The beauty industry loves new ingredients — as witnessed by the use of such gems as Cochineal beetles (skin creams, lipstick, etc.), bird poop for a Geisha facial and whale vomit – or ambergris – for making perfume.

And now, according to UK-based The Future Laboratory, cannabis will be the next big ingredient of choice for the beauty industry, including skin- and hair-care products; as well as makeup and perfume.

“Growing support for legalization and an increased awareness of the potential benefits of cannabis are the driving forces behind this ingredient,” said Victoria Buchanan, trend analyst at The Future Laboratory, to The Telegraph.

Pot’s anti-aging and protective capabilities alone are enough to make it a primary ingredient in skin care, according to two dermatologists interviewed by the Huffington Post.

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidants agents in cannabis neutralize sun damage, said New York-based Dr. Bobby Buka, who stressed, however, that the delivery system is critical.

When your skin is exposed to the hydrocarbons in smoke of any kind, pot and cigarettes, it can hinder cells that create new collagen, crucial for elasticity.

Hemp seed oil has been around for years and the healing benefits of cannabis in beauty products are no secret. Big-name brands like the Body Shop and Dr. Bronner’s have been using it as a selling point for over a decade.

Ms. Buchanan pointed out that cannabis is already providing some heady scents.

“It is also crossing over into fragrance. Florabotanica by Balenciaga is a floral scent developed on a rose note with a narcotic hemp twist, while Cannabis Santal by Fresh is described as a sensual, woodsy fragrance.”

So, let’s encourage dermatologists, perfumers, botanists, chemists, and even psychopharmacology researchers to lose the nasty chemicals and produce more and better products out of a known, safe and age-old ingredient.