Made from an extract of the fruit of Hippophae rhamnoides, Sea Buckthorn oil is made by pressing the ripe berries, both pulp and seeds. The fruits are round, and range in color from yellow to orange. It is native to the northern regions of Europe, Central Asia, Russia, and China. The growth pattern may be either as a shrub or a small tree. It is also commonly known as Sandthorn and Sea Berry.
The fruit must be picked by hand, which is no easy task, given that the branches are thick with sharp thorns. It is a bit like picking raspberries or blackberries, and is best done very carefully. Once picked, the berries must be cleaned. They can be stored up to two weeks if kept well-chilled. Unlike many fruits, Sea Buckthorn keeps its shape well, even when frozen and thawed.
As a food, the fruit can be squeezed for juice and strained for a clear jelly. Mashed they can be made into an intriguing salsa. Waste not, want not is a good rule to live by, and thrifty souls may want to knead the pulp left over from squeezing into home baked bread.
Ripe berries are pressed whole to extract a dark red oil with the consistency of syrup. It can take as much as ten pounds of berries to produce a single pound of oil. Nutrients found in Sea Buckthorn oil include protein, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, B1, and B2 as well as phytosterols, tocopherols, flavonoids, and other essential fatty acids. These are the ingredients that have led to its use in soothing and smoothing skin.
The botanical name bestowed by Linnaeus, Hippophae, means shiny horse in Greek. The Greeks added Sea Buckthorn to fodder for horses to improve their coats and make them shiny, and that fact is reflected in the genus. The juice has long been used in Europe and Asia as a healthy drink because it contains protein, several important vitamins, and organic acids. The leaves have been used as a tea. Leaves are used both fresh and dried, but dried leaves are usually ground before steeping.
The juice of the fresh fruit has a long history of use in Asia and Northern Europe for the health-giving properties of the nutrients in contains, such as several vitamins, protein, as well as organic acids. The leaves of the plant may be used either fresh or dried to make an herbal tea or infusion.
Dry skin is softened and smoothed by Sea Buckthorn. Skin damaged by wind, weather and sun exposure is much improved by lotions, creams, or oils that use the berries as their primary ingredient. It also works on lesions and abrasions, as well as burns, including sunburn. Sea Buckthorn cream is reported to have been employed by Russian cosmonauts to shield their skin from cosmic radiation.
Exposure to sun, wind, and weather is widely known to cause skin damage, especially dryness, wrinkles, and sagging. Research is in process now to establish the effectiveness of Sea Buckthorn oil as a moisturizer to smooth and soften dry skin. Researchers are also investigating its efficacy in wiping away wrinkles and other signs of premature aging.
Aromatic oils can offer a broad set of medicinal benefits. Find out more on single oils like cajeput oil and marjoram oil.