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 proven to relieve pain? Does hemp seed oil actually relieve pain when applied to the skin? Does Hempvana contain any unhealthy ingredients? And is the "Platinum" version better?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Hempvana to give our take on whether or not it's likely to relieve pain, and whether or not it's healthy.

We’ll also share some concerns we have about the increased-strength versions, and compare Hempvana to other popular pain relief creams like Biofreeze, in terms of formulation quality, to pick our winners (and losers).

Key takeaways:

• Contains clinically proven active ingredient for pain relief
• Contains inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy
• We do not currently recommend Hempvana

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in Hempvana Pain Relief Cream are shown below:

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.

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.

Hempvana vs. Popular Pain Relief Creams

Here's how Hempvana compares to other popular pain relief creams in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:

Icy Hot

Contains an active ingredient which has been clinically shown to relieve pain in over 80% of users.

However, this ingredient can also have severe side effects.

We consider Hempvana's formulation to be safer.

Winner: Hempvana

Biofreeze

Contains research-backed active ingredients for pain relief, as we documented in our Biofreeze vs Icy Hot review article.

Contains one inactive ingredient we consider unhealthy, but overall a healthier formulation than Hempvana.

Winner: Biofreeze

Bengay

Contains the same active ingredient as in Icy Hot, so we consider Hempvana to be the safer/healthier option.

Winner: Hempvana

Our Clean Anti-Inflammatory Picks

Illuminate Labs Ceylon Cinnamon Extract is our top anti-inflammatory supplement.

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.” 

Cornbread CBD Lotion is our top anti-inflammatory skin lotion.

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. 

Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.

Hempvana Pros and Cons

Pros:

• May be effective for pain relief
• Active ingredient is clinically studied
• Original formulation is affordable
• Healthier than some competitors
• Mostly positive Amazon reviews

Cons:

• Doesn't appear clinically tested
• 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
• Contains a synthetic dye
• Contains a synthetic preservative

Conclusion

Hempvana’s marketing centers on the fact that hemp oil is included in the pain relief creams, but we can’t find any clinical evidence that hemp oil relieves pain when applied to the skin. 

We can’t even find any studies testing the effects of topical hemp oil on pain, and the brand doesn’t cite any on their product page, which makes the value proposition of this product confusing.

Hempvana may be effective for pain relief given that its active ingredient (which isn’t hemp) was shown in two clinical trials to relieve pain, but it was shown in another clinical trial to have no effect on pain.

Hempvana charges 5x as much for a cream with more hemp oil in it than the Original formulation, even though hemp oil is an inactive ingredient in the formulation which suggests by definition that it will not have any biologic effect.

We consider Hempvana to be a healthier option than Icy Hot and Bengay, but a less healthy option than Biofreeze.