Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice. All statements are merely the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to pain relief.
Hempvana is a pain relief cream that contains hemp seed oil. The brand claims that their product line “helps you find fast relief from the aches and pains that keep you from doing the things you love.”
But does Hempvana contain ingredients shown in medical studies to reduce pain, or is this just a marketing claim? Does hemp seed oil actually relieve pain when applied to the skin? Does Hempvana contain any questionable additive ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of this product?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in Hempvana based on medical studies to give our take on whether the cream is likely to relieve pain or if it’s a waste of money.
We’ll also share some concerns we have about the increased-strength versions, provide a cost comparison to feature the retailer that sells Hempvana for the best price, and feature real Hempvana customer reviews.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Hempvana Original are shown above.
Trolamine salicylate at a concentration of 10% is the active ingredient, and this compound has been studied in clinical trials for its effects on pain.
A clinical trial published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology found that trolamine salicylate at the same concentration as in Hempvana significantly reduced pain and stiffness in patients with arthritis.
However, a 1982 clinical trial on this drug ingredient at the same 10% concentration reported no pain-relieving effects.
A 1989 clinical trial found that trolamine salicylate reduced muscular soreness after weight training, but the study reports two different concentrations of the ingredient (10% and 70%) which seems like an error, so we’re unsure what to make of this study.
Hemp seed oil is the inactive ingredient that Hempvana bases much of their marketing (and name) on, but we cannot find any medical evidence that topical hemp seed oil relieves pain, nor does the brand cite any on their product page.
There are two inactive ingredients in this cream that may be questionable from a health perspective.
Green 5 is a synthetic dye, and as we discussed in our article on Ouai Detox Shampoo, artificial dyes in cosmetics are clinically shown to be absorbed through the skin and may be harmful to human health.
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that was shown in a 2020 clinical trial to be toxic to human cells.
Overall, we consider Hempvana somewhat likely to be effective for pain relief given its active drug ingredient, but the clinical results on this ingredient are somewhat inconclusive based on the studies that we could identify.
We do not currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of a green dye and a synthetic preservative.
But how do real users rate and describe its effects? We’ll share some reviews in the next section.
Real Users Review Hempvana
A YouTube creator named “TV Stuff Reviews” has a negative review of Hempvana pain relief cream:
A TikTok creator named “Ghostly Concerns Paranornal” has a more positive review of the cream:
@ghostlyconcernsparanorml ♬ original sound - Ghostly Concerns Paranormal
Our Issue With “Platinum” Hempvana
Hempvana’s pain relief cream is sold in three versions: Original, Platinum and Double Platinum.
The Platinum version contains the same active ingredient, at the exact same concentration, as the original version. The “Double Platinum” version doesn’t even have an ingredient list on the brand’s website at the time of publishing this article.
The marketing difference between these versions is that Platinum has 4x the hemp seed oil as the Original version, and Double Platinum has 8x the hemp seed oil, but as we reviewed in the ingredient analysis section, hemp seed oil isn’t even an active ingredient in this product.
According to the FDA, an active ingredient is the compound in the formulation that provides a biologic effect. In other words, definitionally, the active ingredient is what has the potential to provide pain relief, based on Hempvana’s own ingredient list.
So if the active ingredient is the same in all three formulations, why would any consumer pay five times as much for Hempvana Double Platinum because it contains an inactive ingredient at a higher concentration?
We have never come across a pain relief cream that markets itself based on inactive ingredients up until this point, and find the price differential and marketing to be highly confusing.
If any consumer is considering Hempvana, we would recommend the Original version because we haven’t seen any evidence, nor does Hempvana publish any on their product page, that a higher concentration of hemp seed oil (which is not even an active ingredient) justifies such a higher cost.
Where to Buy Hempvana for the Best Price
Hempvana is sold at a variety of online retailers.
Here’s a cost breakdown for Hempvana Original at the time of publishing this article:
Rite Aid: $19.99 (plus shipping, link)
Walmart: $19.88 (plus shipping, link)
Brand website: $19.99 (free shipping – link)
Amazon: $19.99 (free shipping – link)
Hempvana is around 25% cheaper on Amazon and on the brand’s website than Walmart or Rite Aid when factoring in shipping fees.
Real Customers Review Hempvana
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
Hempvana has been reviewed over 4,000 times on Amazon, with an average review rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “KDH-987” who claims to have experienced pain relief:
“This cream worked. I’m not pain free — but the relief is very noticeable (vs prescription creams).”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Kindle Customer” who claims the product was not effective for arthritis pain:
“I have arthritis in my thumb, tendonitis in my wrist, torn rotator cuff 4 years ago and low back pain from an injury. Used twice a day on all these areas and did not get the slightest relief from any pain.”
The manufacturer of Hempvana, a company called Telebrands, has unfavorable reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website.
The average customer review rating on that site is 1.05 out of 5 stars, and the brand fails to respond to the majority of negative customer reviews, including this one from a user named “Terisa R” who claims to be unable to receive a refund:
“I would give negative stars if I could...This company is HORRIBLE!! I have been trying to return a Hempvana brace and cancel an order of vitamins, that I didnt even order, for 5 months with no results. They continue to charge me every month for a product I do not want. Every time I call I am told to call another number that no one EVER answers.”
Our Clean Anti-Inflammatory Picks
There are natural compounds which have been shown in clinical studies to support optimal joint health and relieve pain.
Cinnamon was shown to reduce inflammatory markers in a 2020 clinical trial. The study authors concluded that “Cinnamon could be regarded as a safe supplement to relieve pain.”
Illuminate Labs Ceylon Cinnamon Extract is our standardized cinnamon supplement, which is third-party tested for purity and potency and costs only $15 at a subscription price.
Collagen is the core structural protein in joints, and has been clinically shown to reduce arthritic pain.
Bulletproof Collagen Powder is our top collagen supplement pick because it only contains one ingredient: collagen peptides sourced from grass-fed animals.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is clinically shown to be effectively absorbed through the skin, and CBD caused "significant improvements in pain" when applied topically in a 2020 clinical trial.
Cornbread CBD Lotion is our top CBD lotion pick, because it also contains menthol, which was shown in a 2022 clinical trial to reduce pain scores.
All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy or unsafe.
Pros and Cons of Hempvana
Here are the pros and cons of Hempvana in our opinion:
Pros:
- May be effective for pain relief
- Active ingredient is clinically studied
- Original formulation is affordable
- Brand website offers free shipping
- Mostly positive Amazon reviews
Cons:
- We can’t find any evidence that topical hemp oil relieves pain
- Brand charges 5x as much for formulation with more hemp oil, even though this is an inactive ingredient
- Negative BBB reviews for manufacturer
- Contains a synthetic dye
- Contains a synthetic preservative
