Sea buckthorn

Scientific name
Hippophae rhamnoides

History of plant/fun facts

Sea buckthorn is an edible bright orange berry that has been used in ancient Chinese, Tibetan, and Mongolian medicine for over 1,000 years. It was valued for its ability to treat wounds, heal the skin, and improve general health. The ancient Greeks believed the plant was associated with horses, as it was believed to enhance their coat and vitality hence the name: hippophae, which comes from the Greek word hippos (horse), meaning "shiny horse," because the berries were thought to improve the coats of horses.

Clinical uses

Sea buckthorn berries are incredibly rich in nutrients, including vitamin C (up to 15 times more than an orange), vitamin E, and essential fatty acids like omega-7 (palmitoleic acid). This antioxidant-rich composition of sea buckthorn helps to protect the skin from oxidative stress and can slow the aging process. The oil also has anti-inflammatory effects, making it helpful for conditions like rosacea. It soothes the skin and reduces redness and irritation.

Products with this ingredient 

• Salve All

Resources

Liu X, Yuen M, Yuen T, Yuen H, Wang M, Peng Q. Anti-skin aging effect of sea buckthorn proanthocyanidins in D-galactose-induced aging mice. Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Dec 7;12(2):1082-1094. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3823. PMID: 38370085; PMCID: PMC10867494.

Balkrishna A, Sakat SS, Joshi K, Joshi K, Sharma V, Ranjan R, Bhattacharya K, Varshney A. Cytokines Driven Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Psoriasis Like Efficacies of Nutraceutical Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) Oil. Front Pharmacol. 2019 Oct 11;10:1186. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01186. PMID: 31680964; PMCID: PMC6797847.