Hemp's big beauty moment

The lowdown about hemp oil in beauty products

One of the most unexpected trends in beauty right now is the rise in popularity of hemp derivatives, which are gradually becoming an important ingredient in cosmetic products.

From treatment oils to facial serum, day and night creams, Ayurvedic body butter, under-eye creams, lip butter, cleansers, face masks, and lip colors—hemp is having a big moment.

Brands like SoulTree, Lotus Herbals, Colorbar, Khadi Essentials, Nykaa Beauty, and The Body Shop India have launched a range dedicated to hemp for patrons.

Everyone wants a piece of the pie

With an increased demand in the beauty, personal wellness, medical and nutrition industry, the use of organic hemp seed oil has increased. Experts say hemp enhances hydration, restores, and protects skin from harmful external elements.

Samir Modi, founder, and MD of beauty brand Colorbar spoke to DH about the Vita Hemp range (serum, moisturizer, and face oil).

"Hemp is beneficial in softening the skin, reducing acne and anti-ageing. There is a big misconception that hemp is intoxicating and can get you addicted to it. Hemp oil is made by cold-pressing the hemp seeds into omega-rich culinary oil, and no content in it can be harmful to you."

The last few years have witnessed the emergence of hemp as a food, beauty ingredient, sustainable textile choice, and an overall wellness elixir. The industrial hemp market is projected to surge at a CAGR of 34 per cent from $4.6 billion in 2019 to $26.6 billion by 2025, informs Nitin Passi, Joint Managing Director at beauty brand Lotus Herbals Ayurveda brand SoulTree.

"The use of hemp seeds dates back to 2000 BCE. The plant is one of Ayurveda's therapeutic herbs and is a trending ingredient in 2022, touted as a 'trillion-dollar crop."

"The multirole excellence of hemp as an Ayurvedic as well as an organic ingredient, the market shift, and our commitment to bringing organic, ethical, sustainable, and productive contemporary Ayurvedic beauty and wellness solutions for our consumers prompted us to launch SoulTree Ayurvedic hemp range for youthful radiance, and the Lotus Organics + Hemp Youth Glow skincare range."

SoulTree Hemp Range. Credit: SoulTree

Permissible usage in India

Hemp is a variety of cannabis with some natural variations in its phyto composition. Recently, in a landmark Gazette by FSSAI for industries dependent on hemp or industrial hemp, and its by-products were included as food allowing food-grade safety to be leveraged in the skincare industry.

"It contains a lot of cannabinoids that are beneficial for health," said Shreedha Singh, co-founder of beauty brand Khadi Essentials. She informs that hemp used in beauty products is low in THC (a chemical that gives the psychotropic effect) and is safe.

"In the TAC Eladi Triphala and Hempseed range, we have body polisher, face polisher, body, face glow oil, and sunscreen made using hemp seed oil, and these products are quite popular."

Speaking about the legal quantities permissible in beauty products, Shreedha mentions, "It is legal to use CBD up to 18 per cent for internal use. It does not have any side effects, nor is it addictive. The US FDA approves hemp having less than 0.3 per cent THC.

Hemp also contains over 115 cannabinoids beneficial for the skin and health. A common myth is that hemp is addictive, but the botanical variety of cannabis sativa used in our products is rich in CBD (cannabinoids) that does not have a habit-forming effect."