Hemp Seed Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
At Dope Skin Co., we’re all about hemp-based products, so it’s no surprise that hemp seed oil is one of our fav ingredients.
This oil, which we consider to be a downright miracle when it comes to your skin, is derived from hemp seeds that have been cold pressed. Hemp seed oil is typically unrefined and appears green in colour. It’s important to note that hemp seed oil usually does not contain any tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the psychoactive chemical in marijuana that makes you high. Now that you know what hemp seed oil is, it’s time to delve deeper into its benefits and any safety concerns you should be aware of.
Overview
As mentioned above, hemp seed oil is derived from hemp seeds. It is important to make this distinction as hemp seed oil and hemp oil are not the same thing.
Whereas hemp seed oil comes specifically from hemp seeds, hemp oil is a blanket term for all oils derived from hemp, such as cannabidiol oil or CBD oil.
Hemp seed oil is legal so long as it contains less than 0.3% THC. It is typically marketed on its own, as a topical oil that can be applied to the skin for major benefits, or as an ingredient in other skincare products like moisturisers.
Benefits
The number one benefit of hemp seed oil? Its hydrating powers!
So if you suffer from dry skin on the regular, hemp seed oil might just be your skin saviour. The powerhouse hydrator is chock full of omega fatty acids. We’re talking about omega acids 3, 6, and 9, all of which will hydrate the skin when applied topically.
Second, hemp seed oil can moderate oil production.
It might seem counterintuitive to apply a facial oil when you already have oily skin, but we promise you it will help. Hemp seed oil has the ability to moisturise the skin without clogging your pores, which in turn helps to balance out your skin’s oil production and stop you from overproducing sebum.
In addition to moisturising, this superstar oil is also an anti-inflammatory (you can thank its high gamma-linolenic acid content for this). This acid calms the skin, thus functioning as an anti-inflammatory that is especially helpful for those who suffer from skin conditions like acne, rosacea, or psoriasis.
Safety
Hemp seed oil is completely safe for topical use and has no known side effects, mainly because it usually contains zero or only small traces of THC.
Like with all new ingredients, do a patch test in advance in case it irritates your skin, but the likelihood is low.
In addition, just because the names sound so similar, make sure that if it’s hemp seed oil you’re after, the product you pick up is labelled hemp seed oil, rather than just hemp oil. This is because hemp oils differ in terms of what they can do for your skin and which skin types they are best suited to.
