Happy Friday!

It feels great to be back to posting. I took some time off and then Hurricane Irma became the main event for pretty much the whole month of September! I hope my South Floridian friends’ lives are back to normal. While my little cottage fared well, the lush jungle we once had took a serious beating. All in all, we were lucky. My heart goes out to so many people and animals affected by recent natural disasters. I heard yesterday that history reflects an unprecedented amount of disasters followed by an eclipse like the one we just had. Has anyone else heard the same? Interesting…

Anyway, it has been a stressful time with lots of worry for ourselves and our fellow beings and stress wreaks havoc on our bodies and mental state. It is especially important during moments of crisis that we take extra special care of our health.

our skin tells a story

The skin, our largest organ, is a direct reflection of what is going on inside of us. If we are not drinking enough water, our skin becomes dehydrated and flakey. If we are under stress, we produce more cortisol (the ‘stress’ hormone), which throws off the equilibrium of other hormones and can cause acne to flare up on our skin. Stress also affects bacteria in our gut. A gut with healthy bacteria has lower levels of cortisol. While we can’t always control those events which cause us stress – like a hurricane – we can control the level of exercise we get, what we eat and what we put on our skin.

As a health coach, I am all about drinking water (hang around with me enough and I will ask you where your water glass/jug is), getting the proper intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, earthing, exercising, reducing stress and negativity and being grateful. Truth be told, I practice a healthy lifestyle to avoid the doctor but also and maybe more so because I AM SUPER VAIN! I want to look my best and younger than my 40-something years.

So that brings me to this little miracle bush, sea buckthorn, and the powerful skin-beauty benefits it can provide to our skin and our health. Dr. Weil, Dr. Oz and Dr. Mercola have been buzzing about sea buckthorn and its benefits. The oil contains high performing anti-aging ingredients known to enhance skin elasticity making it one of the best natural, anti-aging, beauty remedies available.

the buzz on sea buckthorn

Sea Buckthorn or Hippophae (shining phaos horse hippos) has been in use for thousands of years for keeping horses’ coats gleaming, aiding digestion, improving blood circulation, healing burns and rashes and also as a beauty remedy. From Dr. Mercola’s article Rejuvenate Naturally with Sea Buckthorn Oil, “using sea buckthorn oil daily helps slow down the signs of aging by nourishing the tissues in your skin and body.” The bush produces a super fruit full of the omegas 3 and 6 as well as 7 (read more on Omega 7 at the end of this post). It is a superior source of vitamins C and E, essential minerals and antioxidants. Sea buckthorn has a high concentration of the antioxidant beta carotene (noted by its bright orange color), which converts to vitamin A in the body. Antioxidants protect our bodies from free radicals.

These orange berries are too sour to eat raw but when pressed, the part of the berry containing the most fat can be used for skin oils and the other fleshy part can be made into an edible juice and syrup.

There are numerous studies and websites dedicated to the berry. It is considered a super food for health.

“… It is critical that the processed foods currently making up the majority of our diet be reformulated to increase health. In this regard, sea buckthorn is like manna from heaven.”
Ernest Small, PhD, Principal Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Foreword in Reference 2 from the Government of Canada’s website.

In addition to mentioning the beauty benefits, Dr. Oz has touted sea buckthorn as a superfood for weight loss and Dr. Mercola sites the berry as helping with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

buckthorn for beauty

I am working towards a Diploma in Natural Organic Skin Care Formulation. It’s a fascinating course and it’s where I first learned about sea buckthorn for beauty. I am particularly interested in formulations for aging skin – people in their 40s+ – and sea buckthorn oil is touted as a key ingredient to reduce the signs of aging. What makes it a beauty berry? It contains high amounts of important vitamins, minerals and fats.

• vitamin C and vitamin E – both antioxidants that boost collagen production. The berry contains more vitamin C than an orange and vitamin E than wheat germ.
• omega 3 and 6 fatty acids – as we age, the epidermis (skin’s outer layer) becomes thinner, dryer and skin turnover slows down, all which lead to wrinkles. These omegas help to renew and strengthen the epidermis so less moisture is lost and skin feels softer and looks plumper. The most prominent omega 3s and 6s in sea buckthorn are linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid, ingredients known for their anti-aging properties.
• beta carotene – converts to vitamin A and is a powerful antioxidant which is needed to combat free radical damage. This berry has more beta carotene than pumpkin and apricots and vitamin A than carrots.

how to use sea buckthorn on your skin

Sea buckthorn oil is a carrier oil which means it can be applied directly to the skin in small amounts. I have not purchased commercially available pre-mixed serums or lotions in a long time- years actually. I keep a supply of organic Shea butter, coconut oil, vitamin C serum, vitamin E oil, and various essential oils* (see disclaimer below) like rosemary, eucalyptus, geranium and lavender and now sea buckthorn oil for my beauty needs. Use just one drop each of essential oils and a dab of the other butters, oils and serums. I mix them every evening by putting a little dab or drop of each in the palm of my left hand, rubbing my palms together and patting and pressing the mixture gently onto my face, neck and chest. Be careful to avoid the delicate eye area. Note, that the sea buckthorn oil is as bright as the berry color in the picture so when you apply it you will notice an orange hue to your skin. If you apply it early -an hour in advance of going to bed or leaving the house -that will give it time to absorb into the skin. I love the color it makes on my skin- kind of like a sun kissed glow.

If you decide to add sea buckthorn to your beauty routine, be sure you purchase the right type of oil. The method of extracting the oil correctly is complex and does make a difference in the efficacy of the final product you use on your skin. The best oil is obtained from CO2-extracted sea buckthorn oil, which maintains most of the nutrients.

My favorite supplier – Mountain Rose Herbs – only sells the cold-press extracted oil, which is not bad (and better than hot or chemical extraction), it just means less of the nutrients will be present. I’m going to write them to ask why they do not carry the CO2 version. More on that to come. However, Eden Botanicals  based in California sells a CO2-extracted product.

Click here to access Organic Daily Post’s Ultimate Guide to Essential Oils which is a great resource for more detailed information on essentials oils including how to select and use oils and how the many essential oils are categorized. Knowledge is power!

I am working on a anti-aging night balm with a few simple, organic ingredients including sea buckthorn. It will be available on my SHOP page soon. Stay tuned and enjoy your weekend!

sea buckthorn – Omega 7 – warning

I consulted Dr. Andrew Weil’s s article Better Skin with Buckthorn Oil? and in addition to praising sea buckthorn’s many positive uses, he has this warning regarding the commercial hype on sea buckthorn for specifically it’s omega 7 content, “our bodies don’t need omega-7s. If you are taking omega-7 supplements, be aware that they may interfere with the action of medication used to treat high blood pressure, as well as anticoagulants, antidiabetic drugs and a number of other prescription medications. No studies have established the safety of these products for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.” He has good things to say about the oil for beauty. In his article cited above, he states, “My feeling is that sea buckthorn oil may be useful when applied to the skin, but I don’t recommend taking it internally.” Like anything you put on your skin, always do a patch test first and stop using immediately if have a negative reaction.

*IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER ON ESSENTIAL OILS

EVEN NATURAL, PLANT INGREDIENTS NEED TO BE USED WITH CAUTION AND RESPECT. IF YOU PURCHASE ESSENTIAL OILS TO USE ON YOUR SKIN 1) USE TRUSTED, KNOWN SUPPLIERS AND ASK THE MANUFACTURER FOR THE SAFETY DATA ON THE PRODUCT 2) ALWAYS DO A PATCH TEST FIRST ON A SMALL AREA OTHER THAN THE FACE. AND 3) CONDUCT YOUR OWN RESEARCH TO MAKE SURE THE OIL IS SAFE FOR YOUR UNIQUE SELF. 

WHILE SOME ESSENTIAL OILS CAN BE APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE SKIN, MANY MORE CAN CAUSE IRRITATION AND SHOULD BE MIXED WITH A CARRIER OIL LIKE OLIVE OR COCONUT BEFORE APPLYING TO THE SKIN. 

EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR EACH OIL YOU WANT TO USE. SOME ESSENTIAL OILS SHOULD NOT BE USED BY WOMEN IN THEIR FIRST TRIMESTER OR WHO ARE BREASTFEEDING.

For example, in my home recipe above, geranium oil, while it smells lovely and it works well for me, it can be irritating to some and should no be used during the first trimester or for women who are breastfeeding. Rosemary, should not be used during pregnancy or with anyone who has high blood pressure or epilepsy. While the quantities we are using are probably not harmful, I prefer for you to be safe and informed. This sentiment applies to anything and everything you apply to your skin as well as anything and everything you ingest into your body – always read labels and know how ingredients effect your unique bad as$ self.

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