A cannabidiol beauty expert answers the mostly frequently asked questions about this innovative area.
Cannabis has been getting a lot of attention in the press recently after a mother had her supply of cannabis oil – which was being used to treat her 12-year-old son’s epilepsy – confiscated at Heathrow airport.
The medicine was returned after doctors declared this was a ‘medical emergency’ and later the Home Secretary said the use of medicinal cannabis was to be reviewed, which could mean more prescriptions in future.
The health benefits of cannabis oil – said to include reducing anxiety and depression and treating inflammation and pain, although more studies are need to back up these claims – are gradually becoming more well-known, but did you know it can also have beautifying effects?
“For too long people have been focusing on the negative side of cannabis; but we’re here to champion a natural product that not only has a health provenance dating back thousands of years, but in today’s labs, has proven benefits for the skin,” says Samir Juneja of skincare brand CBD of London, which is named after cannabidiol aka CBD, the active ingredient derived from the cannabis plant.
“In order to achieve younger looking skin, we have to protect from free radicals, UV rays, smoke and environmental pollutants,” Juneja explains of his company’s serums and creams. “CBD is high in antioxidants, alongside Vitamin C, E, A, or Omega 3 fatty acids, making it a good source for essential anti-ageing compounds.”
“The ingredients we use encourage collagen and elastin cell renewal, aid and maintain skin elasticity and work to dramatically brighten and revive skin tones.”
Sounds good, doesn’t it? And there are now several brands producing cannabidiol beauty products, but it can still be a confusing topic, so we asked Juneja to separate fact from fiction by dispelling some common myths about cannabis-based skincare…
1. Are CDB, cannabis, hemp and marijuana all the same thing?
“No. Cannabis is the name given to the family of plants, but there are different species including hemp and marijuana within the cannabis family. The marijuana plant contains higher amounts of THC, the cannabinoids which affect your mind, while hemp contains very low trace amounts of THC and higher amount of CBD. Different plant species are grown for different reasons.
“CBD oil is the short form of the term cannabidiol oil. Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is among the most abundant of all the cannabinoids (there are over 100, and work best when extracted all together). It’s found in all varieties of cannabis, but dominates the make-up of hemp plants.”
2. Are hemp oil and CBD oil the same thing?
“No. Hemp oil is derived usually from industrial hemp and is produced by crushing the seeds of the hemp plant and is often used for cooking, general moisturisers or bio-fuels. CBD oil is made from the leaves, flowers and stalks of the hemp plant.
“CBD oil can be derived from industrial hemp, but at CBD of London we use ‘cannabis sativa’. We use full spectrum CBD oil in all our products which contains 100+ cannabinoids – the more cannabinoids equate to more health potential.”
3: Can you get high from CBD?
“No, you can’t. Yes, it’s true that CBD is derived from the cannabis plant, but CBD contains only tiny trace amounts of THC (the cannabinoid that gets you high) and therefore will have no effect on your mind whatsoever.”
4. If the sale of cannabis is illegal in the UK, how is cannabidiol skincare legal?
“The reason cannabidiol products are legal in the UK is because they contain less than 0.3% THC (the stuff that gives the high effects and is illegal). Cannabidiol or CBD, is the compound extracted from the cannabis plant due to it containing the health/skin benefits, leaving the THC compound behind.”
5. Is CBD just another manufactured chemical?
“No, it isn’t. The compounds which make up CBD are found naturally in cannabis, with higher concentrates in the hemp variety of the plant. When broken down, they are formed of minerals, vitamins and fatty acids – all of which are vital to skin development, protection and maintenance. There are no nasty manufactured chemicals, just lovely natural ones.”
6. CBD may be natural but could you body still react oddly to it?
“In fact your body produces most, if not all, of the natural minerals, vitamins and fatty acids which make up CBD – a bit like retinol or keratin. By adding CBD oil to face creams or your health care regime, you are just enhancing what your body does naturally.”
7. Doesn’t it smell funny and a bit hippy-ish?
“No. You’re thinking of hemp oil which does have a rather musty smell. CBD oil has no scent and as we add no perfumes to our products, it is completely safe to use on sensitive skin”
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