Is hemp shampoo good for your hair?

Consumers who prefer natural ingredients to chemicals are discovering how hemp shampoo can be beneficial to their hair.

Hemp hair care products like hemp shampoo can offer great benefits to you and your hair, including strengthening and moisturizing your hair and promoting hair growth. Can your shampoo do the same?

That is because hemp shampoo contains many dietary nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, proteins, omega fatty acids, and more, that support healthy hair. They also often contain all-natural ingredients, like peppermint oil, almond oil, and lavender oil and are free of artificial dyes, parabens, and fragrances.

Keep reading to learn more about adding a hemp shampoo to your bath routine is great for your hair.

What to Know About Hemp?

Hemp is a member of the Cannabis sativa L species of plant. Traditionally, hemp is harvested commercially for its seeds and stalks, which are used to produce a number of products  – including hemp foods, natural wellness products, body care products, paper, textiles, building materials, plastic composites, and even biofuels.

Because it thrives under natural conditions, hemp is typically grown outside, growing sturdy and tall, up to 2 to 4 meters in height, without the need for herbicides or pesticides. That keeps these harmful chemicals out of your hair care products.

For cannabis to be considered hemp, it must contain no more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per dry weight. THC is the active compound in marijuana that causes its intoxicating effect. The level of THC in hemp is 33 times less than the least potent marijuana strains, so it’s impossible for hemp to get a user “high.”

Instead, hemp is naturally higher in cannabidiol (CBD), one of over 100 cannabinoids that have so far been identified in the cannabis plant. CBD is completely non-psychoactive and therefore won’t cause a high, making hemp products like hemp shampoo safe for use by anyone, regardless of age.

Because hemp is an efficient bioaccumulator, it is important to avoid using chemical pesticides that can cause residual contamination of products. Toxic pesticides sprayed on hemp plants can also leach into nearby soil and water sources, negatively impacting local biological environments. Like with pesticides, many growers avoid using herbicides because they can affect local biological communities or be absorbed by hemp plants and transferred residually to commercial products.

Due to its nutritional content, hemp can also be used as a food for both humans and livestock. Hemp seed and its derived oil are popular ingredients in recipes and can be used as a plant-based source of vital nutrients. Because it is high in CBD, products made with hemp oil have become common sources for legal cannabinoids. Hemp has also found its way in bath and body products like hemp shampoos and conditioners, anti-aging skin care products, moisturizers and body lotions, and topical salves.

CBD hemp oil productsWhat Are the Benefits of Hemp for Hair?

Hemp oil, when added as an ingredient to shampoo, provides many valuable nutrients and cannabinoids like CBD to help promote healthy hair. When hemp shampoo is massaged into the hair and scalp, they are exposed to these nourishing compounds.

Once absorbed through the hair follicles and the skin of the scalp, CBD interacts with cannabinoid receptors found there on the skin’s sensory nerve fibers and subcutaneous tissue. This interaction stimulates the endocannabinoid system, encouraging its efforts to keep the body balanced and functioning at its best. This includes healthy skin and hair.

When hemp oil is infused into shampoo, the naturally balancing properties of CBD can address problems like damaged hair and dry scalp. These products can be used throughout the week for healthier hair and scalp and protection against damage caused by free radicals, environmental exposure, and aging.

In addition to CBD, hemp oil also contains a list of essential nutrients that help your hair look and feel its best. Hemp provides the following vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to nourish and protect your hair and promote healthy growth.

Vitamins A and D are both known to encourage hair growth. Vitamin D has been shown in research to potentially help create new hair follicles, the places from which hair grows. Vitamin A keeps the scalp and hair moisturized by promoting proper oil production in hair follicles.

B complex vitamins, including biotin, are also important to the construction process of hair. B vitamins help bring oxygen and nutrients to the scalp and hair through an increase in red blood cells. Those worried about keeping their hair as they age should know that B vitamins may prevent hair loss.

Vitamins C and E protect skin and hair against damage from the sun and free radicals.

Those who live in particularly cold environments will benefit from hemp shampoo’s ability to combat the drying that comes with the climate. Vitamin E increases hair growth and also helps prevent hair loss by stimulating capillaries and thus improving blood flow. It also works to prevent split ends and maintain the vibrancy of your hair color. The zinc your hair receives from hemp shampoo can help prevent zinc deficiency – a common factor in hair loss.

When hemp oil is added to shampoo, it provides hair with a 3-to-1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, optimal for moisturizing, protecting, and enhancing your natural shine. This process helps seal the ends of your hair, thereby maximizing moisture retention, which is effective for coating and conditioning your hair. Omega fatty acids also help to prevent water loss, improving its ability to act as a natural moisturizer. The moisturizing benefits also apply to your scalp, meaning there’s less of a chance of dandruff and irritation that can result from dryness.

The all-natural botanical ingredients in hemp shampoo provide the nutrients your body needs to nourish and moisturize your hair, protect it from damage due to daily exposure, and promote growth, so it looks radiant and healthy everyday.  

Leave Out the Chemicals

Traditional shampoos are often loaded with chemicals and artificial additives. You can benefit from switching to a shampoo that doesn’t use these harsh chemicals to clean your hair. Hemp shampoo doesn’t simply clean your hair—it repairs and revives it. Hemp shampoo offers a botanical, all-natural cleansing shampoo that is gentle enough for everyday use, but powerful enough to revive and rejuvenate even the driest of hair follicles.

Infused with hemp oil, these hemp shampoos are free of artificial dyes and scents, parabens, and sulfates. Most mass-produced shampoo hair care products contain preservatives and some mix of fragrance additives that are really just a disguise for chemicals, toxins, and sometimes even carcinogens. Skip these harsh chemicals and treat yourself right with an all-natural hemp shampoo.

Some users go one step further and choose to create their own DIY hemp oil shampoo recipe. Popular natural ingredients in these at home recipes include hemp and castor oil shampoo, hemp and eucalyptus shampoo, and hemp and coconut oil shampoo. This gives them complete control over what they put on their body when they wash their hair.

CBD oil benefits hairHow to Use Hemp Shampoo

You can add the benefits of hemp to your shower without much change to your routine. To use a hemp shampoo, dispense an amount about the size of a quarter into the palm of your hand and work it into a lather in your damp hair. Hemp shampoo may not lather up as much as traditional shampoos. Focus on massaging it into your hair and scalp for best results. Then rinse thoroughly.

It is also a good idea to combine your use of a hemp shampoo with a hemp hair conditioner. When used together, hemp shampoo and conditioner can double down on hemp oil’s ability to nourish, moisturize, and protect. Hemp shampoo and conditioner are safe to use daily to fully capture hemp’s benefits for the hair and scalp.

What Kind of Hair Types Should Use Hemp Shampoo?

Is you hair dry, brittle, and thin? Then it may be time to ditch your current shampoo and make the change to an all-natural hemp shampoo to take advantage of hemp oil’s nutrients. However, all hair types can benefit from the moisturizing, strengthening, and nourishing effects of hemp oil. Whether you have dry hair or oily, thin hair or thick, straight hair or curly, hemp shampoo can give you stronger, healthier hair.

Buying Hemp Shampoo

Hemp bath products, like shampoo and other hair and skin care products, are available for purchase throughout the U.S. and in over 40 countries worldwide. You can find hemp shampoo and conditioner in natural food shops, beauty supply stores like Sally’s, hair salons and spas, and more. You can also purchase hemp shampoo and other CBD topicals from online hemp and CBD retailers like Medical Marijuana, Inc.

Learn More

Want to discover more about the benefits of hemp and CBD products? Visit our CBD Oil Education page.  

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