The use of CBD in skincare products is nothing new, but the growing trend and precedent it poses is very optimistic for the psychedelic community.
CBD is one of the two primary active ingredients in cannabis, the other being THC, It’s non-psychoactive and can be found in cannabis plants and there are serious skin benefits to using CBD.
It’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are beneficial in treating inflammation, dryness, and radical damage. It’s even known to be effective in treating acne, possible by reducing the production of sebum (an oily waxy substance from your fat glands,) as well as eczema and psoriasis (overproduction of skin cells.) CBD essentially helps the skin’s natural healing process, lowering the lifespan of breakouts and flare-ups and sometimes even counteracting signs of aging.
There’s a wide range of CBD skincare products, from full-spectrum oil, broad-spectrum and isolated.
Full-spectrum CBD oil will contain all the cannabinoids that exist in the cannabis plant. It would be very high in CBD, traces of minor cannabinoids, and low in THC. It’s considered full-spectrum because all the cannabinoids work together in the oil, even though only the THC is of high content.
Broad-spectrum CBD is similar to full-spectrum CBD oil, containing a range of cannabinoids like terpenes, flavonoids, but most importantly absolutely no THC.
CBD isolate is the purest version of CBD, containing nothing other than what you find in a hemp plant. It’s the best oil for facial skin because of how pure it is. There’s nothing in the oil that would clog your pores and it’s packed with all the skin-rejuvenating benefits found in CBD.
Market
The CBD skincare market is projected to bring in $959 million (USD) in sales by 2024. Factors that contribute , would be smaller independent brands entering the beauty market with CBD products as other multinational companies are still waiting for legal status’ (mostly internationally.) Because of the gaining popularity, there are emerging companies practicing what is known as “weed washing,” selling beauty products containing low-CBD hemp seed oil, essentially selling the characteristics of CBD with no substance, but still escalating the market. Consumers’ growing interest, education, and respect will play a factor in longevity and the fact that CBD is a natural product helps with the organic beauty community. CBD oils are also starting to be integrated in other mainstream products, such as dog food and treats.
CBD is non-psychoactive; therefore, it is legal as long as there’s less than 0.3% of THC. This makes it an easily accessible market for companies to enter in North America despite the initial prejudgement. Retail stores have been known to praise CBD products, Sephora even has a special dedicated section just for their CBD products and Ulta following the same route. Luxury retailers are also starting to put more focus on their CBD infused product lines and introducing them to consumers.
Appendix A demonstrates the projected growth of US CBD skincare market sizes and because Canada normally follows similar market trends, we can use it as a point of reference.
Opportunity for Psychedelic Space
The increasing education and awareness of CBD’s and psychedelics will ultimately grow the industry. With consumers more willing to purchase CBD products in everyday products and becoming more mainstream, it will sequentially lead to open doors for the psychedelic space to become normalized as well; leading to psychedelics to be used for therapy, wellness, and beauty.
