You might like using the occasional CBD gummy, or maybe you put Hemp seeds in your smoothies. Did you know that Hemp seed oil is also one of the best possible oils for your skin too? Once you see the before + after results of this amazing oil you'll be ready to make sure it's in your skin care routine right away.
Hemp Seed Oil For Skin - Before + Afters of Solving Skin Problems
Cystic acne and rosacea both see tremendous improvements from the perfect balance of Omega fatty acids in hemp and the uniquely calming phytonutrition it provides. Hemp seed oil is lightweight, breathable, and rich in bioactive substances that calm and balance skin.
Hemp Seed Oil For Cystic Acne
Hemp seed oil was part of Bailee's journey with clearing cystic acne. Her before and afters show substantial improvements from using hemp seed oil in her skin care routine.
As part of her routine Bailee used a facial oil with raw, organic hemp seed oil especially designed for acne prone skin.
Hemp seed oil has been the focus of scientific research for its efficacy against acne. A 2024 paper found that Hemp seed oil was effective at inhibiting the growth of C. acnes bacteria. CBD extracts also showed tremendous benefits, but Hemp seed oil showed this antibacterial activity even if it wasn't high in CBD. Hemp seed oil was found to be about 50% as effective as clindamycin, an antibiotic commonly used to combat acne.
A randomized, double-blinded, split face controlled trial was conducted in 2021 to determine the effects of a cream containing just 1% Hemp seed oil. The volunteers used a control cream on one side of the face and a cream with the Hemp seed oil on the other side of the face twice a day for 12 weeks. Participants were an average of 25 years old with mild or moderate acne, and 18 people completed the study.
The number of inflammatory acne lesions did not change on the side of the face that did not receive the Hemp seed oil. By comparsion the cream containing Hemp seed oil was able to reduce inflammatory acne lesions by 42.5%!
The sebum production of the volunteers was reduced by 44.9% at week 12 after using the Hemp seed oil cream while the sebum levels of the control side of the face dropped only 13%. This indicates that Hemp seed oil is able to help moderate sebum production.
Hemp seed oil has been found to slow proliferation of sebocytes, which is part of how it reduces sebum production. It also has benefits to fight inflammation and harmful bacteria on skin.
The benefits for noninflammatory acne were not found to be as good as for inflammatory acne.
Hemp Seed Oil Before + After for Rosacea
Acne isn't the only inflammatory skin condition where Hemp seed oil can help.
When this nurse's rosacea was aggravated by face masks she had to wear for work she turned to Hemp seed oil skin care for help.
Her results were achieved using a Hemp seed oil based facial oil over 7 weeks. You can see the results were substantial, and her skin was much more comfortable after adding Hemp seed oil skin care to her routine.
Why Hemp Oil Works On Skin
The skin's endocannabinoid system is hugely important for skin regulation.
Endocannabinoids are cannabinoids that are produced in your own body instead of in a plant. The plant based version are phytocannabinoids. Providing cannabinoid compounds to your skin can help regulate it in an effective way because you're essentially speaking the same language as your own cells. Phytocannabinoids communicate with our cells the same way they communicate with the rest of our body systems.
Cells have receptors where they link up with messenger molecules like cannnabinoids from hemp. The CB1 and CB2 receptor sites are present in a variety of skin cells such as keratinocytes, melanocytes, and dermal fibroblasts. These cells can show up in the epidermal layer, oil glands, and hair follicles. These sites are key to where acne lesions occur.
Clear, Healthy Skin from Hemp Oil's Unique Nutrition
Because Hemp seed oil is rich in antioxidants, fatty acids, and is unlikely to cause allergic reactions we consider hemp seed oil to be one of the best oils for skin. Your skin will maintain elasticity and softness, thanks to the essential nutrients present in Hemp oil.
In addition to its benefits for cystic acne Hemp oil is even recommended as a top natural oil to soothe rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, as it reduces redness and inflammation.
Hemp seed oil is rich in cannabinoids even if it's not a high CBD oil. It's a treasure trove of phytochemistry!
Hemp also carries other important monoterpenoids like myrcene, limonene, and pinene and sesquiterpenoids like Beta-caryophyllene that can contribute to its benefits for skin. For example, myrcene and Beta-caryophyllene both have anti-inflammatory properties.
Hemp Seed Oil Fatty Acid Composition
Hemp seed oil's fatty acid profile is also super beneficial for skin. We often hear about how it has the perfect dietary balance of Omega fatty acids 3 and 6. These fatty acids also have big benefits for skin.
- About 59% of Hemp seed oil is linoleic fatty acid, or Omega 6.
- About 18% of Hemp seed oil is Alpha-linolenic fatty acid, or Omega 3.
- Some cultivars of hemp seeds have about 5-6% Gamma-linolenic fatty acid (GLA), which is a special Omega 6 fatty acid that can have unique benefits. GLA fatty acid also is present in Evening Primrose and Borage oils.
Omega 3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties for skin, and Omega 6, linoleic fatty acid, is necessary for a healthy skin barrier.
Many people dealing with skin inflammation are deficient in both these important fatty acid compounds. Supplementing the skin with Omegas 3 and 6 in skincare can help fortify the skin barrier and return skin to a healthy state.
Hemp oil also has a comedogenic rating of 0, meaning it will not clog pores. It's a very mobile oil that is easily absorbed into skin.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, or PUFAs, have become a topic of a lot of discussion recently, and they have lots of skin benefits when used topically.
The Surprising Reason You're Not Getting Benefits from Most Hemp Oil in Skin Care
If Hemp oil is so great why isn't it in lots more skin care products? Great question!
Hemp seed oil is sensitive to heat.
Many commercial skincare lines shy away from using Hemp seed oil in their recipes because it doesn't tolerate heat well. The processing techniques to make many cosmetic products require heating the ingredients, which ruins Hemp seed oil.
Maybe you've noticed that at the health food store hemp seed oil is stored in the refrigerator? Hemp oil is not recommended for use with hot cooking methods, and generally is incorporated in salad dressings and cold recipes when it's used as a food.
This means that skin care products made with Hemp need to be made very carefully, and the hemp oil should never be exposed to temperatures above 120 F.
Hemp seed oil has a short shelf life.
The unique fatty acid composition of Hemp seed oil that's so good for our skin health is also unstable, and oxidizes easily.
The majority of the fatty acids in Hemp seed oil are Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids which are amazing for skin. Because the chemical bonds in them are "unsaturated" it means they have more interactivity with oxygen molecules. Exposure to oxygen causes rancidity in the oil over time and rancid oils are not good for you.
Use pure Hemp seed oil within about 6 months of purchase when you buy it for dietary use. Usually it's stored in the refrigerator even at home. That's way less time than most people expect to have to use products like skin care and hair care. Most people also don't store their skin care in the refrigerator.
Skin care products commonly sold at mass market retailers also are expected to last between 3 and 5 years sitting on a shelf at room temperature. That is way too long for Hemp oil to stay fresh. This means most Hemp oil skin care and cosmetics you see at stores won't deliver the kinds of skin benefits you really want from Hemp oil.
What is the deal with the hemp seed oil I see on this skin care label then?
Many cosmetic and skin care companies that market as having Hemp use almost no Hemp seed oil in their products, or they're using a refined, nutrient-deficient oil to make it more stable.
Mass market lines often use refined Hemp seed oils which are stripped of valuable nutrition, and processed to a totally colorless, odorless appearance. The refining process can cause the oil to partially oxidize as well, making it already partially rancid by the time it hits your skin or hair. This makes their Hemp seed oil mostly a marketing claim and even possibly bad for skin!
Hemp is just becoming legal in some parts of the world.
Hemp products are also just being legalized in more parts of the world, so legal barriers may still exist in some places. For example as of 2021 Thailand has only started moving towards legalizing domestic products containing Hemp ingredients, and still held off on allowing the import of Hemp based cosmetics and skin care.
How to Get Real, Raw Hemp Oil In Your Skin Care by Shopping Small
Raw, unrefined Hemp seed oil is carefully sourced from the presser and has a beautiful golden-green color. If the oil is clear and odorless stay away!
Hemp oil skin care will only give you good results if you follow a few important guidelines when shopping.
Hemp seed oil should be kept cool.
Hemp seed oil intended for use in skin care should be kept under refrigeration until it is blended with more stable oils that can help keep it fresh for a longer period of time at room temperature.
A good quality Hemp oil is never heated during creation of the finished product.
Hemp seed oil skin care products should have a green or gold hue, and should smell naturally nutty
The finished skin care product may have an amber or green hue to it from the color of the natural oil. The smell of raw Hemp seed oil is a little bit nutty and mossy. It smells wholesome and fresh, not perfumey.
Hemp seed oil may appear in facial cleansers, moisturizers, facial oils or body oil blends, serums, and balms.
(Interestingly many balms that feature CBD extracts actually have the CBD isolate mixed with olive oil, coconut oil, and beeswax as carriers so that they last longer)
Look for antioxidant ingredients and more stable oils to appear with Hemp oil.
Skin care products with hemp seed oil will often include Tocopherol, which is an antioxidant form of Vitamin E. This ingredient helps protect the integrity of the important and fragile fatty acids. Rosemary Oleoresin is also often used as an antioxidant.
Blending Hemp seed oil with other more stable oils can also help protect it. Look for it to be combined with oils like Cranberry seed oil, Blackberry seed oil, and Jojoba oil for increased stability.
Look for Hemp seed oil higher up on the ingredients list in skin care.
You should also look to see if the oil appears at the very end of the ingredients list, or up towards the top. While we've seen that 1% Hemp oil can definitely help you'll get better benefits if you're getting more hemp oil in your products.
Ingredients are listed in order of concentration in skin care ingredients declarations, and the last few ingredients are generally at less than 1% of the recipe. Look for Hemp seed oil to appear in the initial or middle portion of the ingredients list for higher proportions.
Order small amounts of hemp skin care products and use them promptly for best benefits.
Don't overstock yourself on fresh, raw Hemp oil skin care. It's best to buy just what you need and use it while it's fresh. Then just restock when you're running low. This will help your skin get the optimal benefits from the product.
Purchasing your Hemp oil skin care directly from independent manufacturers can help ensure you're getting the real thing. When you've got it you'll know it!
Show us your before and afters of Hemp seed oil skin care. We can't wait to see!
Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is general in nature and for informational purposes. It is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. None of the statements on this site are a recommendation as to how to treat any particular disease or health-related condition. If you suspect you have a disease or health-related condition of any kind, you should contact your health care professional immediately. Please read all product packaging carefully and consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise, supplementation or medication program. Cosmetic products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.