Helen Brown

We introduced CBD products and treatments about a year ago, and they’ve quickly become an important part of our business. We assumed we would have to do a lot of education with both our team and consumers, but our therapists were very comfortable with the products from the outset and media coverage meant there was widespread awareness among consumers, which expedited the success.

The response to the products has been overwhelmingly positive, with reports of reducing inflammation and pain, as well as skincare benefits. Many made the initial purchase out of curiosity, but have since returned for more and recommended them to friends.

Our number one selling treatment is a CBD body balm add-on which costs US$10 (€9, £8) and targets sore areas. Also adding a US$10 CBD facial mask to our mud treatment is a popular choice. Between them, these adds on have generated US$11,000 (€9,814, £8,829) in the last year. We’ve generated US$28,000 (€24,982, £22,474) in CBD retail sales in the last 12 months.

For operators wanting to introduce CBD products, firstly be aware of the regulations which vary across states. Also speak to your insurance company, as I know some have forbidden spas from offering CBD products. Ensure suppliers have a history of working with these products and haven’t just jumped on the bandwagon when CBD started to get successful. We chose Healthy Lotus and Bloom Farms. You need to know that it’s a clean product, which has been sourced responsibly and mixed with good quality products.

Brown has been in the industry for nearly 10 years and oversees two spas for Auberge in the US

Kim Collier

CBD is an effective plant-based healing therapy. Period. People are experiencing relief and benefits from CBD. Period. CBD healing is here to stay. Period.

An ancient plant, dating back to 2700BC, and the original cash crop, hemp offers 50,000 documented uses and may lead the way to modern day agricultural renaissance. Although specific research is still needed – and underway – we may rely on the 50-plus years of research by Dr Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli organic chemist and professor at Hebrew University. He says ‘we need more research but CBD may be prove to be an option for managing anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain’. 

Spa professionals ready to come on board will need to advocate through education, and learn the difference between the poodle / hemp and the wolf / marijuana. I highly recommend www.green-flower.com for online cannabis knowledge delivered in 1,000 hours of video content and featuring more than 600 cannabis industry experts, doctors, scientists, entrepreneurs and thought-leaders. 

From a holistic health perspective, it’s best to start using CBD topically to awaken the endocannabinoid system receptors. Then a CBD tincture or oral oil could be taken at bedtime, combining the two in the evening, for about a week. If you ingest too much CBD you may need a nap: this is your body talking to you, encouraging rest and repair time. If other medications are being taken, healthcare providers should be consulted, but expect amazing results with CBD and forthcoming cannabis wellness!

With 30 years’ industry experience, Collier relaunched her company to educate spas on wellness, cannabis and sustainability products in 2018

Dr Aamer Khan

Cannabis is one of the oldest plants on the planet, it’s even represented in cave drawings. Genetically we are made to respond to CBD and human bodies can produce an endocannabinoid – anandamide – during meditation, breast feeding and exercise.

Illness comes about through an imbalance in the body and while medicine can fix the symptoms, the cause requires a system reset, which CBD can achieve. It balances and stabilises, protects cells and improves their resilience to a toxic environment. Going forward, I think it will be huge, not just for treating illness, but for managing health, as it fits with the trend of living medicines.

The hemp plant has been used in many industries and there’s a huge amount of research into it. The most compelling is a 10 year study by the World Health Organization which found no contra-indications and concluded CBD was safe as a food supplement. The UK’s national health service cautions that it might impact certain medications, in the same way that citrus fruit does, by potentially interrupting the enzyme system in the liver. As a result, it’s advisable for clients to seek medical advice if they take other medication.

After personally using CBD for pain relief when I fractured my finger, I introduced it at my Harley Street practice as soon as it was legalised. I chose Maripharm products because the company has a long history with CBD and worked with the Dutch government to change the legislation in the early 90s, and it also supplies luxury spas such as The Cowshed and Rudding Park.

Dr Khan’s London clinic focuses on cosmetic and non-surgical procedures to preserve youth. He counts many celebrities among his clients

Martina Crkonova

As a Chinese medicine practitioner, I know the benefits of the hemp family so I was eagerly waiting for it to be legalised in the UK. Budock Vean was one of the first UK spas to get CBD on the spa menu this April, when we introduced a 60 minute full body massage, priced at £79 (US$100, €88), and a 60 minute healthy ageing facial for £69 (US$86, €77).

We don’t make massive claims about the benefits, but the treatments have been popular – since introducing them, our revenues have increased by 17 per cent. We attract a lot of baby boomers who report that they feel more relaxed, able to cope and that it lessens chronic pain and pain in the joints. Equally, we have noticed that the younger generation, who are pushing the wellness trend, are interested in the use of hemp as a prevention to ill health.

However, people are confused at the moment: there’s a lack of knowledge and education about what a powerful product CBD is and there’s not enough regulation. Finding the right supplier can also be difficult. I spent a lot of time and money trying different products and eventually chose to work with an organic hemp farm based in California.

New research is helping us to understand CBD in more depth, but spas wanting to work with this product should educate themselves. Although too much CBD is not dangerous, it’s worth bearing in mind that too much of any herb or dietary supplement – even lavender or vitamin C – is not advisable.

Crkonova has been a pre-opening consultant for many spas, working for the likes of Bath Thermae Spa, UK and Kandima Maldives. A qualified herbalist and TCM practitioner, she’s currently studying for a clinical qualification in cannabinoid therapy

Kath Hudson

In middle age my life has been getting busier and more stressful, leaving me with less time to chill out. I rely on adrenal energy, consistently over-riding tiredness to pack too much into each day. I never let myself stop and sometimes wonder if I’ve lost the ability to relax altogether. So when Budock Vean – a hotel in Cornwall, south UK – invited me to try a treatment I jumped at the chance to see if CBD really can help insomnia, stress and anxiety.

An experienced herbalist and a fan of “the wisdom of the hemp plant”, spa director Martina Crkonova was the driving force behind Budock Vean adding the CBD treatments to its spa menu. I felt in safe hands: she works intuitively and it was one of the most powerful treatments I’ve ever received. Afterwards, I felt supremely relaxed and at peace with both the world and myself.

Usually, I would have wanted to take advantage of some of other experiences the hotel has to offer – a walk or a kayak along the Helford River, a swim in the pool, a game of tennis, or at the very least sit and observe the magnificent gardens. Instead, I allowed myself an afternoon sleep for the first time in years.

The following day, I felt exhausted but instead of fighting it, I submitted to doing nothing. I’m not sure if I didn’t want to over-ride the tiredness, or actually couldn’t. However, the day after that, I felt noticeably lighter in both spirits and body, with improved mental focus and more energy – real energy, not adrenal. I think the benefits came from having stopped and relaxed, but without the CBD I probably would have stayed busy.

Budock Vean was one of the first UK hotels to offer a CBD spa treatment

Hudson says it was one of the most powerful treatments she’s ever had

• A reputable company will have a certificate of analysis to ensure the quality and potency of the CBD

• The proportion of CBD oil per product varies between manufacturers but 25.5 per cent is about the right amount

• Ensure your CBD is organic, non-GMO and not chemically extracted – look for CO2 extraction

• Ensure the supplier’s quality of CBD by checking the ingredient list, the protocol created by the company and product training created by the supplier for their therapists