HERBIVORE | EMERALD CBD + ADAPTOGENS DEEP MOISTURE GLOW OIL

This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Brands I Love: Herbivore Botanicals’ Clean Facial Skincare - Best Facial Oils, Serums and More! You can catch the full piece here.

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Sure CBD, or Cannabidiol, is one of the hottest ingredients in skin care right now. But most “big brands” are simply too risk averse to formulate with it — even today.

Most are opting to capture the “hemp glow” by formulating with Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil (aka Hemp Seed Oil), a non-fragrant plant oil that has similar skin-soothing benefits as Rosehip Seed Oil and Bisabolol — the active component of chamomile.

But Herbivore went all out when they powered up the original Emerald Oil with CBD last year. In fact, they were one of the first to introduce skincare products infused with the non-psychoactive substance.

Herbivore’s Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil contains 100mg of full-spectrum CBD in addition to Hemp Seed Oil and several adaptogens that combine to calm reactive skin and soothe redness, irritation and inflammation.

It’s a lighter-textured oil than its fiery brother, Phoenix. And because it’s a lighter texture, it’s more tolerable for a broader range of skin types — including the sensitive and acne-prone skins that it can be most beneficial for.

There’s so much goodness in Emerald — and nary a toxic irritant in sight. The very first ingredient is tried-and-true, bio-compatible Squalane followed by soothing Meadowfoam Seed Oil — an interesting extract with a somewhat storied history.

From Paula,

“Limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil is a non-fragrant, edible plant oil originally developed as an agricultural crop in the 1950s. It functions as an emollient and softening agent in skin care and hair care products.
This plant oil is exceedingly stable because it is primarily composed of long chain fatty acids, the type most resistant to rancidity when exposed to oxygen. Among plant oils, meadowfoam has the highest concentration (95%) of these highly stable fatty acids, making it a valuable addition to products that would otherwise be prone to spoiling quickly.

I don’t know why more brands don’t formulate with it. No matter, Herbivore did!

The Emerald intrigue doesn’t stop there. Ingredient number five, at somewhere between 3-5% of the formula by my estimation, is Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) Root Extract. The mysterious Ashwagandha is a medicinal herb popularized by Ayurvedic healing practices that can help to ease skin stressed out by environmental factors — as well as the daily stress of modern life.

What are adaptogens?

Well, the answer is rather complex. In short, adaptogens are natural substances commonly used in herbal medicine for the purpose of stabilizing the body and mind and promoting homeostasis — the state of equilibrium.

Our bodies are in homeostasis when all systems are functioning properly. In fact, one of the most alluring benefits of cannabidiol is its ability to help maintain homeostasis.

There’s an excellent piece on the unique benefits of adaptogens in The New York Times from last summer called, What Are Adaptogens? You can read it here.

From the article:

Coined in 1947, the term adaptogen refers to substances that theoretically “adapt” to what your body needs and help protect against various stressors. Although the science is as murky as a mushroom drink looks and these supplements are unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration, that hasn’t stopped trendsetters from sharing their purported benefits, which include supporting the body’s adrenal glands, reducing stress levels and regulating hormone responses for an overall sense of homeostasis, or balance.

You see what I mean about the Emerald oil? It’s enchanting! Honestly, if Emerald weren’t green, I’d think it was liquid gold.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Herbivore’s Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil for $58 here.

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