The day I was due to have a CBD facial, I listened to a podcast in which comedian Chelsea Handler explained she was high for three days after getting a cannabis facial. Three days! I know, I know. CBD is the non-psychoactive molecule produced by the plant. But still, I was trepidatious.
I was at The Drug Store, a new CBD concept store in Marylebone. The walls are starkly white except for abstract art; pedestals show off CBD pillow mists, mints and rub-on oils. There is a buzz about this place, but it’s about education, not hype. A couple of drops in your chai latte is not going to do it, co-founder Clemens Böninger tells me. They sell you what works and they stock the best.
Skincare clinic YOUNG LDN are providing the facials (£75), using Grön CBD creams. My skin was in meltdown, the facialist told me – something CBD, and its anti-inflammatory properties, could help.
The facial itself is pretty standard as far as they go – 60 mins of cleansing, exfoliating, a clay mask and, finally, a workout from a jade roller (except that the CBD is working extra hard to relax you) – but a baseline feeling of calm descended over me as she massaged and spritzed. And afterward? My skin was soothed and anxiety quelled.
Placebo or no placebo, I grabbed an oil on the way out.
The Drug Store can be found at 14 Hinde Street, Marylebone W1; treatments can be booked by emailing booking@thedrug.store
