The creams from This Place are supposed to provide a nice glow on the skin and can even help with menstrual pain. We took a close look at the DHDL products in advance.

There are many cosmetics on the market with different promises: creams and the like should be able to ensure clearer skin, more glow, have a rejuvenating effect, or, or, or. Sometimes the disappointment after promising promises is all the greater when the effect then fails to materialize. The founders of This Place also raise high expectations with their creams: They should not only work for radiant skin, but also, for example, against period pain. We tested the four different DHDL products and checked whether the promises were kept.

DHDL: This is what the founders of This Place want to score with

The start-up founded by Laura Simonow, Finn Hänsel and Fabian Friede already has the know-how for its promises: In her research work, the young scientist has dealt intensively with the effects of CBD and, above all, the interactions studied with other medicinal herbs. This resulted in a cosmetics line whose products have appealing names such as “The Good Night”, “This Blissful Day”, “The Hug” and “The Glow”. In addition to the cannabis active ingredient, they also contain natural ingredients such as St. John’s wort, arnica, white willow and others.

The approach: The “functional natural cosmetics” are intended to encourage relaxation and mindfulness and to alleviate various problems. The creams can help with period pain (“The Hug”), muscle tension (“The Blissful Day”), irritated, pale skin (“The Glow”) or restless sleep (“The Good Night”). The ingredients are purely natural, vegan and developed without animal cruelty and manufactured in Berlin. If you are still afraid of contact with CBD: THC from the cannabis plant is not included in a legally permissible amount in accordance with the regulations, so there is no need to fear a state of intoxication when applying cream.

However, This Place does not do without fragrances, because they should also ensure relaxation and recovery. With its traditional and functional ingredients and modes of action, the Berlin start-up wants to assert itself against the competition. The brand had its first success when its cream “The Glow” became known through influencer Caro Daur. But do the This Place products really have noticeable and visible effects and can they stand out from the rest?

The first impression

At first glance, the creams are very appealing: the hemp packaging is very modern, sustainable and reduced to the bare essentials. The colors are attractive and subtle, the creams look very high quality and smell pleasant and the scent actually has a calming effect. This Place gives the impression that only the bare essentials are used here – and that is of good quality, well thought out and contemporary. There is something relaxing and harmonious about the graphics.

The application

However, promises and a nice look alone are not enough to convince. Of course, the effect is important. And that’s exactly what I tested extensively.

Above all, “The Hug” fueled expectations: Anyone who has to struggle with period pains, i.e. stitches and cramps in the abdomen, will certainly know that even with medication it is sometimes difficult to remedy the situation. The fact that a cream with natural ingredients (including CBD, St. John’s wort, frankincense and chaste tree) can help through external application seemed rather unrealistic to me. To my surprise, however, the cream actually shows a noticeable effect: As soon as the pain is announced, spread a very small amount of the slightly reddish cream (and you really don’t need much, as it is very economical) on the lower stomach and massage it in slowly until only a light film can be seen.

In my opinion, it smells the least soothing of the four creams, but: after a short time you can feel a pleasant warmth and a comfortable feeling on the skin, which immediately brings relief. I was very surprised that the different ingredients are used so cleverly and can work together so effectively. And for a placebo effect, the feeling of the cream is too intense.

The revitalizing face cream “The Glow” is said to be able to ensure a balanced and radiant complexion. It contains extracts of CBD, zinc, cinnamon bark, cedar and olive leaves, as well as hyaluronic acid, which has a moisturizing and plumping effect. The cinnamon bark is very subtle to smell and, in combination with the other ingredients, provides a very pleasant, natural scent. The whitish cream is easy to spread and absorbs quickly into the skin. It’s been described as “invigorating” — and that’s actually a good thing. The skin appears directly invigorated, which is certainly also due to the CBD. After several uses I have not felt any irritation and can confirm that the skin looks fresher and more radiant.

The creams from This Place should be able to do even more. The start-up also offers a suitable product for muscle tension: “The Blissful Day”. The cream with CBD, white willow, arnica and turmeric is slightly yellowish and smells pleasantly stimulating. It creates this feeling on the skin and gives it a slight tingle. After being massaged in and taking effect, it has a very relaxing effect on the muscles and it seems relaxed. I tested it on my legs and only needed a little of the cream for an effect. For regular use, the small size of the cream (20 ml) is certainly used up quickly.

But my personal favorite is still waiting: “The Good Night”, a relaxing sleep cream. The whitish cream is applied to the forearms, neck and shoulders before going to bed and it immediately unfolds a very pleasant and really incredibly calming scent. Of course, the massage also has an additional relaxing effect and after the application I feel less stressed than before and go to bed relaxed. The scent isn’t too overpowering and doesn’t last too long.

The conclusion

In the test, the four products from This Place definitely convinced me. Since they are very economical, the price of 17 euros per 20 ml of cream (60 ml costs 49 euros) is completely fine in my opinion, especially when you compare them to other CBD-containing products. I like that each product focuses on a different problem area and there aren’t too many products or multifunctional creams that promise a lot more than they actually do. Each cream keeps its own promise: “The Hug” feels like a hug (without being able to completely take away the pain), “The Glow” gives shine, “The Blissful Day” provides more vitality and “The Good Night” gives you a good night. As a customer, I don’t feel like I’m being made fun of.

In addition, the approaches (vegan, sustainable, natural) are contemporary and important. The best possible results are actually obtained from the different effects of CBD in combination with other ingredients. You can tell: The founders have really thought about it and have developed a product that is not only visually appealing, but above all functional, which uses the effect of the ingredients in the best possible way.

Laura Simonow, Finn Hänsel and Fabian Friede are hoping for a good deal with their creams from This Place in “Die Höhle der Löwen” and are offering ten percent of the company shares for an investment of 200,000 euros. You can see whether the founders can convince the lions with their products tonight from 8:15 p.m. on Vox.

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