By Nadia Rehman
Cannabis exploded onto the spa and wellness scene a couple of years ago. After spending decades hiding in the shadows as an illegal substance, the plant has recently seen different levels of decriminalization around the world and been the subject of much interest thanks to its purported healing properties. The beauty business is also seeing a boom in cannabis-derived products and experiences.
As we have discussed before, there are two main chemical ingredients we talk about when we talk about cannabis: THC and CBD. THC is what causes the high from cannabis, while CBD is said to have numerous wellness applications and does not get you high. But not all products using cannabis contain these compounds.
We previously covered some cannabis trends, including various spa treatments using CBD. There are also many beauty brands using cannabis in lotions, salves, masks, makeup, and more.
Ending the stigma
Among those is Kim Collier of Collier Concepts (pictured above). She is one person who is working towards ending the cannabis stigma in the spa and hospitality sector.
Collier has an impressive resume, with more than 25 years of experience working in a wide range of spas globally, from building brands to launching new concepts. Her roster of clients includes hospitality brands like Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, and Intercontinental, and her certifications include USA certified massage therapist, NCBTMB accredited spa therapies instructor, Australian trained esthetician, and energy medicine yoga instructor. She will also be completing a Holistic Health Practitioner certification in 2019 with a thesis on Cannabis & Global Wellness.
Kim Collier offers niche consulting for wellness venues, CBD brands, and experiential education programs for spas, resorts and consumers. The goal is to educate spa and hospitality leaders on how they can incorporate CBD into their businesses for good wellness practices. Collier offers unique CBD experiential education events,
“science based CBD, Spas & Wellness classes,” workplace wellness programs, and more.
“CBD is the ultimate gateway to wellness,” says Kim Collier. “And hemp will be the saviour of many industries, including building materials, food, fiber, beauty, and wellness.”
While we watch those developments in other industries, we’ve put together a list of four more beauty and wellness brands and experiences to look out for in this space.
EKS
EKS is a Canadian brand founded by Ashley Short and Tijen Yalchin. The duo takes a holistic approach when it comes to the products they have developed. Yalchin has a combined background in Massage Therapy and Acupuncture. Short is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Clinical Herbalist, making this duo the perfect team to create products designed for healing. They are focused on creating natural and healing salves with a very simple yet effective concept. Consumers can use the EKS specialty salves and combine with their own legal cannabis oil. EKS came to be after Short was diagnosed with Lyme disease. She needed an effective way to manage her pain and didn’t want to continue to use steroids prescribed by her doctor. The brand currently offers two salves using only natural ingredients, the brand plans on expanding into other products in the future.
High Beauty
High beauty is an organic and paraben-free skincare line, the founder of which has 30 years of experience in the natural beauty industry. The line is designed with mindfulness and high-quality ingredients that include cannabis sativa, said to be effective in reducing inflammation. High Beauty’s products, such as the Cannabis Facial Oil and Cannabis Moisturizer, do not contain THC or CBD, and are rich in vitamins E and A to soothe skin and provide a natural glow.
Kana Skincare
Kana Skincare is well-known for its cannabis-containing masks, which are notably soothing around the eyes. Kana’s Purple Rice Hemp Sleeping Mask contains purple rice, licorice, green tea leaves, and hemp oil. According to Kana, the green tea leaf water and cannabinoids help reduce inflammation of the skin, while the mask – naturally a gorgeous purple color, thanks to the purple rice – will also help smooth fine lines. The products have gained recognition with features in Forbes and Allure.
Milk Makeup – Kush
Milk is a New York-based company with a focus on high quality, paraben-free, vegan, and cruelty-free cosmetics whose Kush makeup line takes an exciting direction with cannabis and cosmetics – like their signature Kush Mascara. Milk wanted to create a fully vegan product, and settled on using cannabis oil as an alternative to beeswax, a commonly used binding agent in mascara. Not only is it vegan, according to Milk, cannabis oil creates a creamy texture that allows for smoother application and also provides an additional conditioning benefit. Along with Kush Mascara, the brand has a selection of cannabis-based cosmetics including Kush Lip Balm, Kush Eyeliner, and Kush Brow Gel.