‘This is our heritage’: Medical cannabis firm launches CBD-hemp skin care brand Fuss Pot

Founded in 2007, Cann Global was active in the medical cannabis space and also operated a health food division as well. Its move into active skin care with the Fuss Pot brand aimed to take the power of cannabis, via CBD [cannabidiol] and hemp actives, into beauty.

Fuss Pot had developed two different skin care ranges: a hemp-based line targeting ageing and a CBD-based line for repair. Both lines featured cleansers, serums, creams and body oils.

Available online via its website, the brand had kickstarted with the launch of its ‘ageless’ hemp skin care line and would enter France this month and Australia in August with the range. The launch of its CBD range was on the horizon.

Building ‘support’ and ‘community’ around the brand​

“We’re brand-new globally. We did a small production run late last year, just to get us into the space, but we will be officially kicking off in Europe,”​ said Toni Cohen, marketing manager at Cann Global.

The brand was starting in France where it had a strong network, including a formulation partner, and would then look to expand further into Europe once it had built up “the support and the community around the product”,​ Cohen said.

Speaking to CosmeticsDesign-Europe at Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna back in April, she said there had already been strong interest from the UK, the Nordics, Canada and the US, but expansion would happen slowly. “We don’t want to rush; we want to do it well.”​

Tackling the patchwork of CBD and hemp regulations​

As the brand expanded, Cohen said it would have to navigate the patchwork of differing regulations across the globe, particularly in Europe, but with two different lines, including a hemp-based range that faced fewer legislative hurdles, Fuss Pot was confident it could extend reach well. Cann Global also had widespread expertise in working in these fields, she said, which would help moving forward.

“Cann Global, the parent company, has been in the cannabis and hemp space for years (…) so, this is our heritage. ​

“…We really understand that hemp seed oil, which is our anti-ageing range, is just as effective in what it’s trying to do as the CBD repairing range. So, we’re not going to lose out. We think both ranges are amazing, and if your market accepts it, then – fantastic. We’ve put the science into both,” ​she said.

D2C engagement with retail ‘visual appeal’​

Whilst the brand would continue to sell direct-to-consumer (D2C), Cohen said Fuss Pot clearly had “visual appeal”​ for merchandising in more traditional bricks and mortar settings. Its ranges were packed in matte black UV protective glass and used sustainable cardboard with bright designs as secondary packaging. These investments also meant the brand would never be mass market, sitting more in the mid-to-premium end of skin care.

“So that consumers can research and purchase at their own convenience, D2C is big for us. But we are also working with retailers who are aligned with what we’re trying to do and the consumer we’re trying to target.”​

And that consumer, she said, were men and women looking for “natural skin care combined with effective outcomes”. ​

“It’s not just about being natural and organic, which is obviously very important for the modern consumer, but it’s also about making sure that it works. So, we have the research and data behind both cannabis and hemp from our parent company, but then are also working with our French formulator to make sure all the ingredients we use have some sort of scientific or clinical background for effectiveness,”​ she said.

Beyond CBD and hemp?​

Asked if Cann Global was looking into other cannabinoids for Fuss Pot, Cohen said: “To a certain degree, because of the regulatory environment, a lot of research has been lacking on some of those other ones. As I said, it’s really important for us that the science and data is there. So, as it becomes available – and we’re investing in this space ourselves, in terms of the terpenes side of things and other cannabinoids – we definitely will continue to research, innovate and investigate as the data becomes available.”​