Trends in the development of the global hemp beauty industry

Given the acute and serious adverse health effects from the use of synthetic cannabinoids (including deaths), their use and, accordingly, the manufacture of cosmetics with their use in the formulation should be avoided.

In June 2020, the editors of the specialized electronic edition of Ukrainian cannabis growers announced a study “ Hemp beauty industry in the world and in Ukraine (from the use of grain derivatives, young shoots and roots in cosmetic formulations, to the“ green mass ”of a hemp plant) " conducted by specialists of the information and analytical platform Hemp Consulting. This event was based on the results of 4 years of experience in the market of cosmetic preparations made on the basis of various components of the hemp plant obtained by technologists, marketers, as well as the study of the dynamics and sales of these products. With the permission of the customers of the above study, we publish its individual theses and recommendations, which were provided to the editors by the Hemp Consulting staff.

History

The various constituents of the hemp plant have been used as the main ingredients in skin and hair care for centuries. Despite this, in the middle of the last century, the stigma imposed on the market about the unsafe use of the plant led to the fact that industrial cannabis farming fell into decay and, as a result, the use of various components of cannabis in the formulation of cosmetic preparations around the world was reduced to almost zero. The renaissance of the use of primarily hemp grains, as well as its derivatives, was associated with the desire of a number of small cosmetic companies in the mid-90s of the XX century to find an exclusive niche, gain a foothold in it and, accordingly, expand the range of manufactured cosmetic products.

Grain and its derivatives

Several small cosmetic companies in Europe and North America have taken advantage of old recipes, or created exclusive ones, used hemp grains as ingredients, or its derivatives (hemp oil, cake and concentrate) for the production of the first samples of hemp cosmetics. While working on the development of a line of products based on hemp grain derivatives, over time, cosmetic products using hemp protein or seed extract entered the market. Those. at the initial stage, the wealth of essential fatty acids (omega 3, 6 and 9, as well as their ideal ratio for the human body), the range of vitamins necessary for human skin and hair (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, D, E, etc.) were exploited. ) and minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, etc.). The use of various hemp seed derivatives in the formulation of cosmetic preparations made on the basis of hemp seed, as well as its derivatives, allowed consumers to significantly reduce skin dryness and sensitivity, as well as normalize (regulate) sebum production.

It should be noted that in the initial stages, hemp ingredients were added to cosmetic formulations by companies that specialized in the manufacture of natural cosmetics. The cosmetic products they brought out had excellent properties that allowed them to take good care of the skin and hair, heal and partially restore the problem areas of the human surface. 

In the future, the exclusive exploitation of the seven-leafed brand led to the fact that the plant was often used to increase the number of sales, positioning itself at best as one of the ingredients in a recipe mostly consisting of synthetic substances or using various types of synthetic substances positioned as analogues of hemp plant ingredients. origin. 

By the end of the 90s of the twentieth century, large cosmetic companies drew attention to the effectiveness of using various components of hemp grain, as well as its derivatives for use in the composition of the developed lines of hemp cosmetic preparations.

Other hemp ingredients

Considering the obvious success of sales of cosmetic preparations based on the exclusive properties of hemp seeds, at the beginning of the 2000s, both large cosmetic brands and small companies were actively working on the creation of cosmetic formulations using hemp root and young plant shoots as raw materials. In countries where the possibility of researching therapeutically active elements of cannabis was regulated, they were preparing to use the leaves and inflorescences of the plant, which have significant therapeutic properties in the composition of the created formulations of cosmetic preparations.

A few years later, after the triumphant return to the market of cosmetic preparations made on the basis of hemp seeds, as well as its derivatives, in economically developed countries, skin and hair care products appeared that exploited the properties of the root, green shoots or a "mix" of hemp ingredients synergy of action which on human skin and hair have shown excellent results. A number of cosmetic companies in North America and Europe in the same period brought to the market of countries where this issue was regulated by regulatory legal documents, cosmetic preparations made using therapeutically active elements of hemp leaves and inflorescences. 

In parallel with the formulations for the creation of cosmetic preparations made from natural ingredients, cheaper and not always safe (especially useful for the body) synthetic substances were introduced to the market, which, as in the case of grain, were positioned on the market as analogues of the root, green shoots or extracts of therapeutically active elements of the plant. Recently, synthetic cannabinoids have gained particular popularity, which, without having a healing and even more therapeutic effect, are positioned by manufacturers of cosmetic products as those that help in the treatment of a number of skin diseases. In the case of using synthetic analogs of therapeutically active elements of natural origin, consumers either have a placebo effect, or over time the accumulated elements of non-natural origin give the opposite effect - there is a sharp deterioration in the condition of the skin / hair and there is a need to use various rehabilitation complexes aimed at ensuring that to reduce the negative cumulative effect on the external integument of a person, which manifests itself with prolonged use of cosmetic preparations made using, for example, synthetic cannabinoids. It is in this regard that in the economically developed countries of the world, restrictions on the use of synthetic cannabinoids have appeared everywhere, and the relevant regulatory authorities no longer only warn about the unsafe nature of such products, prohibit their sale, but also create a regulatory framework that limits the possibilities for the use of synthetic analogues. various components of hemp for sale in individual regions (for example, in the EU).

Therapeutically active elements of hemp plant origin

The use of hemp flowers as the basis for the formulation of cosmetics significantly improves the functioning of atopic or very sensitive skin, restores its functionality disturbed by various skin pathologies (dryness, itching, acne, etc.). In addition, the use of modern technologies to enhance the healing properties of the plant leads to excellent results not only associated with health improvement, but also with the treatment of a number of skin diseases (psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, lupus, etc.). 

The use of a range of therapeutically active elements of the hemp plant, primarily drug-free cannabinoids, allows for an extremely short time to restore the delicate ecosystem of the epidermis, preventing oily skin and the problem of enlarged pores. The natural components of leaves and inflorescences in the formulation of cosmetic preparations are involved in the rapid absorption of therapeutically active elements by the skin, contributing to the powerful healing and hydration of the human skin. In addition, therapeutically active elements contained in the leaves and inflorescences of cannabis are the preferred ingredient in the formulation of cosmetic preparations due to their anti-inflammatory and regenerating properties, protecting the skin from the external aggressive environment, ultraviolet rays, pollution and preventing excessive moisture loss.

The results of the experiments, as well as the experience of using cosmetic preparations based on therapeutically active elements of the leaves and inflorescences of hemp indicate that they are actively involved in reducing the signs of skin aging (this is especially evident when using drugs on the face, hands and under the eyes). 

Recommendations:

- similar to those officially published in the American Journal of Public Health by US scientists back in 2017 - given the acute and serious adverse health effects of synthetic cannabinoids (including deaths), their use should be avoided and accordingly the manufacture of cosmetic products using them as part of the recipe;

- to lobby for the development of a legal framework regulating the legality of the use of the leaves and inflorescences of therapeutic hemp, including in the composition of cosmetic formulations.