What is hemp oil? What effects does it have on you? We have the answers…

Let’s start by dispelling some myths about the hemp seed oil we use in our skincare. Hemp is a bit of a multi-tasking wonder plant, with its different parts being harvested and used in a whole variety of ways. It is grown for its fibres, as well as its seeds, leaves and flowers, and different varieties of hemp are grown specifically for different uses.

Some varieties of hemp - cannabis indica, for example - are more likely to be cultivated for their psychoactive THC and CBD content, but the cultivar that’s grown specifically for its seeds doesn’t contain high quantities of psychoactive compounds, and the seeds themselves aren’t mind-altering at all!

See our article What's The Difference Between Hemp Seed Oil And CBD? for more information about the different uses of hemp plants!

We use the oil that’s pressed from hemp seeds of the cannabis sativa plant for our skincare, because its nutrients - vitamins, essential fatty acids, antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatories - have been shown to be highly beneficial for skin. 

Other hemp oils may have been made from the buds, flowers or leaves of hemp plants, and those could well make you sleepy or high, if they’re rich in psychoactive THC, but not the oil produced from the seeds.

So the answer to the question is that no, hemp seed oil doesn’t make you sleepy or alter your consciousness in any way! It’s all about the nutritional value for skin.

For more information on why hemp seed oil is so good for your skin and why so many Balmonds products contain it, read our article Why We Put Hemp In Our Products.

Recommended products:

Balmonds Skin Salvation balm with hemp and beeswax (from £7.99 for 30ml)

Balmonds Bath & Body Oil with hemp, chamomile and lavender (£12.99 for 300ml)

Balmonds Daily Moisturising Cream with hemp and shea butter (from £13.99 for 100ml)