

Bisabolol Terpene Benefits Video

Which hemp and cannabis strains contain high amounts of Bisabolol?

Like the other minor terpenes, bisabolol is a supporting voice in the delightful symphony of compounds that creates the unique scent and effects of each strain of hemp or cannabis. While its role may be minor, we should never discount its contribution.

Significant amounts of bisabolol appear in Hempress 3 Hemp Flower from Absolute Nature. Customers describe smoking Hempress 3 as relaxing and soothing everyday stresses, much like a warm cup of chamomile tea. Sour Lifter, a hemp flower strain renowned for offering relief without excessive drowsiness, is also relatively high in bisabolol.

Another increasingly popular cannabinoid found in legal hemp flower is CBG. Absolute Nature’s The White CBG Hemp Flower is another strain with somewhat high levels of bisabolol. Given what scientists are already learning about CBG, it’s interesting to wonder whether they’ll ever study the effects of these two unique compounds together.

If you live somewhere with easy access to high-THC cannabis (a.k.a. “marijuana”) in recreational or medicinal dispensaries, you can also find some strains that feature bisabolol. These include Master Kush and Headband. ACDC and Harle-Tsu, two strains with relatively balanced amounts of THC and CBD, also contain some bisabolol.

Remember, the name of a strain alone can’t tell you what it contains. You should always consult third-party lab tests, like the ones we provide for every strain, to verify the terpene and cannabinoid profile.

Monoterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of two isoprene units

Get to know our favorite ‘terps’

Thanks to the years of prohibition and the stigma that grew up around hemp and cannabis, we’re only just beginning to learn about how compounds like terpenes work and could help us.

READ MORE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TERPENES – What are Terpenes and What are the Benefits of Terpenes. Effects, Benefits, Research, Science & More.

Item added to cart.
0 items - $0.00