By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Various hemp moisturizing products
available at The Body Shop.

Hey bud, pass the
hemp moisturizer

Here's the dope: The hemp plant is one of the best moisturizers around. The weed is jam-packed with essential fatty acids and amino acids, making it an ideal ingredient for beauty fare -- from soaps to face creams, shampoo, healing salves and even lip balm. And hemp seeds can be pressed to produce a protein-rich oil that is particularly well suited to dry skin.

Don't try to smoke this weed since the hemp plant used to make beauty products is industrial hemp, altogether different from the smokable kind and virtually drug-free.

Hemp products are being sold in lots of fashion boutiques, including Hawaii's The Body Shop, which has a line of five hemp products.

Hemp Soap, $6: The opaque, vegetable-based soap combines palm, coconut and hemp seed oils as well as black tea leaves to gently cleanse the skin, prevent dryness, while lightly exfoliating all skin types.

Hemp Hand Protector, $11.50: An intensive moisturizing treatment for dry hands. The cream combines hemp seed oil with lanolin for protection, glycerine to help dry to very dry skin, and vitamin B5 to condition nails and cuticles.

Hemp 3 in 1 Oil, $11.50: A lightly fragranced moisturizing oil is a three-in-one product designed to smooth dry to very dry skin. It can be used as a bath soak, massage oil and moisturizer.

Hemp Lip Conditioner, $6: This lightly fragranced moisturizing balm protects, soothes and softens lips. It contains hemp seed oil, lanolin, beeswax and carnuba wax.

Hemp Elbow Grease, $11.50: A treatment wax for softening, smoothing and moisturizing very dry skin patches. It leaves a layer on the skin to protect it from excessive moisture loss and drying out, especially in harsh conditions.

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By Tim Ryan, Star-Bulletin

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