Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil

What is it? Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil is the oil from the seed of the sea buckthorn plant. The sea buckthorn plant is a thorny shrub believed to originate in Asia.
INCI Hippophae Rhamnoides Seed Oil
Appearance Orange liquid.
Usage rate This will vary with the strength of the colour of the oil you have, but it will be higher than the usage rate for Sea Buckthorn Fruit Oil. I have bottles of Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil that can be used neat on the skin without staining; you’ll have to do a quick spot-check with what you have.
Texture Smooth, semi-viscous liquid.
Scent A bit nutty
Absorbency Speed Average to fast
Solubility Oil
Why do we use it in formulations? Sea Buckthorn Seed oil is rich in linoleic and alpha-linoleic acid, and thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties it can be great for irritated skin.
Do you need it? No, though out of the two sea buckthorn oils I do find the seed oil to be more useful.
Refined or unrefined? The unrefined stuff is typically what people get really excited about.
Strengths Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil is a unique plant-derived oil rich in vitamin E with anti-inflammatory properties.
Weaknesses Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil is definitely one of the more expensive carrier oils.
Alternatives & Substitutions Modern Cosmetics recommends elderberry oil as the most suitable alternative due to the similar fatty acid content.

If you don’t have elderberry oil you can try a different average to fast absorbing liquid carrier oil; this won’t replace the key parts of sea buckthorn sed oil, but will keep the recipe in balance.
How to Work with It Include Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil in the oil phase of your formula; it can be hot or cold processed depending on the needs of your formula. If you can avoid heating it that would be best as it is somewhat unstable; be sure to include an antioxidant in the formula as well.
Storage & Shelf Life Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, sea buckthorn seed oil should last up to two years. It is considered less shelf stable than the berry oil due to the fatty acid composition.
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil is very rich in vitamin E, with almost 4x as much as sea buckthorn fruit oil!
Recommended starter amount 30mL (1oz)
Where to Buy it  Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier.

Some Formulations that Use Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil

Skills

Posted on

January 24, 2019