Following its legalisation in selected US states, cannabis is losing much of its stigma, paving the way for entrepreneurs and brands across industries to take advantage – many of which traditionally have little to do with weed. And beauty brands are a part of this shift. We explore the insights behind Vertly, which is tapping into the plant’s natural credentials with a line of cannabis lip balms.
In the US, legal marijuana sales are set to reach $24 billion by 2025 and alongside that growth, CBD – one of the non-psychoactive elements in cannabis – is also growing as a natural ingredient with medicinal potential. But outside of health, another sector embracing CBD is skincare, with brands like Vertly Lip Butters and Mary’s Medicinals launching products that make use of its proven anti-inflammatory and relaxing benefits.
Vertly is a line of organic hemp and cannabis lip balms of varying degrees of plant-infused potency, boxed up in sleek, minimalist packaging. According to Claudia Mata, creator of Vertly, the brand is entering the market at a time of shifting perceptions around cannabis. “There are people who may be thinking, 'I’m not really into cannabis – I’ve never done it'," she says. "I was that person." And with brands like Vertly turning cannabis culture into a new kind of wellness movement, the Hemp Business Journal reports that the CBD market is estimated to hit $2.1 billion by 2020, up from $202 million in 2015.
Thanks to its legalisation, perceptions of cannabis as a harmful drug are declining. “We've been seeing this step away from the stigma of cannabis and people really understanding the benefits and healing properties,” says Andrea Revivo, a product manager for skincare brand Spa De Soleil. And it makes sense at a time when 53% of consumers saying ‘all natural’ ingredients are important to them. Brands like Vertly are tapping into this mindset, aligning their products with the natural beauty movement, which has already seen everything from snail gel to charcoal deodorant find their way into people’s beauty regimes.
Alex Rückheim is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8, which specialises in behavioural insights and consumer research, and who has worked on behaviour change projects with global clients including Samsung, the UK Government, Red Bull, AKQA and OMD. With a background in Strategic Marketing, he is also special lecturer at the University of the Arts London, and curator of design-focused site GOODS WE LIKE.
