New labels are using CBD (aka the ingredient that won’t get you high) for its beauty benefits
Marijuana is EVERYWHERE lately. It’s the subject of stylish magazines, chicly retro vape lounges, and, now, it’s getting the beauty treatment. A new article from Quartzy delves into the next “it” beauty ingredient CBD or cannabinoid cannabidiol, an ingredient being incorporated into new products that “hydrate skin, relieve swollen spots, and reduce under-eye bags.”
You won’t find these products at Sephora quite yet, however, unless it’s in the form of a synthetic fragrance, such as in FRESH’s Cannabis Santal, or as oil from the seeds of the plant, like in The Body Shop’s Hemp collection. In the article, Sejal Shah, a New York-based dermatologist, explains that beauty companies are hesitant to invest in a product that currently occupies a legal grey area.
Cannabinoids haven’t been clinically tested thoroughly enough, leaving cannabis research in dermatology still in the early (read: pre-clinical) stages. One 2017 study found that cannabinoids may contain anti-inflammatory properties useful for treating allergic contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis.
An increasing number of start-up beauty labels are capitalizing on the trend. There’s Herb Essntls, a line with Glossier-style branding that sells cannabis-sativa-oil-laced products. Vertly, a label cofounded by former W magazine accessories and jewelry director Claudia Mata and her husband, sells CBD-based lip balms in peppermint and rose scents. They also sell a THC counterpart (aka a product that will give you a slight high) called Vertly Green in dispensaries only.
Currently, products with CBD or hemp can be sold in the US, but the cannabis extract can’t come from America. America has historically had a contradictory relationship with weed, but that’s changing slowly but surely with marijuana currently legal for medical purposes in 29 states. And people are eager to dive in — Quartzy reported that CAP Beauty, the cult-fave beauty shop, sold out of their Daily Hit supplement just two days after its launch and The Body Shop’s Hemp Collection has been one its best-selling in the company’s history.
With celebrities like Rihanna being very 4/20 friendly and Alexander Wang dedicating a 2016 collection to the marijuana leaf, there’s no better time to light one up — and with great skin, nonetheless.