When making skin care formulations I like to really get to know an ingredient before using it. Even when there is lots of great information, and research telling me its benefits.
Sea buckthorn intrigued me right from the start, its intense orange colour drew me in and had me hooked. It glows with vibrancy and health.
Sea buckthorn is a smallish shrub covered in prickles (it tries hard to keep hold of its treasure!) which, in late summer, produces hundreds of bright orange berries. It loves hot, dry weather and thrives in marginal soil. Ontario is a big growing region and it’s even grown right here in BC.
It’s in the bright orange berries that the wonderful oil is found. It is exceptionally rich in the two main phytonutrient groups we look for in skin health; essential fats and antioxidants.
Essential fats
These are the oils that nourish and moisturize our skin. They are also incredibly anti-inflammatory. Sea buckthorn contains huge amounts of the less commonly found omega 7. This omega is a major component of skin cells, it is a powerful anti-inflammatory with tissue repairing properties. There have been many research trials done showing sea buckthorns positive effect on healing damaged skin tissue in conditions such as eczema, rosacea and acne.
When I suffered with chronic but debilitating eczema on my hands and arms, I took omega 7 (sea buckthorn) capsules and I saw a profound benefit to my skin with less itching, less redness and reduced rashes. Back then I never came across the oil in skin products.
Antioxidants
We all know that a colourful diet is a healthy one, and the colour of this oil just can’t be missed! It comes out the bottle bright red and settles into the other oils as a wonderful, rich golden orange. Carotenoids are the phytonutrients that give sea buckthorn it’s orange colour, and the fact that the colour is so intense tells us just how jam packed they are in this oil. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants with incredible and very important benefits to the skin. They strengthen our skin’s own defenses against UV rays, and help to repair damage already done. They are also a key ingredient in vitamin A, a nutrient our body makes to help keep the skin clear, supple, and toned.
Sea buckthorn also has valuable amounts of vitamin E and C amongst many other important skin nutrients. In fact, the Latin name Hippophae translates to shiny horse!
These healing, calming and protecting properties lend themselves wonderfully in products where there is redness, inflammation and damage. Therefore, I have added it into the formulations created to help acne and blemished skin, as well as for inflamed conditions such as eczema and rosacea.
Sea buckthorn can also be taken internally for all sorts of additional benefits… but that’s another blog post entirely!
You will be able to experience the wonderful benefits in a selection of my new products (coming soon!):
Sea Buckthorn & Geranium Balancing Face Oil
Rosehip & Calendula Calming Face Oil
Neroli & Lemon Balancing Moisturizer
Shea & Starflower Calming Moisturizer
Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to be the first to know when we release the new line!
PIN THIS:
