Have you noticed the abundance of CBD oil and hemp oil in some of the latest beauty launches? If not, you must be living under a rock. This cannabis craze is taking over everything from skincare to makeup and more.
But, why? Is it actually effective, or is it just a trend? Even with the growing use of CBD, many people still don’t understand its benefits and its safety.
With that, CBD and hemp are not the same as weed. The aspect of marijuana that gives you a high is the THC, which in most states is still illegal. But, cannabis or cannabinoid does not have any psychoactive effects. Although both have their fair share of health benefits, only CBD is legal throughout the US.
But are beauty brands actually looking at the benefits of these ingredients? Or are they whacking CBD on the label and using a minute amount just for the fad?
Kiehl’s Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate (Shop here)
Kiehl’s is a cult-favorite skincare brand so, when it threw its hat in the cannabis ring, there was a lot of anticipation. And it met the beauty community’s expectations. This calming face oil is best for problematic skin. It is non-comedogenic and helps visibly reduce skin redness, and relieves skin discomfort. Cannabis sativa seed oil is anti-inflammatory and even helps to diminish overactive sebum to balance the skin’s oil production. Cannabis sativa seed oil is the first ingredient on the list and makes up 60% of the product, so you should see results from this.
FARMACY Better Daze Ahead CBD Moisturizer (Shop here)
This restorative cushion cream has a luxurious texture and contains high levels of cannabis sativa seed oil and hemp oil. When those mix with Farmacy’s blend of stress-fighting ingredients, the claims hold water. This moisturizer balances and relaxes stressed skin. It is rich in texture but does not leave a heavy or greasy feeling on the skin. And it is vegan, cruelty-free, and comes in recyclable packaging.
HERBIVORE Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil (Shop here)
This lightweight oil is essentially the oil version of Farmacy’s cream, so, depending on your texture preferences, both should offer you the results you crave. This is an intensely calming mixture that soothes redness, dryness, dullness, and uneven skin texture. This blend will provide an immediate glow to your skin and contains ashwagandha, a healing herb known to help protect the skin from environmental stress.
Milk Makeup Kush (Shop here)
Milk Makeup first launched their infamous Kush Mascara. Since then, Milk has released quite a few more products in its Kush line. This collection is growing in popularity, but is it due to the marketing or the effectiveness? Well, the low level of cannabis sativa seed oil implies a lack of benefits.
That is not to say that these products are bad, just that cannabis is not what makes them great. Milk’s Kush Brow Gel does have fewer ingredients than the mascara, which means there is less to dilute the effects of the cannabis, but it still may not have any long-term benefits.
Even its latest launch, the Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Hydrating Face Mask (Shop here), seems to follow this pattern. This stick mask claims to hydrate, soothe, calm, cleanse, exfoliate, and balance the skin. The ingredients like aloe and kaolin clay and a handful of other skin-loving ingredients should offer these benefits, but the lower level of cannabis may not be the culprit.
JOSIE MARAN Skin Dope Argan Oil + 100 mg CBD (Shop here)
For those looking for an intense amount of moisture, plus skin-calming benefits, this may be the product for you. Here you get all the incredible benefits you know and love from the original argan oil but with an addition of CBD to aid in calming and treating sensitive skin. Seeing as this product only contains two ingredients, you can be sure you are getting a total amount of each.
Origins Hello, Calm Face Mask (Shop here)
One of the more affordable options here is from Origins. This mask will instantly calm the skin, reduce irritation, and de-stress you from the outside in. With a potent level of cannabis and the addition of oils such as bergamot, clary sage, and apricot, you get a nice mixture of skin calming ingredients. But with that, it does contain a high level of lavender oil which can also be very calming for some but can be irritating for others. So, keep that in mind.
Revolution Skincare Nourishing Oil – CBD Oil (Shop here)
Finally, it was inevitable that the drugstore would make its way into the cannabis craze. Revolution Skincare, the skincare line from Makeup Revolution, has launched its fair share of copycat products. And although some are pretty nice, it seems that this attempt was not the best. Hemp oil and cannabidiol are the last two ingredients on the list. Although this does contain other moisturizing oils like grapeseed, sweet almond, and sunflower, this is mainly a hydrating oil that cannot reasonably provide the effects you want from CBD. When shopping for CBD beauty products, cutting the price may not be the way to go.
Cannabis is a wonderful ingredient. It has benefits for sensitive skin, acne-prone skin and even aids in anti-aging. Something else that makes cannabis a fantastic addition to skincare is that not one study has shown it to irritate the skin. Research shows no unwanted side effects. But with that, do remember CBD is not FDA-regulated, so always be sure to double-check the ingredients lists and the transparency of beauty companies.
