This is our third article in a series we call ‘What is Cannabis?’. In the first article, we provided a brief overview of some products that can be made from cannabis. In the second article, we talked about cannabis as food. This month we’ll talk about why cannabis is a great option for personal care products, and it’s no coincidence that this is right in the Maine Hempworks wheelhouse!
We produce handcrafted body care products such as bar and liquid soaps, lip balms, lotion sticks, and beard oils. People ask, “Why use cannabis as an ingredient in the product if there’s no medicinal value?” As you’ll find in the ‘Cannabis as Food’ article (July 2019 Richardson), cannabis seed has a complete essential fatty acid profile which is important because your body doesn’t make these essential fatty acids on its own and uses these nutrients to manage inflammation, normal cellular function, and even mood. Usually, we can get what we need from our diets by eating fish, nuts, seeds, and some oils. Another way to get these essential nutrients is by using body care products rich in these fatty acids. Products with these properties help improve the stratum corneum, otherwise known as the outermost layer of skin. It helps strengthen and smooth the skin’s surface by repairing the skin barrier to retain moisture and improve elasticity. The anti-inflammatory properties of these essential fatty acids aid in soothing irritated, sensitive and red skin while eliminating flaky, dehydrated skin. It also helps nourish and protect skin against environmental damage. If that doesn’t explain the strength of cannabis oil in body care products, I don’t know what will.
Here’s an example of what cannabis oil in body care products can do: At a craft fair just last year, we had a gentleman come up to our booth to ask us about our products. We told him about the moisturizing capabilities of cannabis oil due to its high essential fatty acid content as well as its properties as a natural humectant which helps draw moisture to the skin.
He pulled up his sleeve to reveal a swathe of extremely dried and chapped skin on his forearm. “Could it help with this?” he asked.
We pointed him to our samples and suggested our Earth Lotion Stick. Because his arm was so raw we didn’t want him to use anything with fragrance or essential oil, which may irritate skin that chapped.
Each of our product lines includes an ‘Earth’ variation which contains no added fragrance or scent just for this sort of reason!
He used a small amount from the lotion stick and put a thin layer on his forearm. He thanked us and said that he’d see how it does and we wished him well as he continued to explore the fair. A while later he’d circled back around to us and asked us to check out his arm, he rolled up the sleeve and his forearm looked moisturized and renewed!
Clearly, he was incredibly happy with the results! He ended up buying five lotion sticks right then and there! Better than that, we were quite satisfied with how our lotion stick had performed.
This is exactly why we’d chosen cannabis for our body care product to begin with.
