ea-buckthorn oil contains an abundance of active substances which is unique in known vegetable oils. Scientific reports confirm the content of almost 200 ingredients which ensure that the oil has a multidirectional effect. Therefore, sea-buckthorn and its oil may be considered to be one of the most valuable natural products in the world. The beneficial effect of various active ingredients contained in sea-buckthorn oil has been recognised in food industry as well as in medicine, pharmacology and cosmetic industry where this oil is used more and more often in skin care preparations or as an adjunctive treatment in various diseases. Modern cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies search for natural substances which display unique properties such as sea-buckthorn oil, which added to a product even in a small quantity will undoubtedly ensure its uniqueness.
Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) is a unique plant, considering its chemical composition and the therapeutic properties that rise from its composition. Not for nothing, sea buckthorn is widely distributed and estimated to cover about 3.0 million hectares worldwide (both wild and cultivated) [126]. Additionally, sea buckthorn has multiple economic advantages, as a raw material for obtaining cosmetics and nutraceuticals, but also for environmental protection [22]. In addition to the different areas of importance of all the component parts of the plant, but also of the sea buckthorn bush, as a whole, the most important sector of use of sea buckthorn remains the food industry, where it is used as a raw material for obtaining functional foods or food supplements, which can be successfully integrated in plant-based diets for consumers who engage in a healthy lifestyle or for those who are interested in preventing or treating diet-related diseases. Fruits are the main valuable component in this regard, but leaves or by-products resulting from processing the fruits can also be capitalized.
These berries, together with the juices, jams, and oils made from them, have a range of beneficial antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. This short review discusses whether sea buckthorn may represent a “golden mean” for the treatment of cancers: It has anti-proliferation properties and can induce apoptosis and stimulate the immune system, and sea buckthorn oil counteracts many side effects of chemotherapy by restoring kidney and liver function, increasing appetite, and keeping patients in general good health.
The unique combination of SB oil ingredients, in qualitative and
quantitative aspects, provides multiple benefits of SB oil for internal and external use.Externally, SB oil can be applied in both healthy and damaged skin (burns or skin damage of different etiology), as it has good wound healing properties. Due to the well-balanced content of fatty acids, carotenoids, and vitamins, SB oil may be incorporated in cosmeceuticals for dry, flaky, burned, irritated, or rapidly
ageing skin. There have been more than 100 ingredients identified in SB oil, some of which are rare in the plant kingdom (e.g., the ratio of palmitoleic to
γ -linolenic acid). This review discusses facts related to the origin and properties of SB oil that make it suitable for cosmeceutical formulation.