GOING GREEN

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and where cannabis is concerned, there really are some beauty merits

Dope, weed, grass… whatever you call it, it’s at the forefront of the beauty industry, with companies worldwide scrambling to infuse it into their products. Marijuana has its issues, but over the years it’s morphed from a recreational drug favoured by hippies and hip-hop stars into an ingredient that’s increasingly seen as having potential benefits for the body — and not just your insides, but your outsides too. Yep, cannabis beauty is the next frontier for the world of weed.

Marijuana is turning up in lotions, balms, makeup and perfume. But think again if you’re expecting it to give you a buzz. Cannabis in beauty products usually comes in the form of hemp seed oil — an ingredient full of antioxidants that’s known to moisturise and heal. It’s brimming with vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, making it a great anti-inflammatory. It nourishes and protects skin, and is easily absorbed, so it’s effective for topical preparations, plus it can also help deliver other ingredients to the skin. On top of that, cannabis-born fragrance chemicals have been shown to have mood-boosting effects, which is why we’re seeing marijuana in candles and perfume.

Recently, some products have taken the cannabis connection a step further, incorporating cannabinoids or CBD, a non-psychoactive component of marijuana. Medicinal applications high in CBD have been proven to reduce pain, but it’s their antioxidants that have seen them work their way into beauty products, with brands such as Cannabis Basics and CBD for Life cropping up in the US.

CBD are also known for their anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, which work to fight infection and the progression of acne. They also have intriguing cell-regenerating abilities, which means they’re not only good at repairing skin, healing wounds and reducing scar tissue, but also for combating the signs of ageing.

So is it legal? It’s a grey area, but almost all products that use hemp oil are completely fine to buy and sell. As for products containing CBD, the legality is dependent on how the ingredient is sourced and extracted. Essentially, as long as the THC level (the psychoactive element of the plant) is under 0.3%, it’s okay to include in beauty products.

Hemp seed oil is full of antioxidants, easily absorbed, brimming with vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, and can help deliver other ingredients

to the skin