As the benefits of hemp derived CBD in skincare forges ahead Anita Quade chats to Dr Adele Hosseini from ASX-listed medicinal cannabis company Bod Australia about the latest research findings.
The medicinal benefits of cannabis have long been heralded around the globe – but more and more companies are looking to release CBD products to guard against the skin ageing process.
At the forefront of research is Bod Australia, who has recently released its three-year research partnership with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to look at the potential to include the non-psychoactive chemical compound of cannabis into anti-ageing skincare.
Tell us why you began the research in the beauty area with the UTS three years ago?
“We are an innovative company and continuously looking for new ways to bring innovation into our products. We value the collaboration with reputable research institutes and universities and we choose them based on their expertise in their field. UTS, in particular, has a leading reputation in technology and also has a number of expert scientists. We saw an opportunity in this area and we took the chance.”
What were the major findings that reveal cannabis can help in anti-ageing?
“The anti-oxidant properties of CBD which can help lessen the visible signs of ageing skin is already well known and was not the finding of this research project. The discovery of the new family of proteins, which was achieved in this research, could potentially be incorporated into topical skin products with conjunction of CBD. These proteins could also act as a new delivery method for CBD and other cannabis compounds.”
What are the current Australian laws when it comes to including cannabis in skincare?
“In Australia the Federal Government has legalised the cultivation of cannabis for medical or scientific purposes but the current regulation inhibits the use of CBD in skin care products in Australia. This could change in future and Australia follow other countries where the use of CBD is allowed in skincare.”
How are other countries leading the way with using CBD in skincare?
“The use of cannabis is not legal in skincare however CBD, the non-psychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant has become legal in over 20 countries including Canada and the US.”
Bod will hold the global rights to the topical delivery system – what will this mean?
“These findings will allow Bod the potential to develop a patent protected application and topical delivery system. It means Bod has the potential to commercialise and/or license this system to other companies.”
How are you planning to forge ahead with developments?
“We are moving into the second phase of the collaboration with UTS and we also have a number of other research opportunities in process that will deliver a range of new product options in skincare, health and beauty.”
What type of beauty formulations would you be looking to include this in?
“This has yet to be determined but there are a number of opportunities with anti-ageing and UV protection – delivered in novel, evidence based combinations.“
Research highlights at a glance:
- Bod, and UTS, following a three-year research collaboration discover a novel family of proteins in human cells that provide antioxidant protective effects when applied to skin cells
- The proteins can serve as a novel delivery method and be utilised with CBD extracts – Bod exploring optionality to incorporate across its cannabis product suite
- These proteins have shown to protect cells against oxidative damage and help increase UV tolerance
- Bod and UTS are currently exploring opportunities to utilise proteins in topical applications
- This allows significant optionality across all business divisions – Bod can potentially licence the product to large scale pharmaceutical companies
- The global anti-ageing market was worth US$42.5 billion in 2018 and is estimated to grow to US$55.03 billion by 2023.
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