Oh January – the month of resolutions and new beginnings. Unfortunately, it’s also the month of tiredness, low energy, post-holiday blues and worst of all dry, itchy skin. I have invested hundreds of dollars in expensive lotions and creams to deal with the flaky, scaly skin that goes hand in hand with living in a northern winter climate. My counter and cabinet are full of products claiming to nourish and moisturize.
So far, the products aren’t living up to their promises, except for one. My bar of hemp body soap, made with pure, simple ingredients, has proven more beneficial than the barely used and expensive lotions. Hemp is new to the skincare product market but its powerhouse of helpful properties is creating a stir.
Let’s dive into hemp soap and it’s benefits for our skin.
What are the main benefits of hemp soap?
Why should you be using hemp? Here's 3 reasons.
Reason 1: Moisturizing
Hemp body soap is an emollient. This means that it has the ability to lock in moisture and retain it so that skin stays hydrated longer. Our outer layer of skin doesn’t have enough water, especially in harsh winter months. This makes our skin flake and crack.
Emollients contain oil that “fills in” the cracked areas providing a protective layer that prevents water loss.
Reason 2: Cleansing
When I think of soap, I think of the bars of soap from my youth (I’m dating myself here!). These were made from harsh chemicals that stripped your body of its natural oils. We thought they were the best way to cleanse our skin of germs and dirt…the stronger and more abrasive the better!
That tingly, tight feeling was supposed to signify being squeaky-clean but it was our poor skin, stripped of its healthy oil. Hemp bar soap cleanses and exfoliates our skin gently and naturally, drawing out dirt without using chemicals and without drying it out.
Reason 3: Reduces skin irritations
Skin irritations such as eczema and psoriasis are caused by inflammation in the body. They are a common response and everyone experiences them. Hemp bar soap helps soothe the redness and itchiness that signals inflammation and reduces the severity or frequency of flare-ups. It’s believed that the abundance of fatty acids and antioxidants in hemp seed oil (the main ingredient in this soap) is responsible for its’ anti-inflammatory properties.
Who Can Benefit from Hemp soap?
This one is easy – everyone! Hemp soap works on all skin types and it’s useful for every age group.
Children
Newborns often develop a scaly rough patch on their scalp. This is called cradle cap, sort of the baby version of dandruff. It’s harmless and corrects itself over time but hemp soap can be used to gently wash away the flakes and soothe baby’s tender skin.
Hemp body soap’s fatty acids, including Omega-6 and Omega-3 are also helpful when soothing the pain of a sunburn (or any burn!) and help it to heal quicker.
Anyone with teenager’s knows the angst of dealing with acne.
In the past, we thought acne was caused by an excess of oil and would use harsh astringents and soaps to strip our skin of its natural oils. This caused a rebound effect as the skin produced more oil to replenish what was taken away.
We now know that the best way to fight acne is to maintain our skin’s natural balance of oil while gently cleansing away dirt.
Hemp bar soap, even though it’s made from hemp seed oil, helps the skin maintain and replenish its natural oil without clogging pores. It’s safe for oily, dry and combination skin. It's perfect for cleansing body acne.
Elderly
As I said earlier, hemp soap contains Omega-6, Omega-3 and other fatty acids.
The combination of these fatty acids mimics our own skin, making it ideal for human use.
As our skin ages, our body forms free radicals. Free radicals are molecules in the body that don’t have an electron.
In simple terms, they are molecules that “go rogue” in our body, stealing electrons from other molecules. This process contributes to aging and disease.
Bar soap with hemp is rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals and slow down their effect on the skin and body.
Hemp also helps aging skin retain moisture which in turn keeps it smooth (less wrinkles!) and hydrated. Who doesn’t want softer skin as they get older?!
Adults
Although hemp bar soap has specific benefits for young skin and aging skin, it really benefits everyone.
All adults deal with skin issues such as rosacea, psoriasis and eczema. Its anti-inflammatory properties help with these irritations while the fatty acids restore any natural oils stripped away by other hash skincare products.
One word of caution. As with any new skincare product, it’s wise to do a patch test. It’s possible to have an allergic reaction to hemp and its ingredients.
What Are the Ingredients That Work Wonders?
The main ingredient in this soap is hemp seed oil. It is derived from pressing the hemp seeds to extract the oil. It can be unrefined or refined.
Unrefined hemp seed oil is dark green with an almost nutty smell. Refined oil has very little or no aroma but also less skin care benefits.
Hemp seed oil contains high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These three fatty acids - Omega-6 (linolenic acid), Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) are the main ingredients that are responsible for the health benefits of hemp seed oil. Fatty acids are important for not only reducing inflammation but cardiovascular health and brain function.
Hemp seed oil also contains Vitamins A and E.
Vitamin E increases production of red blood cells which carry oxygen and nutrients to parts of the body, including the skin.
In addition to playing a role in eye health and lowering your risk of developing certain cancers, Vitamin A reduces the formation of acne. It also boosts your skin’s production of collagen, helping to keep your skin smooth and reducing fine wrinkles and fine lines.
You can also find all 9 essential amino acids in hemp seed oil. These are not produced naturally by the body so we need to supplement them into our daily routine. Amino acids are essential in moisturizing our skin.
What Hemp Does Not Do
Hemp and Hemp Seed Oil Do Not Make You High
Hemp seed oil is made from the Cannabis sativa plant but it’s a different variety from the one that produces marijuana. This means there are no psychotropic properties in hemp. It will not make you high.
It’s also not the same as CBD (cannabidiol) oil. Although they come from the same Cannabis sativa plant, they are very different. You can extract CBD from both the marijuana and hemp varieties of cannabis plants and hemp is naturally rich in CBD. The difference is in the processing.
Hemp seed oil is made by cold pressing just the hemp seeds. The seeds themselves contain no CBD. CBD oil is produced from the whole plant (leaves, flowers, stems) using a more sophisticated extraction technique. It is then mixed with another type of carrier oil such as olive or MCT oil.
Some skincare products do use hemp-extracted CBD oil but it’s not as common as hemp seed oil and in Canada, requires special licensing. Just as with hemp seed oil, CBD oil contains no psychoactive ingredients or THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and will not make you high.
Check out the difference between hemp oil vs hemp seed oil to know even more about hemp.
Summary
Everyone can benefit from healthy skin. Whether you’re looking to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, eradicate acne and other skin irritation or just combat the drying effect of a harsh Canadian winter, soap with hemp is the product that can deliver. Empyri’s hemp body soap is made from pure, natural ingredients and is safe and beneficial for all ages.
Grab some for yourself! (My favourite is lavender + orange blossom if you're looking for a recommendation).
You Are Loved.
Author Bio: Jennifer is the president and founder of empyri. Jennifer’s passion for formulation and product development was set ablaze in 2019, when she incorporated the healing power of cannabis roots into her long-standing three-step skin care system. Armed with scientific evidence on the actives in cannabis roots and seeds, a clean and conscious brand was born. Using her masters degree in bio-chemical engineering, Jennifer is forging a path to ...READ FULL BIO |
References:
https://www.unclebudshemp.com/benefits-of-hemp-soap/
https://www.hippiebutter.com/news/the-benefits-of-using-hemp-soap/
https://www.verywellhealth.com/hemp-oil-for-skin-4588226
https://blog.purpletea.com/hemp-seed-oil-for-skin-benefits/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hemp-seed-oil-vs-cbd-oil
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3931201/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-hemp-seed-oil#1
https://www.byrdie.com/vitamin-a-for-skin-5101059
https://vaping360.com/learn/hemp-oil-vs-cbd-oil/
https://www.ajinomoto.com/aboutus/amino-acids/amino-acids-for-skin-and-hair