The Beauty of Cannabis-Based Health | by Ed Huddson | Humboldt County
How does cannabis connect with the beauty industry? To answer that question and more, I enlisted the expertise of Naomi Atkinson’s of the Humboldt Patient Resource Center (HPRC).
Naomi is a licensed cosmetologist in the state of California. She graduated from the Fredrick and Charles School of Beauty and currently works as the Coordinator of the Women’s Health Division and Special Events at the HPRC, located in Arcata, California. With a background in beauty and experience in the relatively new field of women’s cannabis products, Naomi helped me establish a link between cannabis and beauty.
For Naomi, the intersection between cannabis and beauty is obvious. It’s health. Health is where cannabis and beauty connect. Naomi said, “it’s simple, the connection between cannabis and beauty is rest, relaxation, and stress relief – you can’t be beautiful if you aren’t healthy.” She continued, “you can’t be beautiful if you don’t feel beautiful and you can’t feel beautiful unless you’re rested, stress free, and healthy.”
Naomi views cannabis as a piece of a healthy lifestyle. Cannabis, among its array of applications, can alleviate stress and induce restful sleep and relaxation. The HPRC carries a range of cannabis products to fit different needs. As cannabis becomes normal, many are realizing the diverse uses for the plant. One uncultivated sector is the cannabeauty market.
For example, Naomi is a mom. She can’t ingest too much psychoactive THC because she needs to stay alert incase her child has an emergency. Additionally, Naomi isn’t much of a smoker and, let’s face it, the smell of cannabis is an acquired taste.
Undoubtedly there are many people who fall in this category. Many people seek the benefits of cannabis but don’t want to deal with the smoke, the smell, or even getting too high. To fill this demand we’re starting to see cannabis products that increasingly resemble beauty products. Lucky for us, Naomi has in depth knowledge of many of the products in this fledgling field and she was kind enough to explain a few of her favorites.
Naomi’s favorite application of cannabis is salve. She uses them on a regular basis. She told me, “salves are cannabis’s best kept secret” and thinks many people aren’t aware of its incredible pain relieving effect. Naomi runs frequently and uses salve on her knees to alleviate pain. It also helps with runner’s rash. Salve’s are not psychoactive so you don’t have to worry about getting high.
Fairly new, cannabis infused bath salt is a new trend that’s picking up steam. Naomi explained that bath salts infused with cannabis revitalizes skin, reduces inflammation, relaxes muscles, and cleans the entire body. She recommends using half the recommended dosage for those new to the product. Adding cannabis infused salts to your bath can be psychoactive so ease into your comfort zone when choosing dosage.
Arguably an older ingestion method than smoking cannabis, tincture is another preference of Naomi’s. She’s found a few high CBD, low THC tinctures that help with sleep, anxiety, and cramps. These moderately psychoactive tinctures taken at various times during the day have vastly improved Naomi’s well-being.
For Naomi, cannabis use isn’t about getting high; it’s about living a healthy lifestyle. “Stress reduction, pain relief, relaxation; life can be hard sometimes… and if there is something that can take the edge off without putting you under the influence, and is restorative… it’s a no brainer,” she said.
“If you feel beautiful and balanced from within, you’re going to look beautiful on the outside.”
If you’d like to check out products like the ones mentioned in this article, visit the Humboldt Patient Resource Center (HPRC) hprcarcata.com
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