The purpose of this report was to examine the market for cosmetic products containing cannabis-derived ingredients. The project was limited to examining skincare products, including leave-on and rinse-off products. The methodology involved conducting a market survey using data from the database of the Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals, visiting online stores and online platforms, and interviewing relevant industry stakeholders.
This report identified ten different cannabis-derived ingredients across 148 cosmetic products that were distributed on 40 different product types and were represented by 59 brands. Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil was the most frequently used cannabis-derived ingredient, appearing in 84 % of the products. CBD was found in 44 % of the products, followed by Cannabis Sativa Leaf Extract (11 %) and Cannabis Sativa Seed Extract (7 %). Potassium Hempseedate was found in one product.
Creams and lotions constituted the largest product group followed by oils. The majority of the registered products were facial care. It appears that cosmetic product with cannabis-derived ingredients is a niche market. The majority of the products examined were produced abroad.
For Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, the most common claims were “moisturizing” and “anti-age”, while the most common claims for CBD were “regenerating/healing”, “moisturizing” and “anti-age”.
The EU Commission has made a call for safety data on the use of pure CBD and cannabis-derived extracts in cosmetic products. In general, the findings indicated widespread caution regarding the use of CBD among the surveyed Danish manufacturers, since the industry awaits a safety assessment.