Cannabis Beauty without the Cannabis: A big ingredient trend at Suppliers’ Day

09-May-2019 - Last updated on 13-Dec-2019 at 01:57 GMT

$© Getty Images \ (Tinnakorn Jorruang)$

CBD, hemp seed oil, and other hemp-derived ingredients are showing up everywhere in beauty right now. At this year’s NYSCC Suppliers’ Day tradeshow in New York City, industry suppliers and at least one testing lab were very much in on the cannabis trend, but not all of them are working with actual cannabis.

Cannabis beauty was among the top trends to be seen on the show floor at this week’s NYSCC Suppliers Day ingredient discovery event. Here are a few of the highlights:

Ingredient testing and CBD

GeneMarkers, a genomic testing laboratory that works closely with skin care makers, has begun offering a CBD testing panel and was showcasing that service for Suppliers’ Day attendees this week. The new test is meant to help beauty manufacturers and brands gauge the biological efficacy of any given CBD extract using different skin models (in vivo or ex vivo models).

“Our data demonstrate that the topical application of CBD regulates over 150 genes in the skin. This likely affects wound healing, pigmentation, aging, acne, and more—all important considerations for companies developing skincare products,” Dr Bridget (Keenen) Early, scientific sales manager at GeneMarkers, explains on the company site. Cosmetics Design checked in with GeneMarkers CEO Anna Langerveld at the show, so be watching the site for our video interview to go live soon.

Actual CBD

Charkit Chemical Company was at Suppliers Day this week. That company made headlines here on Cosmetics Design in March when they signed a deal with a deal with Panacea Life Sciences to distribute that company’s hemp-derived CBD isolates and distillates. (‘Hemp-derived’ is an important designation here, because there are already biotech companies making CBD with re-engineered microorganisms rather than sourcing the ingredient from cultivated hemp.)

“Our customers in cosmetic and personal care have a need for these products,” Dan O’Neill, vice president and group sales leader at Charkit, told the press. “And we are now ready to supply them with high-quality, high-performance ingredients from Panacea.”

Cannabis beauty without the cannabis

Numerous companies were showing hemp-seed oil and ingredients made from hemp seeds at Suppliers Day this week. For instance, Colonial Chemical, has developed a surfactant from hemp seed oil that certainly has its place in the cannabis beauty market.

And other ingredient makers, namely CLR Berlin and Ashland, are also looking to serve cosmetics and personal care manufacturers interested in cannabis beauty with ingredients that activate at least one cannabinoid receptor. Both of these ingredient makers are newly offering bio-based ingredients that activate the cannabinoid receptor 2 in the human endocannabinoid system but the ingredients do not come from cannabis.

CLR Berlin's ingredient that activates this receptor is called AnnonaSense CLR and is being made from a fruit known as the Custard Apple, which grows in the Andean mountains.

Ashland has an ingredient that activates that same cannabinoid receptor 2, which is made from the Patchouli plant and that they are positioning in the luxury wellness space. CB2-skin is made from patchouli and boasts skin calming, soothing, and healthy aging benefits. Cosmetics Design spoke with Ashland's VP of biofunctionals, Joel Mantelin, at the show, so be watching for our video interview to be online soon.

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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.