Here’s Why Gen-Z Are Turning To CBD Skincare

Zoe Wong Contributor

Health trends come and go but one wellness phenomenon that shows no sign of slowing is CBD. CBD, otherwise known as cannabidiol, is indisputably one of the hottest health topics right now, with CBD products now available on the high-street in food and beverages and no longer restricted to supplements from a pharmacy. According to the Cannabis Trades Association U.K., the number of CBD users has doubled over the past year from 125,000 to 250,000 and the acquisition of This Works, the British beauty and wellness brand, by Canopy Growth, the world’s largest cannabis company, is just one of many examples highlighting the growing presence of CBD in the U.K. market. 

Used for a variety of ailments from pain relief to anxiety and depression, CBD oil should not be confused with cannabis use, which has previously been linked with causingdepression in teenagers by the NHS. Shiona Redmond, CBD expert and creator of Graces London, a luxury CBD oil beauty and lifestyle brand, explains that CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid from the cannabis plant, whereas tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive cannabinoid that creates the “high” commonly associated with marijuana use. Because CBD contains less than 0.2% of the psychoactive THC it is, therefore, legal to buy and consume in the U.K. 

The increasing popularity of CBD in the U.K. is perhaps a delayed reflection of the success in the U.S., where legal sales of marijuana products surpassed $10 billion in 2018. Bolstered by a growing cohort of Gen-Z consumers, who are twice as likely to use CBD than the national average, it’s no surprise that CBD uptake in the U.K. has grown so quickly, given that 1 in 5 young adults have a diagnosable mental health disorder.