Please read our disclaimer
Because of sea buckthorn's superior nutritional qualities and high rate of absorption when applied topically, its uses extend to smoothing fine wrinkles, healing festering wounds and abrasions, rejuvenating aging skin, and as an after-sun treatment (to help prevent leathering and wrinkling). Beautiful Skin Science The amount of scientific research from China, Sweden and other European scientific centers that supports use of sea buckthorn is impressive. Powerful topical antioxidant Your skin loves antioxidants. These powerful natural protectors scavenge free radicals. Unstable molecules that are missing an electron, free radicals are formed from sun exposure, toxic chemicals, stress, and other daily activities. On the skin, these molecular sharks cause wrinkling, leathering, blotching, and cancer. Antioxidants prevent formation of free radicals and help to defuse those that are produced. Sea buckthorn is a powerful antioxidant, thanks to its very high vitamin C, carotenoid, and phenolic content. Because it is such a powerful antioxidant, its ability to protect against premature aging of the skin and the effects of environmental pollution is impressive. Perhaps its most novel antioxidant benefit is to protect against the negative effects of pollution. For example, sea buckthorn has a blocking effect on the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines, according to Chinese research. This is very important, since many cosmetic products contain nitrosamines or nitrosamine-forming chemicals, and these can penetrate the skin to increase the body's cancer burden. Stimulates Faster Skin Repair In 1989, Dr. E.V. Kostrikova characterized sea buckthorn oil as a "stimulant" of skin reparative processes with a clear-cut anti-inflammatory effect. The effect exerted by sea buckthorn on the healing of experimental wounds showed that the growth of new skin tissue (epithelization) was more intensive and occurred earlier. Granulation tissue differentiation (the growth of mature collagen fibers and profuse vascularity) also occurred more quickly among animals given sea buckthorn. This marked stimulating effect on the healing process of the skin can be explained by the rich content of vitamins and microelements (sulfur, selenium, zinc, copper) in sea buckthorn, say researchers. Hospital Studies of Sea Buckthorn Skin Care Products The Guangdong Provincial Institute of Materia Medica, Guangzhou, China, developed several kinds of sea buckthorn cosmetics that have been clinically studied; (however, unlike Aubrey Organics' sea buckthorn-based skin care lotions, they did not contain Ester-C® [a unique, patented, powerful, stable form of topical vitamin C that is highly beneficial to skin health]). According to these studies: Sea buckthorn beauty cream had a therapeutic efficacy on skin discoloration, freckles, prematurely aging skin, skin sclerosis (hardening), scaling or rough skin, facial acne, recurrent dermatitis and chemically damaged skin. The hospital was gratified to find that applications of cream containing sea buckthorn oil made the tested person's skin fair, clear and delicate. Many cases of acne improved or disappeared after using the sea buckthorn cream; excess pigment disappeared as well. Several postpartum women with large patches of pigmentation found that the patches completely vanished after one to two months of treatment. Cancer treatment specialists affiliated with Xian Medical University, in cooperation with Northwestern College of Forestry, successfully used sea buckthorn preparations with patients who had undergone radiation therapy which can cause inflammation and burns. Experiments conducted on patients suffering from acute (second degree) burns caused by radiation show that, compared with other commonly-used drugs, sea buckthorn oil responded faster and better to the treatment. About 60 patients with severe radiation damage were treated with sea buckthorn oil. The rate of effectiveness turned out to be 85 percent. References available at www.freedompressonline.com Sea Buckthorn in History & Legend Some experts believe that because sea buckthorn is such an unbelievably rich source of antioxidant vitamins and other important phytonutrients it must have been cultivated by ancient plant breeders. According to ancient Greek legend, sea buckthorn was a key part of the diet for racehorses; this led to its botanical name Hippophae which means "shiny coat." It has also been said that sea buckthorn leaves were one of the preferred foods of the flying horse, Pegasus. The texts of the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus (372?-287 B.C.) and the classic Tibetan medicinal text, the Gyud Bzi (The Four Books of Pharmacopoeia, attributed to the Tang Dynasty [618-907 AD]) mention various medicinal uses of sea buckthorn. The Doctors' Prescription The bottom line on sea buckthorn is that it is relatively unknown in America, yet offers tremendous anti-aging benefits for the skin. Although sea buckthorn is extremely popular in China and Europe — its use in cosmetics available in health food stores and natural product supermarkets, to the best of our knowledge, is limited to a line of quality products from Aubrey Organics, a Tampa, Florida-based natural skin care company whose products are highly rated in The Safe Shopper's Bible (Macmillan 1995). If you're dissatisfied with certain signs of aging or if you are concerned with the damaging effects of too much sun exposure, then we would urge you to make sea buckthorn part of your daily skin care regimen. These formulas are available at health food stores and natural product supermarkets nationwide. For further help to find a health food store or natural product supermarket near you carrying the Aubrey Organics Sea Buckthorn-Ester-C cosmetic line or to have retailers order the products for their stores, have them call Aubrey Organics at (800) 282-7394 (AUBREY-H). In fact, we rate Aubrey's Sea Buckthorn Ester-C® Hand & Body Lotion as one of the best shopping choices today. The formula provides sea buckthorn oil with Ester-C, organic aloe vera, evening primrose oil, vitamin E, shea butter, sandalwood oil, blue camomile oil and citrus seed extract with gentle antioxidant preservatives. Women love to use this formula on their hands and body for its ability to ward off premature skin aging and maintain youthful elasticity, but men can benefit from the formula too, since Sea Buckthorn Ester-C® Hand & Body Lotion quickly promotes healing of sun-related skin blemishes. It is non-irritating and contains no harsh chemicals. Sea Buckthorn Rejuvenating Serum with Ester-C® is an excellent formula to use on superficial skin blemishes such as brown spots and splotching, also on lesions that form as precursors to skin cancers from too much sun exposure in areas such as the tips of the cheek bones and along the outer ear lobes. While one should always report such lesions to a health professional, dermatologists often will do nothing to them when they are in their precursor stage, but consumers can help to make brown spots, splotching and such lesions disappear, as well as help to prevent precancerous lesions from turning into cancers, with regular applications of this powerful antioxidant serum. For bath and shower, Sea Buckthorn Skin Care Bar with Sandalwood is a gentle bar soap that adds additional, unobtrusive antioxidant protection for men and women. There are other sea buckthorn skin care formulas such as Sea Buckthorn Facial Cleansing Cream with Ester-C®, Sea Buckthorn Silky Smooth Moisturizer with Ester-C®, and Sea Buckthorn Moisturizing Mask with Ester-C®, as well as products for the hair. Please note: Our skin care line has a new look. Sea Buckthorn & Cucumber with Ester-C® Facial Cleansing Cream Sea Buckthorn & Cucumber with Ester-C® Moisturizing Cream Sea Buckthorn & Cucumber with Ester-C® Moisturizing Mask Return to top
HOME 
HOME