Of consistent quality: COSSMA

Ingredients derived from hemp and cannabis are becoming increasingly popular. As with many natural ingredients, there are weak points in the production process. The production of cannabinoids through fermentation processes in the laboratory makes it possible to ensure consistent quality in a sustainable way without the need for the cannabis sativa plant.

Gone are the days when consumers’ purchasing decisions were driven solely by the product’s advertised benefits and price. Rather, consumers are increasingly considering the ingredients used and the environmental impact of the product in question. These changes to people’s shopping habits have become widespread across the wellness and cosmetic industries as consumers are demanding ‘greener’ and ‘cleaner’ products.

Despite this growing demand, there is no universally accepted or regulatory definition for ‘green or ‘clean’ products. Rather, there’s a general understanding that ‘clean’ refers to products that are both vegan and free from ingredients shown to be harmful to human health, whereas ‘green’ encompasses products, and their ingredients, that are sourced or produced in an environmentally friendly manner.

Growing market

The market for both green and clean products has expanded considerably over the last few years and this trend is expected to continue. According to market research company Brand Essence Research, the global clean beauty market alone is expected to grow from $5.4 billion in 2020 to $11.5 billion in 2027. Equally, green beauty products are increasingly attractive to consumers, with a survey of 2,000 UK shoppers carried out by The Pull Agency, showing that almost nine out of ten people (88%) said they look for sustainability credentials in their beauty and personal care products, while a third (32%) of respondents stated that they had chosen a brand because it’s sustainable.

Creating products that are not only effective, but that are also safe and sustainable has been a challenge for many businesses. However, a growing body of scientific research is showing that technologies, such as biosynthesis and chemical synthesis, are paving the way for customers to access high-quality lab-made cannabinoids products which are efficacious, green, and clean.

Multiple effects

Cannabinoids are a diverse group of compounds produced by hemp and cannabis plants, both of which are two varieties of the plant species Cannabis Sativa L. A growing body of scientific evidence, combined with mounting consumer accounts, have confirmed the numerous wellness-related benefits of these fascinating compounds.

Specifically, pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that cannabidiol (CBD) can help reduce stress, regulate the mood, and relieve mild forms of anxiety. Improved sleep, pain management and inflammation reduction are other benefits reported by both consumers and researchers alike.

In addition to these wellness-related benefits, CBD and cannabigerol (CBG) have significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that qualify them as ingredients with immense potential for skincare solutions.

In a white paper published earlier this year we reported that lab-made CBD and CBG, when applied topically either alone or in certain combinations, can be even more effective than Vitamin C at protecting the skin against the ageing effects of UV exposure and inflammation. Moreover, unlike traditional anti-ageing ingredients such as Vitamin C, retinoids, and exfoliating acids, cannabinoids don’t produce uncomfortable side-effects including sensitivity and irritation.

Cannabidiol and cannabigerol can be effectively used in anti-ageing cosmetics without significant side effects. photo: BLACKDAY/Shutterstock.com

Ensuring clean beauty

Cannabinoids for the manufacture of wellness and beauty products are commonly extracted from cannabis or hemp plants that have been grown through traditional agricultural methods including indoor, outdoor or greenhouse cultivation. However, plant-derived extracts have several limitations which can create considerable risks to the quality, efficacy, safety and compliance of the products containing these plant-based extracts.

Fortunately, these many challenges associated with plant-derived cannabinoids don’t apply to lab-based methods, such as biosynthesis and chemical synthesis, used to produce lab-made cannabinoids. Therefore, lab-made cannabinoids truly shine as solutions for delivering clean, green, and efficacious consumer products.

The clean beauty trend emerged for several reasons, one being that consumers have become more mindful of what they are putting in or on their bodies. Unfortunately, when it comes to plant-derived cannabinoid products, there are several factors to consider in the context of clean beauty.

First, plant-derived cannabinoids are prone to contamination from pesticides applied during the cultivation process, heavy metals leached from the soil and environmental pathogens. Additionally, given the diversity of compounds in the cannabis and hemp plants, it can be difficult to standardise the composition of plant-derived cannabinoids. Consequently, the properties and quality of the finished cannabinoid products may vary.

Frustratingly, it’s not possible to detect these contaminants or batch inconsistencies through visual inspection or other means that are readily available to consumers. As a result, consumers must rely on the diligence and competency of brands to complete rigorous testing on cannabinoid extracts and finished products which, following best practice, should take place at a third-party accredited laboratory.

Unfortunately, even this third-party testing process can be complicated as each laboratory utilises different testing methods, meaning there is always a chance that some contaminants may not be identified if they’re present in quantities that certain labs are unable to detect with their specific method.

Importance of lab-made

Lab-made CBD and CBG, in contrast, are a clean alternative for people wanting to take advantage of all of the wellness benefits of cannabinoids as biosynthesis – one of the processes for creating these compounds – only uses ingredients that are common in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

To be more precise, biosynthesis involves a fermentation-based process whereby a carbon source (often some type of sugar) and other nutrients are provided to microorganisms, such as yeast, to enable said microorganisms to produce specific cannabinoids of interest. This process is capable of consistently producing high-purity cannabinoids devoid of the many contaminants common to plant-derived cannabinoids.

As fermentation has been used for decades to produce a variety of ingredients, including squalene, vanilla, fragrances and flavours, the merits of this technology for producing high-quality ingredients in clean beauty products are very well established.

Although it is known that lab-made CBD and CBG are some of the purest forms of cannabinoids, a pharmaceutical approach helps to quality assurance by identifying critical control points for testing at the ingredient and finished product level before, during and after manufacturing. This enables to reassure customers that all products are clean, safe, and effective.

As a further testament to the commitment to offering clean products, an independent third-party review of the supply chain is commissioned which confirmed that all products are suitable for vegans.

When you care deeply about product quality, it’s important to understand the cannabinoid supply chain. Using only lab-made cannabinoids, can be a guild of clean and potent beauty and wellness products.

For example, there is a UK-made CBG-based cannabinoid rejuvenating facial serum that is made entirely in the lab. However, as cannabinoids continue to emerge as the king of wellness ingredients, having sustainable production methods for producing these fascinating ingredients is paramount.

A commitment to sustainability

Hemp and cannabis cultivators have planted thousands of acres in response to the growing demand for cannabinoid extracts. Not only have these efforts consumed significant land resources, but they have also created downstream environmental pressures due to the required clearing of land which poses a risk to local biodiversity and increases the likelihood of soil erosion. Additionally, the use of foliage pesticides applied during cultivation can pollute wash-off water and contaminate plant extracts.

Various research groups have assessed the broader environmental impacts of cannabis and hemp cultivation. One paper published in the Journal of Cannabis Research reported that indoor and outdoor cultivation are not only water-intensive activities, but that the energy consumption of indoor cannabis cultivation, which includes powering of ventilation, temperature controls, and lighting, contributes to a considerable production of carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, a separate study published in Energy Policy estimated that in California, indoor cannabis cultivation accounts for up to 3% of the state’s total electricity usage, enough energy to power one million homes each year.

Lab-made cannabinoids can and should be the clear future in responsible and sustainable cannabinoid production as the compounds can be produced using  a much smaller footprint, enabling land to be used more efficiently and without the risk of contami-nation from pesticides, heavy metals, and environmental pathogens.

In fact, according to Willow Biosciences, a biotechnology company producing ultra-pure cannabinoids, the production of biosynthetic CBD emits 97.7% less carbon dioxide, consumes 99.7% less water and creates 99.9% less biomass waste than CBD extracted from plants grown outdoors. With such a clear improvement in environmental impact and sustainability, it’s no wonder that biosynthetic cannabinoids represent a promise for the green beauty market too.

Future of cannabinoids

Consumer demand for clean and green products is here to stay. As consumers become more aware of the green and clean credentials of lab-made cannabinoids and the many benefits that these fascinating compounds have to offer, it’s expected that these ingredients will soon start dominating clean and green products within the wellness and beauty sectors.