Hemp seed oil is second star ingredient in our Green Gold Balm & alongside Tamanu Oil, gives it that amazing colour as they’re both dark green.
Here are some facts we found out about it, why we had to include it and why we love it so much.
Skin benefits
Hemp seed oil is high in omega acids 3, 6, and 9, all of which help repair the skin barrier. The seeds are also packed full of skin-friendly vitamins: Vitamin E, Vitamin D, Vitamin B1 and B2 minerals: potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium. These also help lower inflammation in the skin meaning its anti inflammatory. It can be effective in managing many skin conditions, including, redness & rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, acne. It is an amazing universally tolerated oil & works for people with very different skin types -
〰️ Oily - with a high linoleic content it will absorb in fast and balance our sebum production, reducing oiliness over time
〰️Dry - Like most plant oils, hemp seed oil is an emollient; it softens rough skin and flaky skin
〰️ Combination - the two benefits above means it will help bring balance and harmony to the different areas on combination skin
Sustainability
Hemp cultivation requires low amounts of water, thanks to the structure of its deep roots. Industrial hemp is a resilient plant that grows well and quickly, so it is unnecessary to use pesticides or herbicides. Organic cultivation combines best environmental practices, a high level of biodiversity and the preservation of natural resources.
The plant is able to access deep water and to thrive in drought-damaged soils. The long roots of the hemp plants also help loosen the soil for the next crops giving the perfect solution to protect against soil erosion. Hemp is basically nature’s purifier. The plant can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and make what we breathe in much cleaner for us. For every tonne of hemp produced, 1.63 tonnes of carbon is removed from the air
Less Waste
Hemp is a versatile plant as the whole hemp plant can be valued and up-cycled. Hemp is cultivated for use in many industries, including biomass to make textiles, seeds for oil and eating. With more than 60,000 uses, hemp has the ability to support humankind on almost every level. It produces less waste as every part of the hemp plant can & is used. The seed can be used for oil for food and cosmetic industries and seed press cakes for the protein for food and pet food industries. The leaves and stems can be used for insulating soils for the textile, car or construction industries and more.
Regulation
Since industrial hemp seed oil like what we use in our Green Gold Balm is so closely linked to the cannabis plant that has its psychoactive properties with the addition of thc & cbd, the cultivation and the use of the plant is very closely regulated and controlled all over the world.
For manufactures bringing hemp oil into the cosmetic world, they have to comply with the regulations of the country of cultivation. Each year the list of different varieties allowed for growing is reviewed and farmers have to buy their seeds only from the approved list. They are also not allowed to use their own seeds so there is no risk of the plant developing any thc. The hemp fields have to be registered every year and they are regularly visited by authorities to make sure everything is up to standards before it can be approved.
This level of regulation has a side of effect of giving a slight barrier to entry meaning that growing practices are watched over from the very beginning vs oils such as palm oil where companies for far too long were left to their own devices resulting in a now completely unsustainable and damaging oil.
History
From around 2000 BC-800 BC, Hemp was considered a gift, referred to in Hindu religious documents as “sacred grass,” one of the five sacred plants of India.
What’s important for hemp is that it’s consciously and carefully cultivated and grown from the beginning. The want for sustainability is great as hopefully this means companies will take genuine care and effort in everything they do as without this, similar to palm oil which could have been a great sustainable option before it grew completely out of hand, was grown after deforestation and became such a key ingredient in the food industry that capitalism and money became more important.
Have you ever used hemp seed oil or have it in products you use? How do you find it?