Hemp And Its Amazing Benefits for the Planet And People (& a List of Sustainable Brands Using It)
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What is Hemp and How Do Brands Use It?
I’m sure you have encountered hemp products sometime in your life, and you may be using (or wearing) them right now. Hemp is part of the Cannabis family and truly is one of nature’s best gifts. We can trace hemp as a textile back to 8,000 B.C.E, where it was discovered being used in tombs, and the first American flag was even made from hemp! Unfortunately, hemp’s recent past is somewhat rocky since, in 1937, the U.S. government deemed it illegal and stopped all hemp farming in the country. I wrote a post about the high price of hemp last year, discussing the difficulties in getting this plant back into our homes at a more accessible price after being illegal for so many years.
So why should we choose hemp? What makes this plant so unique?
Benefits of Hemp
For the Planet: Hemp has a smaller environmental impact than both synthetics and conventional cotton. Plus, it is incredibly versatile & can make so many different products.
It is one of the fastest-growing plants and doesn't need much water, insecticides, pesticides, or fertilizers. You can grow this plant for many years in the same place without exhausting the soil. In fact, it actually supports healthy soil by balancing the soil's pH. Plus, hemp produces two times more fiber per acre than cotton and requires 50% less water!
As a fiber, hemp is very strong, durable, and lasting, which cuts down on environmental impact because you don't go through the items nearly as quickly. Hemp fabric is resistant to mold and UV light and retains color better than cotton. When it comes to clothing, you typically find hemp fibers blended with cotton to create more comfort, but there are also special enzymatic processes that can make the fiber softer. Hemp is also moisture-wicking, making it very comfortable to wear all year.
For Our Health: Not only do we use hemp to create fibers to make clothing and other goods for the home, but we can also obtain many health benefits from ingesting it. Not to confuse this with its sister marijuana, hemp has very minimal trace amounts of THC in it, so you can not get ‘high’ off this plant. Instead, you can experience very different health benefits through its seeds and oil. Hemp seeds are incredibly nutritious, a great source of plant-based protein, may aid in digestion, and benefit skin disorders. They may also reduce your risk of heart disease and symptoms of PMS and menopause.
Besides adding seeds into your diet, there is the ever-so-popular oil known as CBD. This hemp oil extract is derived from hemp flowers and contains phytocannabinoids which are non-psychoactive and non-toxic. CBD is the main phytocannabinoids found in the hemp plant, and it is known to carry so many health and wellness benefits for humans and animals. Benefits include; relieving pain, reducing anxiety and depression, alleviating cancer-related symptoms, heart health, reducing acne, plus so much more.
a list of hemp products
Wondering what all this great plant can create for us? There are around 25,000 actual products made from hemp, and here are just some of the categories we can highlight:
Rope - Clothing - Shoes - BioFuels - Insulation - BioPlastics - Paper - Skincare - Wellness Oils - Tea Bags - Kitty Litter - Ink - Mulch - Carpet - Makeup & Nail Polish - Surfboards - Diapers - Beer - Milk - Sunscreen - Chewing Gum - Flour - Honey - Bed Sheets - Towels
I decided to do some digging and see which sustainable brands are making those listed product categories out of hemp! Click here to see a list of Hemp Clothing Brands.
Sustainable Hemp Brands
RE Botanicals
I’m going to start with one of my favorite sustainable hemp brands, RE Botanicals. Their CBD products are something I have implemented into my daily routine, and I feel they add so much value to my life. I use the Lavender Relief Body Oil before bed to help with sleep, and then the Tincture I add into my smoothies. RE Botanicals is the first national brand to sell U.S. grown, USDA certified organic hemp. All of their products are grown, extracted, and bottled at their USDA organic farm in South Carolina. They also support regenerative farming practices.
Salvos
Salvos is an online store that carries practical, sustainable products for everyday use.
In addition to their hemp tees pictured here, Salvos also carries a collection of hemp products that includes hats, socks, backpacks, fanny packs, and more.
They also have plastic-free, carbon-neutral shipping, and plants a tree with each purchase.
You can read more about Salvos here!
Delilah Home
Our duvet cover is from this brand, and it is made from 100% Organic Hemp. It is so incredibly soft and reminds me of quality French linen. Their sheets are extremely durable with 180 gram thread count and over 50% thicker than most sheets, and they use an ethical family-run factory in Portugal for manufacturing. As I mentioned before, hemp is moisture-wicking, making for the perfect sheets throughout all the seasons since it keeps you both cool and warm.
Anact
Besides bed sheets, you can also find cozy and absorbent towels! This brand is based in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, and uses a blend of 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton. By purchasing a set of their towels, you are saving 2.2 miles of driving emissions, 760.7 days of drinking water, 861.4 hours of LED energy, and 26.6 sq. feet of land farmed without pesticides. Learn more about their towels in my True Cost Series post.
herbivore
If you are unfamiliar with this line of skincare, I highly recommend trying their products out. I love their lip balms and soaps, but one I would really like to try is their Emerald CBD+Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil. It is a daily facial oil containing 100mg full-spectrum CBD, hemp seed oil, and adaptogens. This product helps to calm your skin, reduce the appearance of redness, and is suitable for all skin types, especially those experiencing redness, dryness, and dullness.
Wama Underwear
Because of its moisture-wicking properties, underwear makes for a great hemp product! It protects your private parts naturally, is anti-bacterial & anti-microbial, and has anti-odor properties. China is one of the world leaders in hemp textiles, and the hemp/organic cotton blend used for the underwear is GOTS certified. The factories they have partnered up with offer employees fair wages and quality working environments. WAMA even has a team member based out of China to oversee the entire production.
Honest Pet Products
We can even give hemp products to our furry little friends! Honest Pet Products uses regenerative hemp & ethically sourced wool to create safe, natural, and sustainable alternatives to traditional pet toys. All hemp toys are made right here in the USA in Wisconsin, and they sure beat the many plastic toys you find today!
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Thrive Market
This online marketplace is impressive when it comes to sustainable products for hundreds of different brands - including their own. THRIVE has many different hemp products ranging from hemp seeds to lip balm, from shampoo to honey. You can also shop by your values and lifestyle (like gluten-free or vegan), and each product shows the key values it falls under, making shopping easier than ever. Plus, with every paid membership to Thrive Market, one goes to someone in need!
Links Citied: Forbes, Healthline, The HIA, RE Botanicals
