CBG in Skincare - A Powerful New Ingredient

CBD skincare is a trend that just keeps on trending.

Global CBD skincare sales are estimated to reach $741 million by 2024 according to research from Prohibition Partners. It’s no surprise then that you will have probably come across a CBD skincare product or two already.

But have you ever come across a ‘CBG skincare’ product? 

It’s far less likely, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t already tried it! Confused yet? Of course…. This is the UK’s Cannabis industry!

Whilst you’re unlikely to have seen many skincare products openly advertised as a ‘CBG skincare’ it’s quite likely you may have tried a ‘Full’ or ‘Broad’ spectrum ‘CBD product’ that does contain CBG.

The reason for this is that CBG and CBD are just two cannabinoids from a list of over 100 found in Cannabis. That’s why when you see a full or broad-spectrum product, there is a good chance CBG is also present.

So why would it be marketed as just a CBD product?

Well, the reason is that CBG and other cannabinoids are far less prevalent in Cannabis than CBD is. Typically, the strains of Cannabis used for extracting CBD will contain 25 times more CBD than other ‘minor cannabinoids’ like CBG. This means that whilst the products you have already tried may contain some trace elements of CBG, they are extremely low.

Most products then are marketed as just CBD products, this is the only metric brands and consumers are currently measuring and talking about…. The total mg CBD content of a product. In fact, what this means it most brands will create formulas with only CBD being present.

It’s a shame because in some cases it fails to tell the whole story of what a product truly contains, and it also makes it a lot trickier for consumers to compare products.

Not only that, but it also does the Cannabis plant a huge disservice. Focussing only on one Cannabinoid misses the vast opportunities other cannabinoids represent. Brands only working with CBD are effectively closing themselves off to over 95% of the plant’s interesting properties.

Luckily, trends in the US show that brands are seeing increasing success when fully explaining products to consumers and giving more accurate breakdowns of all cannabinoids and terpenes in their products.

If this trend continues it will give consumers the opportunity to select highly tailored formulas that best suit them and will give manufacturers more opportunity to differentiate and find products with powerful efficacy for specific niches. 

What is CBG? Is it different to CBD?

For a compound that is typically referred to as a ‘minor cannabinoid’ CBG, or Cannabigerol, should probably go by its other name:

The mother of all Cannabinoids.

Why?

Well, the acidic form of CBG, ‘CBGA’, which is what you will find in raw Cannabis flower whilst it is growing, is the chemical precursor to almost all other cannabinoids found in Cannabis.

Cannabinoids found in Cannabis are not static and change over time as the plant grows and flowers. The exact make-up of the Cannabinoids found even in each individual plant can change depending on how much sunlight they receive, the quality of the soil and water they receive and even when in the season they are harvested.

Being a chemical precursor to other Cannabinoids means that whilst growing, Cannabis will convert CBGA to other compounds like THCA and CBDA. 

The "so what" of all this is that without CBGA, other Cannabinoids like CBD and THC simply wouldn’t exist. Another reason then why the industry focussing solely on CBD and not considering the other properties and aspects of the plant leaves so much undiscovered.

The reality is, ongoing research continues to show that different cannabinoids have different properties and importantly, different therapeutic effects. CBD is not always the best solution for every consumer. Whilst CBD is a fantastic ingredient, it’s not a cure all!

Ever heard that saying?

“If you’re holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail”

It should be a concern that out of 100's of available cannabinoids, the industry seems adamant to focus on just one.  

For now, it is still likely that most Cannabis products won’t have much of a focus on CBG. Largely because CBD is so much more abundant, and CBG can be more expensive to obtain and work with. Manufacturers will also find it more complex to create repeatable, stable formulas where they are tasked with hitting precise mg contents for more than one cannabinoid.

The good news is things are unlikely to stay this way. Cannabis consumers are rapidly becoming more educated on cannabis and are demanding to see more complex products. Not only that but with evolving strains, farming and extraction techniques it won’t be long before CBG products become vastly more accessible to brands and consumers. 

Why is CBG such a good skincare ingredient?

Being specialist Cannabis skincare manufacturers, our immediate interest of course focuses on what the potential benefits could be of CBG when used in skincare and topicals.

CBG is something we are actively doing R&D and creating new products with right now and here is why:

CBG is safe for your skin

CBG has an excellent safety profile. It shows no indication as acting as an irritant to the eyes, skin or mucosal member and nor is it a sensitizer. 

This is great news for those with delicate skin. It also means that brands working on ‘clean’, ‘gentle’ or hypoallergenic skincare products can see CBG as a very viable ingredient. 

CBG is antibacterial

Preliminary research is showing that CBG is an effective antibacterial agent. In particular, CBG has been shown to be particularly effective against methicillin-resistant microbial strains that no longer respond to this antibiotic treatment. 

Antibiotic resistance is a really big problem. CBG as a natural alternative is extremely promising.

Source: See the comments section!

CBG and chronic skin conditions

Imbalances in your Endocannabinoid system may contribute to serious skin conditions like atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and scleroderma. 

Some recent studies have shown that in some circumstances CBG may be a more effective treatment than CBD for issues relating to dryness and inflammation accompanied skin diseases whereas cannabinoids like CBD, CBC and CBDV showed ‘potent complex anti-acne effects in vitro’.

Source: See the comments section!

Both Eczema and Psoriasis are long-term skin conditions that cause endless frustration and anguish for sufferers. 

Studies by Oláh and Markovics et al. show that “CBG and CBGV may have potential in the treatment of dry-skin syndrome, whereas CBC, CBDV and especially THCV show promise to become highly efficient, novel anti-acne agents”.

Source: See the comments section!

This difference between the effects of various cannabinoids shows how much more there is to learn and discover and that products could be so much better targeted. If you’re suffering from conditions like this, perhaps CBG is the cannabinoid you should be prioritising?

CBG as an antioxidant in skincare

CBG is a known antioxidant. What this means to manufacturers is that it will help stabilise the formulas we develop. The benefit? Well, it means there is going to be less reliance on using chemical preservatives (which if you know us, you’ll know we actively avoid!)

This is great news for your skin and for greener supply chains. 

Can CBG be used in Cosmetics and Skincare?

Absolutely!

The European Commission will now allow manufacturers of health and beauty products to incorporate Cannabigerol (CBG) into their skincare and cosmetics formulas. 

CBG has also been added to COSING the EU’s register of allowable cosmetic ingredients.

That means manufacturers and brands can now look to develop products targeting this cannabinoid specifically, which, given the discussion above will allow brands to specialise products directly to known conditions.

Great news for consumers.

Where can I find White Label CBG skincare products?

 Let’s be honest…..

It wouldn’t be a blog post if I didn’t plug something at the end, right?

Well, if you made it this far, you’re perhaps wondering who could help you create a White label or private label CBG skincare range?

The good news is, here at Cannafull we are already able to help and would love to hear from you. Links to book a call with us in the comments!