Raw Hemp Seed Oil is a rich nutrient oil pressed from Hemp (Cannabis Sativa) seeds which contains approximately 76% EFA (Essential Fatty Acids) - 25% Omega3, 58% Omega6, 1.9 % to 5% GLA. It is rich dark green in colour with a characteristic light nutty odour. Our Hemp Seed Oil is grown and processed in Canada and South Africa, pressed in a light and oxygen free environment and nitrogen capped. It is a fabulous skin care oil and has a shelf life of roughly 6 months to a year (dependent on how it is stored). The fresh oil should be treated with an anti-oxidant and stored in the fridge after opening. Hemp Seed Oil is a moisturizing and penetrating oil that can be used directly on the skin and is a valuable addition to skin care products. It gives a wonderful rich feel to the lather when used in soap. Why Hemp Seed Oil in Personal Care Products? Although the cosmetic industry claims generic use of unsaturated or Essential Fatty Acids as beneficial to the skin, only the EFA Linoleic Acid and its metabolite Gamma-Linolenic Acid have clinically proven biochemical and therapeutic effects on the skin. Hemp Seed Oil contains 50%-60% Linoleic Acid and is the only high EFA oil that also contains GLA. Because its EFA profile so closely resembles the skin's natural lipids, Hemp Seed Oil instantly counteracts the effects of degreasing and dehydration, conditions that produce dry skin. Its ability to quickly moisturize and condition the skin, make Hemp Seed Oil a choice ingredient for today's performance skin care market. The skin acts as a barrier to protect the body from excessive water loss and from penetration by foreign substances and pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. The optimal state of the skin is characterized by a balanced ratio of skin lipids to skin moisture. The health of skin depends largely on moisture retention provided by the stratum corneum, the outer layer of the epidermis. The weakening or failure of this natural barrier can be caused by sun, dry air, harsh soaps, free radical damage or the slowdown of cell metabolism with aging. The result is changes to the lipid composition of the epidermis and reduced moisture retention capability. Lipids are composed of fat-like substances including sterols, free fatty acids and ceramides. Chemically speaking, ceramides are a class of substances that contain different polyunsaturated fatty acids that make up about 18% of the upper lipophylic layers of the stratum corneum. Ceramide 1, found in the Omega-6 Linoleic Acid, is of critical importance to the moisture control of the skin. Due to its superior EFA profile which closely resembles the skin's natural lipids, Hemp Seed Oil, when topically applied, replenishes skin with these essential components, thus increasing moisture retention. Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, have become an increasingly important class of cosmetic raw materials from a standpoint of both performance and consumer appeal. The proteins used in personal care products have, traditionally, been derived from collagen or keratin. Recently, however, there has been an increasing demand for proteins that are vegetable derived. Whole Hemp Seed contains about 23% protein. Hemp Seed protein contains all 20  Amino Acids - including the 9 Essential Amino Acids - and features a high content of the two sulfur-containing Amino Acids  Methionine and Cystine, usually under-represented in vegetable proteins.

Aging

Young and properly functioning skin has plenty of ceramides. With age or skin disease, ceramide levels decrease. The polyunsaturated fatty acids that make ceramides flexible are replaced by less saturated fatty acids. This slower metabolism contributes to the formation of wrinkles and overall skin aging. The topical application of LA fatty acids work as an anti-inflammatory and partially compensates for lower ceramide levels in the skin thus reducing the appearance of aging or inflamed skin.

Baby boomers have grown increasingly aware of the link between aging skin and natural cosmetic ingredients. At no other time in western history has there been such an unprecedented market for anti-aging skin care products. Currently, approximately 43 million women are approaching menopause. Between 1993 and 2004, the age 50 and over population will have grown by 74%. With menopause, oestrogen levels drop and within one year skin structure show significant signs of aging. Since oestrogen supports and protects skin structure, menopause results in decreased barrier protection, heightened sensitivity, increased wrinkling, scaling and dryness, inflammation and loss of firmness and flexibility of the skin. Hemp Seed Oil contains over 50% Linoleic acid, which is a clinically proven anti-inflammatory beneficial for laser-treated or peeled, stressed, acne-prone, sun-damaged and aging skin.

Acne

Acne is the most common disease of the skin and affects all ages. Today, it affects nearly 17 million Americans and can be aggravated by many factors including cosmetics, stress, pregnancy and diet. It is caused by a hormone imbalance and thus cannot be healed externally. However, clinical studies have shown that skin care products containing GLA and LA have been found effective in the therapeutic treatment of acne skin conditions by repressing the inflammation and thus preventing or alleviating "breakouts." Nearly 70% of youth aged 12-17 experience acne. Males tend to have more severe acne and although they are less likely to seek treatment than females, they are more likely to care for their skin than their fathers did.

Skin Cleansers

Since dermatologists have long discouraged the use of soap on the face, skin cleansers have become increasingly more popular and are expected to contain ingredients that not only cleanse the face, but also improve its condition. Surfactant-based cleansers and cold creams are the most commonly used types. Because of their high oil content, cold creams are not only used to remove make-up, but may also be used as moisturizers. Because they condition and provide moisture to the skin, light oils are often included to prevent defatting of the skin. Hemp Seed Oil's high level of EFAs and spread-ability make it an ideal ingredient for skin cleansers.

Sun Care

Besides the sunscreen agent, the most important elements in the sunscreen product is the vehicle or solvent in which it is dissolved and the film thickness left on the skin. Although mineral and castor oils are frequently used as solvents for oil-soluble sunscreens, Hemp Seed Oil is a choice ingredient to reduce the tackiness of these heavier oils. With Hemp Seed Oil it is possible to formulate a more appealing sunscreen product because it reduces the undesirable greasiness and occlusiveness resulting from a high mineral oil content. Sun care products should contain ingredients that impart maximum emollience with a minimum of greasiness to keep skin soft and counteract the drying effects of the sun. Hemp Seed Oil is especially beneficial for indoor, self tanning or after sun care because of its excellent spreadability and skin moisturizing properties.

Shaving Products

The function of shaving products is to wet the hair and lubricate the skin so that a razor glides easily over the skin's surface. The discomfort associated with shaving is caused by the resistance of the hair shaft to the cutting edge. Hemp Seed Oil can be used as a super-fatting agent in brushless creams because it adds lubricity and prevents the skin from becoming dry. In addition to its emollient and lubricating effects on the skin, it can also enhance the performance of the formulation by increasing moisture retention properties of the product.

Make-Up

Lipsticks are by far the most frequently used type of make-up. The emollience a lipstick exhibits is crucial to its ease of application, pay-off and feel characteristics. Typically, lipsticks contain 60%-70% oil which act as an emollient and as a solvent for the dye. Although historically castor oil and mineral oil have been used as solvents, they are very viscous and can increase resistance during application. Replacing some of the castor oil with Hemp Seed Oil in a formulation can improve the overall feel by imparting a smooth application, superior emollience and counteract the drying effects of most bromo acid dye solvents.

Facial make-up is used to conceal imperfections and add color. Many formulations today contain moisturizers to help condition the skin. Adding Hemp Seed Oil will impart a smooth after-feel on the skin. In liquid make-up formulations, Hemp Seed Oil can act as the vehicle for the powder and effectively remain on the skin while assisting in spreadability, viscosity control and emolliency. Because it is a light oil, our refined Hemp Seed Oil is able to penetrate the skin while leaving a non-occlusive film on the skin surface, promoting a velvety smooth, non-oily feel without the sensation of wetness.

Hair Care

As Hemp Seed Oil is one of the world's riches sources of EFAs and other nutrients it does assist in  strong healthy keratin formation. Keratin is the principal protein of hair (and nails) characterized by the presence of cystine and is responsible for its structural integrity. In addition to improving the structural quality of the hair, Hemp Seed Oil's high lipid content help increase elasticity, volume, comb-ability and shine. Hemp Seed Oil's fatty acid composition and high performance moisturizing emollients make it an ideal ingredient for both dry hair and scalp conditions.

Shampoo

A dominant theme among consumers is a desire for gentler hair care products which contain milder, naturally derived ingredients, but continue to provide high performance. In response, hair care marketers now incorporate conditioners, such as vegetable derived moisturizers and proteins, giving the products a natural appeal. Shampoos and conditioners almost always contain surfactants that are capable of solubilizing and stripping the hair of its normal lipid coating, thus leaving it dry, brittle and lacking luster. Hemp Seed Oil produces a film that smoothes down the cuticle, which in turn reduces the scattering of light, thus improving the luster and feel of the hair. This film tends to keep the resident moisture of the hair because the Amino Acids  are small enough to penetrate the cuticle and moisturize from within.

Styling Aids

While the primary purpose of styling aids is to control hair, the overall effect is to improve the appearance. To do so, most styling products such as hair spray, mousse, styling gel, hair cream and pomades contain an increased level of fatty material or conditioning agents. Pomades, for example, are oil systems consisting mainly of mineral oil or petroleum (from 75% to 98%). The addition of Hemp Seed Oil can modify the heavy, greasy feel of these ingredients, detangle, add emolliency and increase viscosity.