What if the secrets of beauty came from the land? Hemp crops are attracting the cosmetics market for an ecological and responsible product. A theme addressed by one of the Hemp European Hub‘s technical groups pour identifier les besoins d’une industrie en plein essor.
Hemp oil is boosting the cosmetics market. The original virtues of hemp seed are of increasing interest to laboratories, which are incorporating it into creams, serums and oils for head-to-toe skin care. Of course, the values conveyed by the plant are convincing assets: moisturising, anti-oxidant, soothing, lipid-replenishing. Hemp oil boasts the benefits of a natural, environmentally-friendly product, right from the moment industrial hemp is grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides, and with no water input other than rainwater.
Organic molecule par excellence
It all begins in a hemp field, where the hemp seed is harvested. It is harvested three weeks after flowering and immediately packaged for storage without any loss of quality.
Used as far back as ancient times and by Cleopatra, hemp oil is a dry, pleasant oil that doesn’t leave a greasy film, and is a treatment with proven benefits. Rich in essential fatty acids, it provides the skin with the necessary protective balance of Omega 3 and 6, linolenic acid and vitamin E. A cocktail which, when absorbed by the skin cells, produces a moisturising, healing and anti-inflammatory effect. Hemp in cosmetics also protects against the sun’s ultraviolet rays, acting like a sun cream. Enough to satisfy the skincare needs of sensitive, dry skin that has been attacked by the cold or pollution.
When hemp seeds are processed, a substance beneficial to the skin is extracted. ‘We work closely with La Chanvrière,’ explains Philippe Pastré, co-founder of Chanvria, whose brand offers a complete range of products based on virgin hemp oil. ‘We have access to a premium organic hemp seed of consistent quality and quantity, which guarantees the properties of our dermo-cosmetic products’.
Ancestral treatments driving today’s bioeconomy
Like most players in the sector, Chanvria sources its hemp seed from a local cooperative. The company promotes the synergy of a regional and responsible ecosystem as part of its CSR approach. A short circuit that helps support the local economy through the regional cultivation of industrial hemp, with guaranteed outlets for farmers. ‘15% of La Chanvrière‘s seed sales are destined for the cosmetics market,’ explains Pascal Mortoire, director of La Chanvrière in Aube, which sorts, selects and prepares the seeds for sale as raw materials to processors. “Cosmetics is an emerging market. Hemp conveys strong social and environmental values, as there are no pesticides listed by the European Commission in our hemp seeds – hemp seed oil – or in our hemp oil.
Far from the chemical components that are becoming less and less popular with laboratories and, above all, consumers, hemp oil is repositioning the values of a healthy, natural product in a beauty market that is sometimes under pressure. Convinced, the major brands are now developing their own hemp oil-based ranges. We still need to anticipate the hemp resources required to supply a production sector that is gaining in reputation and market share, so that hemp is definitely in our blood.
