HOW HEMP HEALS THE PLANET
In an ode to our new hemp-infused Joshua Tree Palette, we’re talking all things hemp - the miracle plant that not only gives a gorgeous glow to our shadows, but is truly transformative for the environment. Keep reading for all the ways that hemp benefits this beautiful planet we call home!
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HEMP VS MARIJUANA
Both varieties of the cannabis plant, hemp is marijuana’s non-psychoactive cousin – the one that won’t make you crave Cheetos. It contains less than 0.3% THC, is completely non-intoxicating, and is used in everything from beauty products and skincare to biofuels and building materials.
WHY WE USE HEMP
We use Organic Hemp Seed Oil in our Joshua Tree Palette for a boost of hydration and a glimmer of glow. Full of antioxidant-laden omega fatty acids, hemp seed oil deeply moisturizes the skin, regulates oil production, and reduces inflammation. It’s especially beneficial for acne-prone skin as it can reduce excess sebum production that causes blemishes.
And beyond the amazing skin benefits, as you’ll see, hemp is a godsend for the environment. We choose all our sustainably-sourced ingredients to #donoharm to this planet or the people or animals on it. So, when we find an ingredient that goes one step further and actually heals and benefits the planet – that’s what #nosacrificebeauty is all about!
HOW HEMP BENEFITS THE ENVIRONMENT
Hemp captures carbon emissions
Hemp breathes in and absorbs carbon dioxide (a major heat-trapping greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere at an even higher rate than trees!
One hectare of hemp absorbs 22 tonnes of C02 every year, while a hectare of trees absorbs only 6.4 tonnes of C02 per year. And the best part: you can easily grow two crops of hemp/year, so the amount can be doubled to 44 tonnes. Basically, it’s a promising answer to our climate-change woes.
Zero waste plant with endless uses
Hemp can be used to produce more than 25,000 different products like clothing, food, beauty and skincare products, biofuel, paper, and construction materials. Every part of the plant from the seeds, to the stringy fibers and woody core are usable, which means #nowaste and endless benefits.
And the best part: hemp-made products are 100% biodegradable!
Hemp Saves Water
While most plants need A LOT of water to grow, hemp needs very little. Take cotton for example - it takes about 5000 gallons of water to produce 2.2 pounds of cotton. To produce the same amount of hemp, only 634-898 gallons of water is needed.
Cotton is just one of many crops that water-savvy hemp can very easily replace to make sumptuously soft clothing and accessories!
Image + cover image: greengarden_sf
Less Pesticides
Hemp is a powerhouse plant that easily overtakes weeds and is resistant to most pests. While most plants need lots of pesticides and herbicides to flourish, hemp grows effortlessly without any added chemicals.
Pesticides and herbicides can contaminate waterways and wreak serious havoc on our health, so eliminating them wherever we can means less pollutants in our ecosystems.
Hemp heals and regenerates the soil
Like we said – wonder plant! Hemp can actually heal damaged soil – reversing erosion and replacing vital nutrients. The hemp roots reach up to nine feet into the soil – spreading their nourishing effects deep down so the next crops can flourish.
Image: aytchwye
Hemp removes toxins
A massive amount of the world’s soil is contaminated with toxic heavy metals and hazardous manmade chemicals. Hemp, the miracle plant that it is, removes these toxins from the soil in a process called phytoremediation.
It’s been used to help clean up toxic contamination from industrial spills, landfill and sewage leakage, fertilizer and pesticides, and most notably, from a nuclear disaster in Chernobyl.
“It is the most important plant for the future of humanity,”
- Doug Fine, Hemp-seed Researcher for the University of Hawaii (as reported to Rolling Stone).
Hemp could replace plastics and other unsustainable materials
There are 8.3 BILLION metric tons of plastic around the world - 79% of which is sitting in landfills or filling up our oceans. The cosmetics industry alone makes up 1/3 of this landfill space, producing over 120 billion units of packaging every single year!
The good news: instead of being made from toxic petroleum, plastic can be made from hemp! By replacing petroleum-based materials with fully bio-degradable hemp, we could eliminate massive amounts of waste and reduce the toxic chemical leaching that results from traditional plastic sitting in landfills and oceans.
Other seemingly harmless materials like cotton can also be replaced by hemp! Cotton uses a lot of freshwater and herbicides to grow, whereas hemp can fulfill the same functions without the chemical additives and with much less water. And it’s not just cotton – hemp can be used to replace wood, paper, fuel, concrete, steel, insulation – the uses are truly endless!
Hemp can grow almost anywhere
An extremely low maintenance crop, hemp can be grown all around the globe. That means farmers everywhere can benefit from producing and selling it, and with more growers, buyers could purchase it locally, reducing carbon emissions from the transportation of other less versatile crops.
Image: @savinamonet
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Learn more about our NEW hemp-infused Joshua Tree Palette in our latest blog!
- ĀTHR Beauty xo