The Top 6 Hemp Seed Oil Brands For Skincare (2024 Update)

Industrial hemp, the low-THC variety of the cannabis plant, has been exploited in countless different products, used for biofuel, textiles, vegan protein, and even cool-temperature, antibacterial jungle clothing, and hemp seed oil is the best such product for your skin.

It’s extracted from the seeds rather than the psychoactive leaves, and contains no THC or cannabinoids whatsoever. Instead, hemp seed oil is one of the richest skincare oils in vitamin E around. Its content of 80-110mg of vitamin E per 100 grams beats the already outstanding grapeseed oil (28.8mg) with ease, allowing hemp seed oil to prevent clogged pores, and prevent free radicals from turning your skin into a dull, glowless waste of potential.

Hemp seed oil also has the perfect fatty acid profile for topical application, mostly consisting of linoleic acid (56%), an important fat for the skin barrier and therefore moisture retention and rapidly healing wounds.

The downsides are also minimal; a comedogenic rating of 0 out of 5, and a mere 9% content of the inflammatory oleic acid. While any plant oil can cause an allergic reaction if you’re unlucky, hemp seed oil is not notable for them.

Perhaps the least known benefit is hemp seed oil’s outstanding antioxidant profile. In 2014, scientists compared 12 cold-pressed, plant sourced oils, and hemp seed oil ranked in third, receiving a free radical scavenging score of 1.74, close to safflower oil (1.77) and only beaten resoundingly by rosehip oil (2.32).

Hemp seed oil was richer in antioxidants, and therefore better at protecting your skin cells from damage, than avocado, macadamia, milk thistle, walnut, linola, poppy, flaxseed, pumpkin, and sesame seed oil. A later 2016 study revealed that hemp seed oil is extremely rich in flavonoid antioxidants like quercetin, a feature which is rare for a seed oil.

Hemp seed oil is one of the happy byproducts of the booming industrial hemp industry. But that booming industry means that chemically deodorised, overly refined oils are lurking, and that’s why today, we will cover the top 6 hemp seed oil brands available, to help you avoid those hidden explosive devices.

Let’s get started: 

 

One – Manitoba Harvest

The perfect hemp seed oil product, with the first and most important advantage being that Manitoba Harvest is cold-pressed.

The seeds are pressed using traditional expeller pressing methods to remove the oil within, and then filtered lightly to remove loose sediment. Manitoba Harvest uses no chemical deodorisers, solvents, and bleaching agents, nor scorching heat. Consequently, their hemp seed oil is rich in the vitamin E and flavonoid antioxidants which any great hemp seed oil should naturally have.

Secondly, Manitoba Harvest is 100% organic. The hemp plants are treated with no artificial pesticides, insecticides or herbicides, no chemicals which could accumulate and cause neurological issues or reproductive problems. The fields, meanwhile, are free from artificial nitrate-heavy fertilisers. Manitoba Harvest even bears the USDA organic certification on the bottle.

Then there’s the excellent value for money, with a 8.45oz or 16.9oz bottle. The user reports are mostly positive, describing the distinctive hemp smell you’d hope for, rather than a clear odourless oil which reveals heavy refinement. The hemp seeds themselves are sourced from Canada rather than the more textile focussed hemp farms of China. According to Manitoba Harvest, their oil has “a gourmet nutty flavor and rich green color“.

The only slight flaw with Manitoba Harvest is its plastic bottle, rather than glass bottle. However, the plastic is BPA-free, and a dark amber colour which will protect against sunlight. Manitoba Harvest even has a 30 day money back guarantee in case the product arrives damaged. This brand also made my list of top hemp seed proteins.

Manitoba Harvest combines trustworthiness, value for money and purity into one outstanding hemp seed oil. 

Amazon link: Manitoba Harvest Organic Hemp Seed Oil.

 

Two – Nutiva

The hemp seed oil with the best combination of quality and value for money. Each bottle of Nutiva weighs 24oz, for a strangely low price, considering its USDA organic certification, which is clearly displayed on the bottle.

Nutiva has one ingredient: cold-pressed, unrefined hemp seed oil, almost equivalent to the raw skin-clearing nutrition of the fresh seed translated directly to a bottle on your shelf. Nutiva explicitly states that their oils are never deodorised, refined or bleached, again relying on traditional expeller pressing methods. Such methods are particularly vital with hemp seed oil, for among plant oils, it’s quite unstable due to its high proportion of linoleic acid.

Nutiva’s hemp seeds are sourced from Canadian farms, and the oil is verified as GMO-free. Like with Manitoba Harvest, the bottled is made from plastic, but free from the inflammatory additive BPA.

The only slight downside with Nutiva is a handful of disappointed user reports: “rancid smelling” and “no odour” are two stories. However, the smell was also described as “nutty” and “earthy and herbal” by other reviewers.

Overall, a slightly unpleasant yet earthy and pungent smell is superior to a hemp seed oil with no odor at all. While jojoba oil is naturally mild, hemp seed oil should smell like nuts and freshly grown grass, with varying strength due to naturally varying nutritional density. The colour, meanwhile, should vary from dark to light green, and should never be clear.

If you store the bottle away from sunlight, Nutiva could provide years worth of quality hemp seed oil, and years worth of clear skin. 

Amazon link: Nutiva Organic Hemp Seed Oil.

 

Three – Sky Organics

Another cold-pressed hemp seed oil, and therefore another with complete freedom from harsh extraction agents like hexane.

Sky Organics is not just a brand name, but has official organic certification from the USDA. Like every hemp seed oil, it’s free from THC and other cannabinoids, being pressed from the seeds in a completely unrefined and cold-pressed fashion. This cold-pressing guarantees that the full array of natural compounds is present, and that the unstable omega 6 fatty acids aren’t damaged.

Sky Organics arrives on your shelf in an 8oz bottle, which is plastic rather than glass, but has the advantage of a dark amber colour to block out penetrating UV rays. This is particularly important with an unstable oil like hemp seed oil (whereas coconut oil is stabler). Another advantage is Sky Organics’ promising testimonials. Reviewers describe a “nutty smell“, an “earthy dirt or grass” smell, and “a hemp smell which I don’t mind“, all clear signs that this oil is naturally produced.

There’s also a trustworthy 30 day refund guarantee, in case of shipping issues with leaking bottles, etc. The only slight flaw is not disclosing the country of origin.

Regardless, Sky Organics is leagues ahead of most hemp seed oil products. 

Amazon link: Sky Organics Organic Hemp Seed Oil.

 

Four – US Organic

Not necessarily a US product, as it is sometimes grown in Canada, but definitely an organic one, as this hemp seed oil is natural in every way.

Positive features include a dark glass bottle, for keeping this relatively fragile oil intact and nutritious in the face of sunlight. Negative features include a relatively small size of 2oz, although you can guarantee that every millilitre is high quality hemp oil. More positive features include being cold pressed and unrefined, containing hemp seed oil as its only ingredient, being green, and what reviewers call a wet grassy smell. There’s an official USDA organic seal displayed clearly on the bottle.

US Organic is manufactured as any good hemp oil should be. Raw hemp seeds contain approximately 30% fat, alongside protein and fiber. The seeds are mechanically pressed at temperatures not exceeding 40C. A hemp cake is produced as a by-product, a solid mixture of the non-fatty parts of the seed, which is used to make commercial hemp protein. The extracted oil is then filtered to remove sediment.

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There’s only two basic steps in creating the oil itself. With refined oils, there’s a calamitous domino effect where scorching heat of 100C is used, creating foul odours which must be eliminated through deodorisation, creating blackened colours which must be bleached. US Organic features none of this nonsense.

US Organic is inferior to Manitoba Harvest for value for money, but the quality of the oil is outstanding. 

Amazon link: US Organic Hemp Seed Oil.

 

Five – Velona

A hemp seed oil with snazzy packaging, which correlates very closely to its supreme quality.

Velona has over 3000 ratings on Amazon as of April 2024, the vast majority positive. The bottle is made from BPA-plastic, with an amber shade to keep out UV light, and you receive 16oz worth of oil. Velona is unrefined and cold pressed, mechanically pressed using time tested techniques. Velona is also certified organic, and free from every major villain, whether it’s phthalates, parabens, or BPA.

Velona is bottled in the USA, and like most of the finest hemp seed oils, the raw plants are grown in Canada. The final region to consider is China, where the industry has an interesting origin story. During the 1979 war with the newly proclaimed socialist government of the unified Vietnam, Communist China realised that they needed some cool, antibacterial clothing for the humid jungles their troops would be fighting in. Hemp fabrics were the solution.

Soon, every soldier was wearing a hemp uniform, and field hospitals investigated hemp’s usefulness as a drug too. Come the end of the war, the factories remained, and soon turned their attention to backpacks, handbags, suitcases, wallets, and clothing. China is the worlds largest hemp exporter, but mostly in consumer goods rather than health products, meaning that Chinese hemp oil is rare as well. Instead, this is the speciality of Canada.

Last but not least, Velona’s hemp seed oil has a light green colour with a grassy flavour, a sure sign that the nutrition is rich.

If Velona doesn’t clear your acne, no hemp seed oil will. 

Amazon link: Velona Hemp Seed Oil.

 

Six – Foods Alive

Foods Alive is sold in strange containers which look like a container you would use to drink an energy drink in a gym, but don’t let that fool you, for this hemp seed oil beats many of the oils sold in glass jars.

Like the best brands. Foods Alive is USDA certified organic. The oil is unrefined and cold pressed, and hemp seed oil is the only ingredient. According to Foods Alive, their oils are artisan produced in small batches only. The reviews are mostly delighted, praising the nutty and earthy smell.

If you’re scared (or excited) about hallucinations, then this hemp seed oil is certified as being THC free. Foods Alive is also particularly great value for money, with a 16 ounce bottle available for no exceptional cost. Foods Alive recommends that you store the hemp seed oil in the fridge, a smart move. They also advise shaking well before usage, to prevent settling. Foods Alive isn’t a name you’ll ever hear in skincare, but their hemp seed oil is perfect.

What would I recommend as a combination? Argan oil would be an excellent choice; its richness in vitamin E would prevent hemp seed oil’s main benefit from being diluted, but argan oil can also soothe hyperpigmentation, inhibiting tyrosinase, the most significant enzyme behind melanin accumulation. Alternatively, you could combine hemp seed oil with rosehip oil. The former provides vitamin E, the latter, vitamin A. Together, they would form an unheard of natural elixir against sunlight, forcing the two main fat soluble antioxidants right into the skin.

One combination I wouldn’t recommend is with grapeseed oil, not because grapeseed oil is a poor skincare oil, but because its main powers of linoleic acid and vitamin E are so similar to hemp seed oil. Then there’s the endless options for mixing in essential oils like tea tree oil and lavender oil.

Whichever path you choose, Foods Alive is among the top hemp seed oils on the market. 

Amazon link: Foods Alive Hemp Seed Oil.

 

More facts to know

Combos – another recommendation you might see around the internet is combining hemp seed oil with castor oil, and using it for the oil cleansing method. Is this a smart move? It wouldn’t be disastrous, but castor oil’s lack of proven benefits mean that you could do better.

90% of castor oil’s fats consist of ricinoleic acid, with next to no linoelic acid. Furthermore, castor oil contains little vitamin E. Its most promising powers are as a natural sunscreen, a hair growth simulator, and being an unresearched, unexplored entity. Mixing hemp seed oil with castor oil will just dilute its vitamin E and linoleic acid without adding anything confirmed in return. As mentioned above, two smarter options would be argan oil and rosehip oil.

Origin – roughly 75% of the USA’s hemp products are imported from Canada. The industry has strict quality controls, whereby only the most nutritionally perfect cultivars are allowed to be farmed. The crops are all effectively organic and no GMO organisms may be used during farming.

Canada is a big exporter of raw hemp seeds, hemp protein, and hemp oil itself. By contrast, Europe’s booming hemp industry focuses on industrial usages such as cars and construction. That’s why you’ll almost never discover a hemp oil imported from Europe, and our list also contains none.

 

Will hemp seeds put soy protein out of business?

If you’ve stumbled into the world of hemp products then hemp seeds are another opportunity which you might have considered. Per ounce (28 grams), hemp seeds contain 33% of the RDI for the hard to obtain magnesium, 18% for zinc, and 13% for selenium. Those totals look healthy at first glance, but hemp seeds are also dense in the mineral blocking phytic acid like all seeds, but that said, many of the minerals will still be absorbed.

Hemp seeds lack any unique properties, like a random ability to improve your memory for example. However, amino acids wise, their content of arginine is very high, which can increase nitric oxide levels and enhance blood flow. For the uncommon glycine, hemp seeds are average among seeds but very good, whereas for lysine, they can only claim to be pathetic.

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Also watch out for hemp protein, a popular vegan replacement for creatine and whey protein, which is effective for vegan strength as long as chemical solvents like hexane weren’t used during the extraction. What are the risks? Like the oil itself, the omega 6s levels are too high to be mindlessly chewing on them all day, but compared to sunflower seeds, they contain a moderate amount of omega 3s (ALA) to balance them out.

Never treat hemp seeds as an all purpose, complete protein either. If you’re a vegan, or mostly shunning animal foods for any reason, remember that hemp seeds are very low in lysine, so don’t rely on them alone. Combine hemp seeds with other nuts and seeds, analysing them to prevent a high omega 6 intake, and the path to vegan strength will present itself. The path to clear vegan skin will also emerge, for the importance of specific amino acids like glycine and lysine should never be underestimated.

 

Conclusion

The good thing about hemp seed oil is that there’s one important natural feature of the oil which means that sleazy con artists and opportunistic hustlers will never find a foothold: the deep green colour.

This colour can never be successfully imitated, and thus they can never make a counterfeit product. Their only hope is adding a green dye to the oil, but this would never fool anybody at more than a glance.

Other oils have different safety guarantees, like the stranglehold local Moroccan villagers have over argan oil or the similar iron grip Polynesians have over tamanu oil. Other oils have no guarantees at all, such as grapeseed oil, a minefield of a market which you should always tread through carefully (unless you read my article about the best products, of course).

Remember to never confuse hemp seed oil with hemp CBD oil, and the day when you wake up with clear skin will get slightly closer. 

NEXT: the ultimate diet for clearing acne permanently

 

Thanks for reading!