“There’s CBD everywhere!” we hear you. Foods, beverages and now, most of us have had our eyes drawn to something “CBD skincare” related, either in your favourite magazine or along high streets around the UK, and hopefully on our lovely new website by now 😊
Amidst the thousands of creams, lotions, gels and other beauty products containing this much sought-after ingredient, many products lay claim to help with pretty much everything now from wrinkles to things we can’t write about for legal & compliance reasons! Any tabloid or magazine editor who would like to know more about what you can and can’t claim – please call us we’re happy to help!
But is it really the new “wonderful-all-natural” ingredient everyone should be looking out for and what things should you look out for when spending your hard-earned cash?
Let’s find it out…
What is CBD?
In simplest terms, CBD is the abbreviation for Cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is one of over a hundred cannabinoids found in the Hemp plant. It is not “controlled” in the UK and has already shown to have a number of beneficial effects on our bodies, the full range of which are still being explored. “Not-controlled” you say? Yes, meaning it does not give you a ‘high’ or ‘physical impairment’ when ingested and is therefore deemed not to be a ‘controlled drug’, like CBD’s psychoactive cousins CBN and THC.
Is it safe & effective to use CBD infused beauty products?
CBD has over many years, accounted for thousands of published articles supporting a strong safety profile in cosmetic and skincare products and for its potent antioxidant properties. It’s not the only antioxidant out there, but it is a very effective one with proven results.
You’ll be pleased to know it’s also a well-established safe & legal ingredient in cosmetic products, depending on where you live and the origin of the CBD found in the product. These days it’s also really important to know where the CBD itself comes from and a raft of other legal mumbo-jumbo which we’ll touch on later.
CBD & Hemp Seed Oil, what the difference?
Both are good, have different uses and can even work well together in skin and personal care products. but CBD is CBD, don’t confuse with Hemp Seed Oil. CBD, when purified is a potent ingredient and you can only find it in a few parts of the hemp plant.
Hemp Seed Oil comes from the plant’s seeds. It naturally contains a variety of beneficial oils and fatty acids that have shown to bring a calming effect and other benefits to the skin. Hemp Seeds have also been used as a highly sustainable food source for thousands of years BUT you will not find any CBD in them, so just be careful what you buy, as some products pass themselves off as CBD when in fact they only contain Hemp Seed Oil.
Terminology Refresh
It’s getting a bit silly out there, what are all these different types of CBD? You said CBD was CBD! Relax, we’ve got you covered. Here is a brief guide to the different types of CBD out there that you might come across exploring the vast and sometimes misleading world of CBD suppliers.
Full-Spectrum CBD:
Full, meaning “whole plant” extract. All the Cannabinoids, Terpenes, flavonoids are extracted from the plant. This industry was founded on full spectrum CBD products but legally they fall way short of the mark.
Expect to see full spectrum products with claims such as “all the plant & all the goodness” and providing “an entourage effect”. You’ll also have a much higher chance of finding controlled drugs like THC and CBN along with a host of possible contaminants residing in the product.
Broad-Spectrum CBD:
A few companies have moved to producing broad-spectrum products whereby the CBD extracted from the Hemp plant has been part refined, leaving mainly CBD but also a number of other cannabinoids and other plant chemicals.
With broad-spectrum CBD, there is a risk that the levels of controlled drugs and harmful impurities could still be above the safe and legal limits.
Mono-Spectrum CBD:
Here you know a company is serious about the purity of their CBD. Mono-spectrum essentially means the extraction and purification process focuses on the CBD alone and may also include some terpenes.
With mono-spectrum CBD, you can be more confident a finished product won’t contain controlled drugs or contaminants above the legal and safe thresholds.
You’ll only find this purified form of CBD in our Food Supplements with credible, independent testing behind each batch.
CBD Isolate:
Legally used in Foods with the right legal approvals. In the UK & Europe it is the only type of CBD permitted for use in Cosmetic products. CBD Isolate is a highly purified form of CBD, resulting in nothing other than CBD in the process and a powder type form as a finished ingredient. Sounds as pure as it gets!
We use CBD isolate that is equal to or greater than 99.5% purity in all of our cosmetic products, ensuring that no traces of controlled drugs or contaminants are present.
It’s definitely legal right?
Supply chains for CBD are inherently complex and although the legal boundaries here in UK are pretty clear, the regulations are still evolving. The good news is that the UK & parts of Europe have clear regulations that support the use of CBD as an ingredient in cosmetic products and if you want to be sure the product you’re considering is legal, check out the following before you part with your cash:
Provenance (where does the CBD come from?)
Manufacturers and brands must demonstrate where their product is grown and originates from and many non-European sources of CBD are not transparent about their origins.
Endopure enjoy being able to show our product’s provenance and sharing that with our customers through our QR codes, which you can find on every product. We insist on European provenance for all our ingredients.
What type of CBD is in the product?
To be compliant with EU and UK regulations we only use CBD that has been naturally derived from the Hemp plant. We don’t use synthetic forms. All of our farmers are certified Organic and they only grow seeds which are approved to be grown in the UK and Europe.
Does the CBD come from Hemp leaf only?
That’s right, in the UK and Europe, only the Hemp leaf can be used to extract CBD for the purpose of manufacturing a legal cosmetic product.
We can show which strain of Hemp plant our CBD comes from, where it was farmed in Europe and who farmed it.
Is the product clearly labelled?
UK labelling requirements are very strict and most companies aren’t qualified on their own to produce a label consistent with the guidelines. This can lead to all sorts of unchecked claims being made about a product and questions over the ingredients. All our labels are checked and approved by UK Trading Standards before we place anything on the market.
Does the product contain the name and address of a Responsible Person (RP)?
It is a legal requirement to retain a Responsible Person who compiles and verifies each cosmetic product’s safety data and any claims about a product. Each product should have an information file which is registered on the Cosmetics Products Notification Portal (CPNP).
We go further as to share our CPNP details and key safety data on all of our topical and cosmetic products.
Parting words…
CBD can become an effective and trusted part of your beauty and personal care routines assuming the product you’re using ticks all the quality and provenance boxes we’ve discussed.
Go forth, armed with your new knowledge that should help you spot the good from the bad!