5 Reasons to Use Sea Buckthorn for Skin Dryness

While summer means fun, sun, and swimwear for a lot of people, not everyone is anxious to show off their summer skin.

Have you ever felt embarrassed to put on your summer shorts due to the red, flaky skin that inhabits your legs? Skin dryness not only is unsightly, it can be itchy, rough, and lead to inflammation and infection. 

In this article, we’d like to propose the use of sea buckthorn for skin dryness. Its moisturizing and soothing properties may just be what your dry skin is begging for!

What Causes Dry Skin

Dry skin is caused by a lack of natural oils (sebum) present in the skin. It can be a temporary condition, or it may be a characteristic of your natural skin type. The sebaceous glands of those with the dry skin type do not produce enough sebum to keep the skin moisturized.

Therefore moisture is typically supplemented with creams or other solutions. But if you don’t have the dry skin type, your issue was probably caused by an external factor such as: 

• Harsh soaps and detergents: Since soaps and detergents are meant to remove oil, they can be overly harsh and leave your skin dried out. Instead, consider finding more gentle soaps that are ideal for sensitive skin such as those without sulfates, artificial fragrances, alcohol, and synthetic dyes.
  

• Hot baths and showers: The heat from hot water can strip the natural oils from your skin. Instead try running lukewarm water since it will have a more soothing, gentle effect on your skin.

• Weather and environment: Winter can dry out your skin due to the drop in humidity levels. Additionally living in a hot, dry environment can easily sap the moisture from your skin. Since this is something you can’t control, you will just need to find how to cope with it by keeping hydrated and finding the right products for your skin.
  

• Heat: The heating of your house can reduce humidity in the air, drying your skin. Consider possibly purchasing a humidifier to bring more moisture into the air.
  

It is also normal for those suffering from other skin conditions like atopic dermatitis or psoriasis to have dry skin. Additionally, dry skin can be a sign of an underlying medical condition like diabetes, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, or skin cancer.

But, one of the main reasons for dry skin is aging. As we age, there are fewer natural oils, a loss of hormones, decreased cell renewal, and more sun damage, which all cause dryer skin.

So What Can You Do About Dry Skin?

Besides making some of the changes to habits we have just mentioned, we would also like to introduce you to a potentially helpful supplement called sea buckthorn. Sea buckthorn, also called sea berry, is a native shrub of Asia and Europe.The berries and seeds of this plant are typically pressed for their oil content.

Sea buckthorn and sea buckthorn oil have centuries of medicinal benefits under their belt, commonly used for digestive problems, wounds, burns, coughing, and even depression. But these days, evidence has been stacking up regarding sea buckthorn benefits for the skin. Dry skin is one of them. 

5 Reasons to Use Sea Buckthorn for Skin Dryness

Reason #1: Moisturizes and hydrates

Several nutrients within sea buckthorn are moisture-inducing. Here are a few sea buckthorn benefits for skin dryness: 

• Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an important nutrient necessary for skin health. It makes up to 64% of the epidermal skin layer. One of its many benefits is its ability to help repair and prevent dry skin. Increasing your vitamin C intake improves the hydration of the skin through its influence on collagen. Collagen is the protein that gives strength and structure to our skin. Vitamin C can strengthen and thicken the skin barrier, which in turn allows for less water loss.

• Vitamin E: Sebum, the substance that moisturizes our skin, contains triglycerides and fatty acids, wax esters, squalene, and cholesterol. Another natural ingredient secreted by sebaceous glands is vitamin E. When sebum is expelled from our pores at the right rate, it conditions our skin and keeps it from drying out. But when you are lacking in sebum, it can be helpful to supplement ingredients like vitamin E. 
  

• Omegas: Omega 3s and 6s appear to moisturize the skin by improving the functioning of the skin barrier. It may be that omegas seal in the moisture, helping fight dry, itchy skin as it has been found in those with atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.
  

Reason #2: Has anti-aging properties

Sea buckthorn oil for skin is commonly found in cosmetics, especially for anti-aging and anti-wrinkle products. The reason for its popularity is its high level of antioxidants that can firm and tone sagging skin to smooth out wrinkles. As we age, collagen and elastin levels in our skin reduce.

This causes drooping of the skin and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Collagen and hydration are invariably linked. The water molecules within collagen allow it to lubricate our skin, which contributes to plump, firm skin. But when we lose collagen, we also lose water content in our skin. This is because water makes up 60% of collagen’s weight.

In addition to these sea buckthorn topical cosmetics, there are a few reasons to use sea buckthorn supplements. When ingested, not only can sea buckthorn help with dryness that can lead to premature wrinkles, it also contributes to skin elasticity and wrinkle prevention for anti-aging.

Prominent antioxidants within sea buckthorn like vitamins C and E, and carotenoids like beta-carotene and lycopene help reduce the effects of aging. Vitamin C helps fight the signs of aging due to its role in the synthesis of collagen.

Vitamin C has been shown to trigger our DNA to regulate and maintain the amount of collagen going between our cells. This can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, giving you a more youthful, hydrated look. 

Reason #3: Removes toxins

As we have established, sea buckthorn can affect the collagen in our skin, which could promote a more youthful appearance. But not only that, but it can also help eliminate the toxins known as free radicals that lead to premature aging. Some of these toxins are:

• UV rays from the sun
• Particulate pollution
• Ozone
• Cigarette smoke
• Alcohol
• Blue light emitted from screens
• X-rays
• Industrial chemicals
• Fried foods

High amounts of free radicals can produce oxidative stress on our skin cells and in the body. Oxidative stress is the imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals which can cause serious health issues in the long term. It can also accelerate the aging process.

Luckily the supplementation of antioxidants can help counteract this effect. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by sacrificing their electrons. This can switch free radicals off, deactivating them and preventing the chain reaction that would have affected other cells.

Sea buckthorn is packed with antioxidants including vitamin C and E, selenium, and carotenoids like beta-carotene, lycopene, and zeaxanthin. This animal study has shown that sea buckthorn may help protect skin against the free radicals of sun damage by reducing UV-induced inflammation. 

Other nutrients within sea buckthorn can affect oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Both omega-3 and omega-7 fatty acids are thought to reduce oxidative stress. Particularly, the omega-3s docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have been shown to have benefits against oxidative stress.

Reason #4: Regenerates skin

Another sea buckthorn oil benefit for skin is that it can help regenerate dry skin quicker. When you have dry skin, you are more at risk for things like infections, bruises, ulcers, and skin tears. This is because the small cracks in dry skin allow for bacteria to easily enter the skin and cause infections.

As a result, those with dry skin will have wounds that typically take longer to heal and have more infected irritated skin. This type of skin is also more susceptible to tears and bruises because of its fragility. And it can cause pressure ulcers because it provides more friction when rubbing against a surface.

However, with the moisturizing properties of omegas and collagen synthesis of vitamin C, your skin can repair quicker. Here is some currently available research on sea buckthorn and wound healing:

• 2006: This rat study showed the influence of sea buckthorn dermal wound healing. Results indicated that the wound epithelialization took about 16 days rather than almost 25 days in the control subjects.

• 2008: Another study of diabetic rats showed that a mixture of sea buckthorn, aloe vera, and turmeric had a positive effect on both normal and chronic diabetic wound healing.

Reason #5: Soothes inflammation

Soothing the inflammation of dry skin is one of the most calming sea buckthorn oil benefits for the skin. Severely dry skin can cause rashes and itching which can be very unpleasant and miserable. This condition is called dermatitis, or inflammation of the skin. Here are some common types of dermatitis: 

• Contact dermatitis: When something comes in contact with your skin, this can cause it to be irritated or trigger an allergic reaction. The skin will be red, dry, and itchy, and can be accompanied by a rash. Common irritants that cause this condition are certain jewelry metals, detergents, medications, or cosmetics.
  

• Atopic dermatitis, or eczema: Eczema is characterized by a bump, itchy, red patches of dry skin. It can cause cracking, which can become infected. This is typically a genetic condition. Typically eczema outbreaks can be caused by stress, irritants, and allergens.

• Seborrheic dermatitis: This type is caused by a reaction to the presence of a certain yeast on your skin. It can result in dandruff, and flaky patches on arms, legs, groin, navel, and face. 

Another inflammatory condition that causes dry skin is psoriasis. This autoimmune disease is characterized by red, scaly patches on the knees, scalp, elbows, and torso. It comes in cycles, flaring up for weeks or months at a time before going into remission.

Sea buckthorn oil for the skin can help to repair the skin barrier of inflammatory conditions like psoriasis and eczema. This can help stop the cycle of inflammation. Sea buckthorn oil is one of the only known oils that contains all 4 types of omegas, which are known anti-inflammatories.

Here are just a few of the nutrients in sea buckthorn oil that can help fight inflammation caused by dry skin:

• Omega 3 fatty acids: Omega 3 fatty acids were found to be helpful for the treatment of inflammatory conditions. They can reduce inflammation by inhibiting the production of inflammatory substances like leukotriene B4, which has been known to contribute to eczema flares. As a general rule, people should consume a healthy ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s; anywhere from 1:1 to 1:4. However, people with eczema typically do not have a healthy balance of these omegas, because they are lacking in omega 3s. When too many omega-6s are consumed, this can throw the immune response off-balance, promoting inflammation. Therefore supplementing with more omega-3s may make a difference in inflammatory conditions. 

• Vitamin E: Vitamin E is also helpful in the treatment of skin inflammation. Due to its protective effect against free radicals and its effect on cytokines (proteins that initiate the inflammatory response), vitamin E can both prevent and treat inflammation of the skin. It may also decrease the outbreaks of autoimmune diseases like psoriasis due to its regulation of the immune system.

• Vitamin D: Another vitamin that plays a part in the skin’s immune system is vitamin D. Vitamin D acts as a defender against harmful pathogens. It has been shown that being low in this essential vitamin can contribute to inflammatory conditions like eczema and psoriasis; both being prominent causes of dry skin. 

Not only that, but vitamin D also has a direct correlation with skin moisture. This study showed that as vitamin D levels increased in D-deficient women, skin moisture increased. There are plenty of other reasons to use sea buckthorn supplements; they are not only ideal for dry skin.

Although acne typically plagues the oily-skin-prone types, it can also be positively affected by sea buckthorn. This is because it can signal the oil glands to halt the overproduction of sebum that causes acne. And since sea buckthorn for skin can help reduce inflammation, this action can help prevent future flare-ups and create a more smooth and healthy skin surface. 

Nutrient-Rich Sea Buckthorn

You may have surmised that sea buckthorn is packed with beneficial nutrients that can enhance the health of your skin. Here is a brief overview of some of the nutrients this incredible ingredient provides:

• Vitamins A, C, D, E, F, P, and B complex: Sea buckthorn contains up to 12x the amount of vitamin C in oranges. It is also thought to have the 3rd highest source of vitamin E in the plant world. 3x the amount of vitamin A than carrots. 

• Omegas 3, 6, 7, 9

• Over 20 minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, and zinc

• 60 antioxidants like vitamin C and E, and carotenoids like beta-carotene, lycopene, and zeaxanthin. 

The high-quality sea buckthorn oil that makes up our sea berry supplements have been sourced straight from the Tibetan Plateau. Once harvested, it goes through a supercritical CO2 extraction process and is then triple-tested for purity to make sure you are getting the best product possible.

Not only are there plenty of reasons to use sea buckthorn for skin dryness, but we also recommend it for those who suffer from dry eyes, dry mouth, and vaginal dryness.

People Also Ask:

Is sea buckthorn good for dry skin?

Yes, sea buckthorn is good for dry skin. It can provide moisture, protect the skin barrier, regenerate new tissue, protect from free radicals, and reduce inflammation, all essential for healthy skin.

When should I take sea buckthorn?

Take sea buckthorn when you notice dry flaky skin or when you know you will be around the presence of free radicals. For the most benefits, we suggest 1-3 grams daily for ongoing long-term use.

Is sea buckthorn oil good for aging skin?

Yes, sea buckthorn oil is great for aging skin. This is because it is full of antioxidants that can help contribute to the look of younger-looking, brighter, firmer skin. Also, it may provide moisture that commonly is lacking in aging skin.

What is the benefit of sea buckthorn?

There are many benefits of sea buckthorn. Not only may it help dry eye and skin, but it may also help many diseases related to blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, cirrhosis, and weight loss.

Is sea buckthorn oil safe to take?

Sea buckthorn is generally safe because very few side effects have been reported. It was noted that dizziness, swelling, headache, and palpitations occurred in some people with high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor to see if this supplement is right for you.

Shop our sea berry supplement.

Smoother Skin and Better Overall Health

Smooth skin is coveted by pretty much everyone. Who doesn’t want youthful, moisturized, clear skin? And in this article, you’ve learned reasons to use sea buckthorn for skin dryness: it moisturizes and hydrates, prevents the signs of aging, neutralizes free radicals, helps repair damaged skin, and prevents inflammation.

And not only can supplement your diet with omega and antioxidant-rich Sea Berry get your skin summer-ready, but it can also boost your overall health.