Using cannabinoids to improve the health of your skin is all the rage. In 2019, Grandview Research¹ valued the CBD skincare market at $698 million with an expectation that it will grow at a rate of more than 27% year over year until 2025. The previous year, The Benchmarking Company analyzed women’s willingness to try CBD skincare and their preferred product types. Learn the results of this analysis and what they entail for the future of the cannabinoid beauty product industry.
New Market Data from 2024
The cannabinoid beauty products market has experienced significant growth in recent years, with projections indicating a continued upward trend. In 2021, the market was valued at approximately USD 5.45 billion and is expected to reach USD 8.86 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5% during the forecast period.
More recent analyses suggest even more robust growth. The global cannabis-infused beauty products market was estimated at around USD 35.34 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to approximately USD 207.24 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of roughly 21.84% between 2024 and 2032.
Focusing specifically on CBD skincare, the global market size was estimated at USD 2.49 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21.4% from 2025 to 2030.
These figures highlight rising consumer interest in cannabinoid beauty products, fueled by awareness of benefits and expanding cannabis legalization.
What are cannabinoid-infused beauty products?
Simply put, cannabinoid-infused beauty products contain non-intoxicating hemp cannabinoids. The most common cannabinoids in beauty products are CBD, CBG, and CBN, added to various skincare and beauty items.
What are the benefits of cannabinoid-infused beauty products?
Cannabinoids like CBD have been researched for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects². Most substances in hemp appear to have at least some antioxidant potential, and reducing oxidative stress is one of the main ways that beauty products improve the appearance of skin and prevent it from aging.
How many women are aware of cannabinoid-infused beauty products?
According to TBC’s report, 64% of women were already aware of the existence of cannabinoid-infused beauty products in 2018. Considering CBD’s rise over less than a decade, it’s remarkable that most women are already familiar with cannabinoid beauty products.
How many women would be willing to try cannabinoid beauty products?
Out of the women who have not yet tried cannabinoid-infused beauty products, 72% indicated that they would be willing to give them a shot. Let’s break down the willingness of women to try cannabinoid beauty products by generation:
Percentage of Gen Z women willing to try cannabinoid beauty products
Women in Generation Z are just now starting to reach adulthood, and they’re starting to make purchasing decisions. The TBC report indicates that, as of 2018, 68% of Gen Z women were already willing to consider trying cannabinoid-infused beauty products.
Percentage of Millennial women willing to try cannabinoid beauty products
Composed entirely of adults with at least some peripheral awareness of cannabinoids, Millennial women polled at 74% likely to try cannabinoid-infused beauty products. Since Millennials are younger, though, they’re not yet as preoccupied with skin aging.
Percentage of Gen X women willing to try cannabinoid beauty products
Gen X women, familiar with modern hemp’s evolution, were 77% likely to try cannabinoid beauty products in 2018. Now, as a major part of the middle-aged demographic, they increasingly prioritize preventative anti-aging skincare.
Percentage of Boomer women willing to try cannabinoid beauty products
Women of the Baby Boom generation still vividly recall when “cannabinoid” was a buzzword linked to illegal drugs. At 60%, they’re still not quite as ready as other age groups to try cannabinoid-infused beauty products.
How many young women have already tried cannabinoid beauty products?
Keep in mind that the above statistics pertain only to women who had not already tried cannabinoid beauty products. The Benchmarking Company found that 72% of women between the ages of 18 and 38 had already tried cannabinoid beauty products in 2018, indicating that cannabinoid-infused beauty products are remarkably widespread.
Where do women buy cannabinoid beauty products?
Even though women everywhere are using cannabinoid beauty products in droves, they massively prefer certain sources of cannabinoid beauty products to others. According to the TBC report:
- 38% of women who use cannabinoid beauty products buy them from specialty beauty stores
- 34% buy cannabinoid beauty products via multi-brand online retailers like Amazon
- 27% buy directly from brand websites
- 21% buy from conventional consumer packaged goods stores like Walmart
Why do women prefer buying cannabinoid beauty products at specialty retailers?
Women want to make sure that the cannabinoid beauty products they buy are authentic and high-quality. Twenty-four percent of women who buy cannabinoid beauty products say that concerns over authenticity are why they don’t want to buy from a retailer like Amazon.
Women who buy beauty products often stick to trusted brands or rely on relationships with specialty store clerks, preferring trusted sources over vetting numerous products online.
Once aware of cannabinoid beauty product benefits, women confidently buy from brand websites. Shoppers at major retailers like Walmart prioritize convenience but can explore better-suited options online.
How to design and market cannabinoid products for specialty beauty retailers
Wherever you intend to sell it, a cannabinoid beauty product should befit the shelves of an upscale beauty shop. These shops are where women learn about the products they want to buy, and they’ll trust a product that looks and feels upscale.
As long as it’s justified by the ingredients you use, it’s reasonable to charge a premium for cannabinoid beauty products. Women understand that cannabinoids are expensive, and they’re willing to spend considerable sums on preserving their appearance.
What are the top 5 types of cannabinoid beauty products?
Women are most interested in cannabinoid beauty products they can use to improve the overall health and youthfulness of their skin. They also find themselves in need of certain specialized products like hand creams, lip balms, and even more conventional types of hemp products. Let’s take a look at the five most popular cannabinoid beauty product types The Benchmarking Company identified in its 2018 report:
1. Body lotion
Body lotion and other all-body skincare products are the most popular types of cannabinoid beauty products available. Women using these products often believe they maintain skin youthfulness on arms, neck, thighs, or posterior, frequently applying them as body lotions.
2. Hand cream
Cannabinoid-infused creams designed to be applied only to your hands are also quite popular. Researchers have looked into the potential ability of cannabinoids to improve hydration³, which is a common reason women apply creams to their hands.
3. Lip balm
Hydration is the primary purpose of lip balms, and cannabinoid-rich hemp extracts complement oil-based lip balm formulations perfectly. Women generally use cannabinoid-infused lip balms to improve their lip hydration or prevent aging oxidative stress.
4. Bath products
According to the TBC report, women commonly buy bath products that have been infused with cannabinoids. CBD bath bombs are one popular example, and there are also CBD bath salts and CBD bubble bath products to choose from.
5. Oils
Some women use plain-old CBD oils on their skin. Certain CBD oils are specifically formulated with skincare in mind, but it’s also reasonably common for women to use CBD tinctures intended for oral ingestion on their skin instead.
Why do women use cannabinoid beauty products?
According to the TBC report, the primary reason women use cannabinoid beauty products is because they believe hemp is a substance that is good for you. The report also indicates that Gen Z women, the youngest women using cannabinoid beauty products, are highly driven by positive customer reviews as they sift through available cannabinoid beauty products. Overall, TBC found that women generally believe cannabis has medicinal value, so they have no problem using it in skincare products that offer no potential of intoxication.
Which objections might you need to overcome?
To help hemp companies market their products to women, The Benchmarking Company investigated the most common objections women have to using cannabinoid beauty products as part of its 2018 report. Fifty-two percent of women are simply unaware of the potential benefits of using cannabinoid beauty products, and 30% are concerned about the topical safety of cannabinoids. A further 24% were simply content with the products they were already using, and 18% were concerned about potential intoxication.
Some of these objections are based on misconception, and the rest are based on lack of information. For women who simply don’t know what cannabinoids can do for their skin, education is the key. For women who are concerned about safety, certifications and lab reports are useful. Women satisfied with their routines can learn about cannabinoids’ unique topical benefits, while those worried about intoxication can be assured that CBD, CBG, and CBC are completely non-intoxicating.
Marketing cannabinoid beauty products to women: The bottom line
The cannabinoid beauty market is growing even faster than the overall cannabinoid market. Women are increasingly aware of cannabinoids’ topical benefits, with clear needs and easily addressed concerns. Given cannabinoids’ proven advantages, now is the perfect time to develop and market cannabinoid beauty products.
Cannabinoid beauty FAQ
Learn more about how cannabinoids fit into the beauty industry and the habits of female shoppers below:
What are the benefits of CBD in beauty products?
In beauty products like serums, moisturizers, and makeup, CBD is usually included as an antioxidant or anti-inflammatory compound. Driven by early research on CBD’s antioxidant potential, beauty manufacturers embrace this natural ingredient, praised for its minimal side effects. CBD is increasingly becoming an affordable ingredient as well, making it ever more ideal for beauty products.
Will CBD beauty products show up on a drug test?
No, CBD beauty products will almost never show up on a drug test since they are applied topically. Generally, the only types of CBD products that can cause a false positive on a drug test for THC are those that you internally ingest. Topically applied CBD products like beauty products do not enter the bloodstream in sufficient concentrations to pose any danger of accidental THC ingestion.
Is CBD good to put on your face?
Many users believe that CBD is very helpful when applied to your face. People with acne, rosacea, and inflammatory skin conditions praise CBD topicals, which are equally popular among those with chronic pain.
Do CBD lotions actually work?
Anecdotal evidence suggests CBD lotions are effective, with minimal chance of a placebo effect. However, their benefits rely on high-quality formulations with premium ingredients.
Sources
- 1. Global CBD Skin Care Market Size Report, 2020–2025. (2019). Grandview Research. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cbd-skin-care-market
- 2. Atalay, S., Jarocka-Karpowicz, I., & Skrzydlewska, E. (2019). Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol. Antioxidants, 9(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9010021
- 3. Martins, A. M., Gomes, A. L., Vilas Boas, I., Marto, J., & Ribeiro, H. M. (2022). Cannabis-Based Products for the Treatment of Skin Inflammatory Diseases: A Timely Review. Pharmaceuticals, 15(2), 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph15020210
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