Why Your Skin Loves Sea Buckthorn Oil
If rosehip oil is the well-known star of natural skincare, sea buckthorn oil is the quiet achiever that not enough people know about.
It's one of the most nutrient-dense oils in the natural skincare world. And yet it remains relatively unknown outside of dedicated natural beauty circles, partly because of its intensity, partly because of its striking colour, and partly because it simply hasn't had the same marketing machine behind it that other oils have enjoyed.
But for skin that's dry, damaged, inflamed, or ageing, sea buckthorn oil is one of the most remarkable ingredients nature has to offer.
What is sea buckthorn oil?
Sea buckthorn is a small thorny shrub that grows in cold, harsh climates across Europe and Asia. It produces bright orange berries that are extraordinarily rich in nutrients, and the oil extracted from those berries and seeds has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese, Tibetan, and Ayurvedic medicine.
There are actually two types of sea buckthorn oil. Berry oil, extracted from the pulp of the fruit, and seed oil, extracted from the seeds. Both are beneficial, but they have slightly different fatty acid profiles and are often used together for maximum effect.
What makes it so remarkable?
Sea buckthorn oil has one of the most impressive nutritional profiles of any plant-based oil in existence.
It's exceptionally rich in omega fatty acids, including omega 3, 6, 7, and 9. Most oils contain two or three of these. Sea buckthorn contains all four, which is rare and significant for skin health.
Omega 7, also known as palmitoleic acid, is particularly noteworthy. It's naturally present in human skin and plays a direct role in skin repair and regeneration. As we age, our skin produces less of it, which is one of the reasons skin becomes thinner, drier, and slower to heal over time. Sea buckthorn is one of the very few plant sources of omega 7 in meaningful concentrations.
It's also extraordinarily high in vitamin C, containing significantly more than most citrus fruits. It's rich in vitamin E, beta carotene, and a wide range of antioxidants that help protect the skin from free radical damage and environmental stress.
And then there's the colour. Sea buckthorn oil is a deep, vivid orange. That colour comes from its exceptionally high carotenoid content, the same pigments responsible for the colour of carrots and sweet potato. These carotenoids have powerful antioxidant and skin-protective properties.
What does it do for the skin?
Sea buckthorn oil supports the skin in several meaningful ways.
It supports barrier repair and moisture retention through its rich fatty acid profile. It helps to calm inflammation and reduce redness, making it particularly beneficial for skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis. Its high antioxidant content helps protect against the environmental damage that accelerates skin ageing.
The omega 7 content supports skin cell regeneration and repair, which makes it valuable for skin that's healing, scarred, or showing signs of premature ageing. It's also been shown to support wound healing and skin recovery after damage.
For very dry, cracked, or damaged skin, it can be genuinely transformative. And because it supports the skin barrier so effectively, it helps create the conditions for other skincare ingredients to work better too.
What about the colour?
This is the question most people ask first, and it's a fair one.
Undiluted sea buckthorn berry oil is intensely orange. Applied directly to skin, it will temporarily stain, which is why it's almost always used in a blend rather than on its own.
When diluted in a formula with other oils and ingredients, the colour becomes a warm golden tone rather than an orange stain. Used at the right concentration, it adds a beautiful warmth to the skin without any lasting colour.
It's one of the reasons formulation matters. A well-crafted product harnesses the benefits of sea buckthorn without the drawbacks.
A small ingredient doing significant work
What we love most about sea buckthorn oil is that it represents something we believe deeply about natural skincare. The most powerful ingredients are often the least talked about.
Sea buckthorn doesn't have a glamorous name or a clever marketing story. It's just an extraordinary natural ingredient doing significant work for the skin, quietly and effectively.
And that's exactly the kind of ingredient we want in our formulas.
Read more about the ingredients behind Arise + Glow over on the Journal.
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References
- Sea Buckthorn Oil for Skin: The Omega-7 Powerhouse. North Biomedical, 2026. View here
- The impact of oral sea buckthorn oil on skin, blood markers, ocular, and vaginal health: A randomised control trial. ScienceDirect, 2023. View here
- Sea buckthorn: A potential dietary supplement with multifaceted therapeutic activities. ScienceDirect, 2023. View here
- The Top 11 Health Benefits of Sea Buckthorn Oil. Healthline, 2025. View here
The information in this article is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you have a specific skin concern or condition, we recommend consulting a qualified dermatologist or healthcare professional.