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Cannabis is buzzier now than it’s been since the ’60s, and not because fans are lighting up. Legal forms of cannabis, including hemp, have been hot on the beauty scene for a while now but it’s a new derivative, cannabidiol (CBD) oil, that’s gaining massive interest from beauty brands and skincare fans in droves. The hashtag #cbdskincare already boasts 38,000 posts on Instagram; expect CBD to be one of the biggest beauty trends of the coming years – and it’s not even available here yet.

What is it? Nothing about CBD oil will get you high because it’s a natural component of cannabis and doesn’t have psychoactive effects. Despite this, it’s is not yet legal in New Zealand, but in places where regulation has opened up, such as California, beauty brands have moved at lightning pace to harness the oil’s superior ability to soothe skin, controlling excess oil, acne, redness and inflammation. There are also signs it could have a significant role in slowing the signs of ageing and it’s turning up in everything from body lotions to bath bombs and mascara.

How is it different to hemp? Hemp and marijuana are common names for two species of cannabis plant, but they have very different properties. Marijuana has high levels of the compound THC, which creates the buzz, whereas CBD is derived from hemp and offers the plant benefits without the fuzzy brain and hankering for convenience foods.

When can we get it? Depending on the results of next year’s referendum on the decriminalisation of marijuana, laws on the cultivation of industrial hemp in New Zealand may also be relaxed, making access freely available.

Any options in the meantime? Until then, there are a number of products on shelves that contain hemp seed oil, which offers similarly nourishing qualities, not to mention omega fatty acids, which skin loves to drink up.