China Is Banning the Use of CBD in Beauty Products

If you keep up with beauty news, then you know CBD in skin care is trending because of its magical ability to calm the skin and reduce redness. While the U.S. and Europe are major proponents of the ingredient, China recently announced that they’re putting steps in place to ban its use in cosmetics.

China’s National Institutes for Food and Drug Control just published a rulebook for cosmetic formulations, and, according to Business of Fashion, it specifically bans the use of cannabis sativa fruit, cannabis sativa seed oil, cannabis sativa leaf extract and cannabidiol (CBD) in skin care. If this new law is passed, it will overturn a 2015 ordinance that authorized the use of cannabis-based ingredients in beauty.

Currently, cosmetics containing CBD from hemp extracts and products with less than 0.3 percent THC are permitted in the Chinese market. The public has until April 19 to submit their feedback on the CBD ban, but with the ingredient’s proven ability to enhance the texture of the skin, CBD users may express their disagreement.

While China and most other Asian countries are in the process of banning the ingredient, celebrity aesthetician Veronica Barton Schwartz says South Korea may be one of the few countries that’s opening up to it. “If that happens, then I believe other Asian countries will follow,” she says. And she’s not wrong: According to Bloomberg, consumer demand for CBD is beginning to soar in Hong Kong, with everything from CBD cafés to CBD-infused beverages popping up all over the city. “This stands in stark contrast to many Asian countries, which have remained conservative on the topic of cannabis,” says the article, which refers to this uptick in CBD interest as “The Boom.”

Barton Schwartz is a fan of the power player herself, and her love for it is backed by science. “Science is showing that the inflammatory properties of CBD are particularly useful for reducing eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and acne,” she says. “CBD also improves the appearance of scars, wrinkles, skin discoloration, dullness, and ruddy skin tone by counteracting free-radical damage, and reduces the look of inflammation.”