Sustainable Utilisation and Resilience of Industrial Hemp Supply Chains: A Systematic Review of Advancing Skin Health Through Anti-Inflammatory Nutraceuticals for Acne Treatment

Industrial hemp flower oil has gained attention in the nutraceutical field for its anti-inflammatory properties beneficial to skin health, particularly in acne management. The primary objective of this review is to evaluate whether hemp-derived compounds, especially cannabidiol (CBD), can effectively reduce inflammatory lesions, modulate cytokine activity and reduce acne severity while maintaining safety and tolerability. Acne vulgaris is characterised by inflammation, sebaceous gland hyperactivity and microbial colonisation, with evidence suggesting that CBD and hemp flower extracts down-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8. Methods reported in clinical studies include twice-daily topical application of hemp oil formulations, assessed through lesion counts and inflammatory markers over several weeks. Results consistently demonstrate reductions in inflammatory lesions, decreased sebum production and inhibition of Cutibacterium acnes growth, alongside favourable tolerability profiles. These findings indicate that hemp flower oil offers multi-targeted effects addressing key pathological factors such as inflammation, oxidative stress and sebocyte activity. Conclusively, industrial hemp flower oil emerges as a promising natural anti-inflammatory nutraceutical for acne management; however, large-scale randomised clinical trials are needed to standardise formulations and confirm long-term efficacy and safety across diverse populations.