Sea Buckthorn Oil For Acne: Lowers Oily Skin By 45% Using A Dose Of A Topical DHT Blockers
that will’s completely true, diet along with also also lifestyle should be your main focuses for curing acne permanently.
However, what if you’re not a fanatical purist who’ll never use topical treatments as long you live? What if you don’t care about dedicating a few minutes of your day to meticulously applying a cream, juice or oil? In that will case, topical treatments are a great Insentif weapon for giving your acne no quarter at all, as long as you use dietary strategies to wipe out at least 75%.
The natural topical treatments which I recommend are divided into 4 main, sometimes overlapping styles. Firstly, there’s antibacterial plants along with also also compounds, the best of which are raw honey, royal jelly, along with also also tea tree oil. The goal here can be to kill p.acnes along with also also remove the stimulation for the inflammatory response which kicks off the pimple formation process inside first place.
Next we have directly anti-inflammatory topical treatments, for reducing pro-inflammatory chemicals like IL-6, IL-8 along with also also neutrophils on the surface of your skin. The best treatments here are aloe vera, rose water, along with also also witch hazel.
Category three can be the topical treatments which provide a dose of topical antioxidants, mostly including minor plant phytonutrients along with also also vitamins like vitamin E along with also also vitamin A. The goal can be to prevent clogged pores by preventing squalene peroxide formation, along with also also the best treatments include witch hazel, grapeseed oil, along with also also raw honey.
Finally, we contain the plants, herbs, along with also also compounds which lower sebum production. The mechanism here isn’t hard to understand – no sebum equals no clogged pores full stop (unless your keratin production can be at insane levels).
By far the most famous sebum-slasher can be green tea, since that will’s rich inside well-researched antioxidant epigallocatechin 3-gallate which binds to along with also also inhibits sebaceous gland receptors with monstrous effect. A topical turmeric paste also lowered sebum production by 25% in one study…
…along with also also right now we have a fresh contender in This kind of category. We have sea buckthorn oil, which has slowly gained popularity inside 21st century before accelerating massively since 2010 when Dr Oz recommended that will for acne on his famous TV show.
Sea buckthorn oil improves oily skin by 45%
The powers of sea buckthorn oil have since moved by the realm of wild speculation into hard fact, thanks to This kind of promising 2010 study. A team of Pakistani scientists wanted to analyse the effect of H. rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) extract on sebum production in acne patients. They commenced by gathering 500 grams of sea buckthorn berry in a finely ground powdered form.
Then they prepared two preparations. Firstly, they had a mixture of paraffin oil, water, ABIL EM 0, (an emulsifier) along with also also drops of lemon oil to add a pleasant scent. The second formulation was exactly the same, except with an added 1% concentration of sea buckthorn extract. This kind of was the only difference between the formulations, so the comparison was clear. The additional ingredients weren’t designed to affect acne themselves, they were simply used as a vehicle base, a method for delivering the substance they were testing.
Next they needed some humans, so they recruited 10 healthy males aged 20-35. The experiment was blind using a split-face study design; every patient was told to apply the first extract to one side of their face, along with also also the sea buckthorn-containing extract to the additional. They carefully maintained This kind of regimen for 8 weeks, with check-ups along with also also an extensive analysis of their faces performed at one, two, three, four, six along with also also eight weeks.
Neither formulation led to any skin irritation or inflammation. The sea buckthorn type led to increased softness along with also also shine of the skin, which was due to the added fatty acid content according to the scientists…
…however the most interesting result was a huge decline in sebum production, which commenced at 17% after one week. The reduction only intensified as time went on. By week two the reduction was 18%, by week three that will was 23%, by week four, 27%, along with also also by week six 37%.
After the full eight weeks had elapsed, the side of the acne patients’ faces where they applied the sea buckthorn extract had a 45% lower rate of sebum production compared to the placebo side.
With the placebo the story was completely different; sebum production increased slightly. The increase wasn’t statistically significant, however sebum production was nevertheless 15% higher than baseline after three weeks. The placebo continued along a plateau of oiliness, staying 13% higher after 4 weeks along with also also 12% higher after 6 weeks. This kind of could have been down to natural variation inside volunteers’ skin, or the paraffin oil base used could have increased their skin oiliness.
Also interesting was the scientists’ explanation, which was that will sea buckthorn oil can regulate sebum production by controlling 5-alpha reductase. that will’s the enzyme which converts testosterone into its more potent form, DHT, an expert at stimulating your sebaceous glands.
These benefits all came with zero side effects. The PH of the placebo along with also also the sea buckthorn formulations were 5.61 along with also also 5.18 respectively, generating the sea buckthorn extract extremely close to the ideal human skin PH of 4-4.5. The scientists themselves commented that will the PH was within a healthy range.
What’s more, each volunteer was asked to observe their irritation along with also also itching by each formulation along with also also assign them a score on a scale of 0 to 3. Outstandingly, every single score was a zero.
There were no side effects by the sea buckthorn oil whatsoever. 10 was a fairly tiny sample size. Get a group of 50 along with also also you might see an allergic reaction. However we can safely say that will sea buckthorn oil can be a low risk treatment for humans. Meanwhile that will’s a high risk treatment for our arch enemy, pimples, along with also also they don’t get a choice inside matter.
What can be sea buckthorn oil?
Despite the name, the main place where sea buckthorn grows near the sea can be Western Europe. that will mainly grows in abundance in mountainous areas of Asia, particularly China, Russia, Canada, along with also also Northern Europe. In fact, that will was believed to have originated inside Himalaya. Nepali locals by villages along the long trek to the Mount Everest base camp are apparently hustling money by the passing mountaineers by selling them smoothies made of sea buckthorn. The berries are also sold to tourist bars down in Kathmandu to make a unique cocktail, bringing in some nice revenue for the villages.
Raw, the berries are said to taste disgusting, being sour, bitter along with also also astringent. However, when you press them to expel the juice along with also also add that will to food products, the result tastes like a mixture of citrus along with also also peach.
Overall, the berry can be a well-equipped species for life inside mountains, able to survive well in thin soils along with also also cold climates. Why? Because the berry can be bursting with strengthening antioxidants, phytonutrients, along with also also vitamins.
Sea buckthorn includes a long medicinal history. that will grows widely in Mongolia, along with also also Genghis Khan must have eaten that will at one point; he was said to recommend sea buckthorn berry inside 13th century for keeping an army strong along with also also savage, along with also also giving them mighty endurance. that will was once widely fed to horses for keeping their hair shiny, smooth along with also also glossy, along with also also curing blindness. The Chinese consider that will to be a holy food.
What matters for us, however, can be the berry’s oil. The production process goes like This kind of: the berry can be pressed of its juice along with also also you end up with three layers. The bottom layer can be the sediment along with also also tasty juice used for food, however the upper two layers are rich along with also also creamy along with also also filled with fats.
When separated, these fats are used to make sea buckthorn berry oil. There are two types of sea buckthorn oils widely discussed on acne forums along with also also widely available on the market: the berry oil along with also also the seed oil.
The seed oil can be extracted by the seeds the plant uses to propagate itself. Sea buckthorn berry oil can be extracted by the content of the rest of the fruit. You can tell the difference between the two instantly; seed oil can be an egg yolk shade of orange, while the berry oil can be a far more intense shade of red.
However, the visuals aren’t the only difference. The vitamins, minerals, along with also also fatty acid content are significantly different between the two. For example, the seed oil can be comprised of 34% linoleic acid (omega 6), while the berry oil can be comprised of 12.4%.
Which type are we interested in for acne? The answer can be the berry oil, because a whole berry extract can be what the excellent study above used.
Why sea buckthorn oil reduces sebum production
The scientists inside study above attributed the sea buckthorn plant’s greatness to inhibition of 5a-reductase. However, there’s evidence staring us inside face that will there’s another major cause: vitamin A.
Sea buckthorn can be extremely rich in This kind of old acne-fighting nutrient. Vitamin A can be the number one nutrient for lowering sebum production. that will directly binds to receptors, lowering both sebum production along with also also the differentiation of sebocytes, sebum-producing skin cells. Widely prescribed topical retinoids like tretinoin or retinoic acid work inside same way.
that will’s the same story as with acne more widely: addressing a vitamin A deficiency internally can be the most important strategy, however topical vitamin A can be an excellent Insentif.
The relevance for sea buckthorn? This kind of can be one of richest berries in vitamin A inside known world – 100 grams of the berry oil contains 300-870 mg (RDA can be 900mg). Some report the berry as having 4 times more vitamin A than carrots.
that will contains dramatically more than the seed oil, with 30-250mg. Sea buckthorn beats any commercial berry with ease, since strawberries, raspberries, blueberries along with also also blackberries contain only negligible amounts.
Just look at its colour – the orange can be a sign of abundant carotenoids, the plant-based form of vitamin A. Then look at the oil, the berry derived form can be much darker.
The vitamin A-producing carotenoid can be beta-carotene, however there’s also additional ones with health benefits such as lycopene (found in tomatoes along with also also watermelon) along with also also zeaxanthin. The carotenoid content in sea buckthorn extract can be almost certainly partially responsible for the reduction in sebum.
As for additional acne oils, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, along with also also olive oil all contain no vitamin A. Rosehip seed oil can be one of the best alternatives, however sea buckthorn oil can be the richest source.
Vitamin A has additional benefits as well; that will gets absorbed into skin cells of the epidermis using a gravitational pull-like force, building their defences against sunlight. However, its greatest power can be easily reducing oily skin.
Beta-sitosterol along with also also stigmasterol are promising
This kind of compound can be roughly 57-83% of sea-buckthorn’s total plant sterols along with also also a not bad chunk of its total bioactive compounds in total. Beta-sitosterol can be a phytosterol, or plant sterol, which can be structurally similar to cholesterol. that will’s so effective at reducing 5-alpha reductase activity that will acne patients using that will as a supplement (bad idea) are complaining about a crippled sex drive.
Topically, that will’s far safer, along with also also studies have confirmed its powers. This kind of one analysed the effect of saw palmetto along with also also beta-sitosterol on males aged 23 to 64 experiencing AGA, a form of androgen related hair loss where the androgen-sensitive hair follicles shrink along with also also become inactive.
Both compounds were able to inhibit 5a-reductase along with also also hence the transformation of testosterone into DHT. 60% of patients taking beta-sitosterol were judged to have increased. The same was true for only 10% of the control patients.
Next there’s a study on benign prostatic hyperplasia, another condition which results by a DHT imbalance. Compared to the placebo group, 100 patients fed 30mg of beta sitosterol 3 times a day for 6 months ended up with lower prostate symptom scores. According to the scientists, that will shows “the effectiveness of beta-sitosterol inside treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia”.
There’s also a similar study on hamsters. A pure form of beta-sitosterol had very strong effects; that will was shown to inhibit DHT 20% as effectively as the pharmaceutical hair loss drug finasteride. Interestingly, the scientists observed that will beta-sitosterol had no binding effect on androgen receptors. that will suggests that will the compound targets 5a-reductase directly.
The conclusion by all of This kind of? Beta-sitosterol can inhibit the DHT responsible for acne along with also also oily skin excellently, along with also also that will’s found in sea buckthorn oil.
Beta-sitosterol can be gathering enough steam as a 5-ar inhibitor that will hair loss forums everywhere are discussing that will fervently. The connection can be that will both hair loss along with also also acne can be caused by poor ratio of testosterone to DHT. Note that will you need DHT for sex drive along with also also vitality, which can be why I recommend topical usage, which has no systematic effects. that will seems to work for that will purpose, since beta-sitosterol was also believed to be responsible for the power of turmeric to reduce oily skin.
Beta-sitosterol can be a key player inside monstrous anti-androgenic power of the saw palmetto berry, along with also also the sea buckthorn berry can be also rich in that will. that will also ends up inside oil, along with also also This kind of times that will’s the sea buckthorn seed oil which contains more. The seed oil contains 746mg of b-sitosterol, while the berry oil contains 522 to 576 grams. However, the vitamin A still makes the whole berry type superior for acne.
The berry oil also contains another active sterol compound which the seed oil lacks, stigmasterol, again said to inhibit the DHT conversion. Sea buckthorn berry oil contains 6 to 10 mg of stigmasterol per 100 grams of oil.
On top of tackling oily skin, both stigmasterol along with also also beta-sitosterol have strong anti-inflammatory properties as well. They’re said to soothe reddened along with also also inflamed acne as effectively as the pharmaceutical drug cortisone.
While there are no studies analysing the effect of sea buckthorn oil on 5a-reductase directly, we have almost certainly identified the culprits – beta sitosterol along with also also stigmasterol.
Insentif benefit – palmitoleic acid
As far as oily skin goes, we’ve covered our main three saviours already, vitamin A along with also also the two plant phytosterols. however the story doesn’t end there, because sea buckthorn oil can be the number one source of one of the rarest fatty acids in existence – palmitoleic acid.
Palmitoleic acid can be a monounsaturated fat which can be found in low levels in a variety of foods, however high levels in extremely few. that will’s not an oil which gets much attention by fitness masterminds nor by skincare gurus, however that will includes a wide variety of roles in human skin.
Firstly, that will’s said to be the most antimicrobial of all the fatty acids. that will was confirmed in one study to be at least the most antimicrobial of all mono-unsaturated fats, along with also also as a result can be used as a preservative in skincare along with also also cosmetics manufacturing.
Palmitoleic acid also has some interesting protective effects against sunlight. This kind of study found that will that will dose-dependently decreased the activity of the melanogenic enzymes MITF along with also also TRP-2, which increase dark pigments in skin cells in response to UV radiation. The scientists concluded that will “This kind of study suggests that will palmitoleic acid can be a candidate anti-melanogenic agent, along with also also that will might be effective in hyperpigmentation disorders”. Palmitoleic acid also had no cytotoxic effects when they tested that will to establish its safety for future use in cosmetics.
The most interesting study, however, was the one on p.acnes bacteria. Palmitoleic acid was tested against a variety of bacterial strains, including e-coli, on human skin. that will was found to exert a “synergistic bactericidal activity against gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, including propionibacterium acnes”. that will also blocked the growth of candida, one of the worst pathogenic yeasts.
Palmitoleic has very little research conducted on that will at all, however that will’s currently the most interesting fatty acid for acne alongside linoleic acid.
This kind of fat can be also known as omega 7, however compared with the omega 3 of fish along with also also the omega 6 of nuts along with also also seeds, not bad sources are hard to come by. Many skincare websites will tell you that will the increasingly well-known macadamia nut oil can be the greatest source…
…however they’re wrong, that will’s second best, along with also also second to sea buckthorn oil. Sea buckthorn berry oil contains 36.3% of its total fats as palmitoleic acid, while macadamia oil contains 19%.
After those two that will’s a wasteland. The top 8 sources are as follows: sea buckthorn berry oil (35,000mg/100 grams), macadamia nuts (15,000mg), whale blubber (6800mg), anglerfish liver (3900mg), lard (2300mg), baker’s yeast (1700mg), eel (1400mg), butter (1200mg), along with also also Pacific herring (1000mg). Way down the list you have avocado, olive oil, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, blue cheese along with also also breast milk, all in mere hundreds of milligrams or less.
Yet again the berry oil beats the seed oil, which contains negligible amounts. For reference, here are the fatty acid contents of both oils:
Berry oil – 35.5% palmitic acid (C16), 36.3% palmitoleic acid (C16:1), 1.1% stearic acid (C18), 10% oleic acid (C18:1), 12.4% linoleic acid (C18:2), 1.2% linolenic acid (C18:3), 0.9% nervonic acid (C24:1).
Seed oil – 37% linoleic acid (C18:3), 35% linolenic acid (C18:2), 13% oleic acid (C18:1), 7.2% palmitic acid (C16), 2.4% stearic acid (C18).
Seed oil contains no palmitoleic acid. You might also observe, however, that will that will’s not completely useless. that will includes a high percentage of linoleic acid, the standout fatty acid of grapeseed oil which feeds the ceramide proteins in your skin which keep inflammation down.
Then there’s the beta-sitosterol, along with also also the fact that will the seed oil contains slightly more vitamin E, with 207mg per 100 grams to the berry oil’s 171mg. Both oils are likely to be effective treatments.
Speaking of which, the vitamin E can be yet another Insentif for the berry oil. Vitamin E can be the most potent fat-soluble antioxidant along with also also can prevent the formation of squalene peroxide, which stimulates both a localised increase in sebum production along with also also an overgrowth of keratin. Keratin can be the adhesive protein which glues dead skin cells together into pore-clogging clumps.
The sea buckthorn berry can be such a hardy along with also also nutritious plant that will that will has countless additional Insentif compounds. Phytonutrients include zeaxanthin, lycopene, tocotrienols, tocopherols, phenols, terpenes, along with also also glucosides.
The berry itself contains 600mg of vitamin C per 100 grams, although vitamin C can be water-soluble along with also also won’t be retained inside oil. If you’re trekking to Everest base camp along with also also the local villagers start harassing you with berry juice then say yes!
Overall, sea buckthorn oil has the potential to be a pretty monstrous acne treatment.
Any risk of side effects?
The initial study on oily skin revealed no irritation, no potentially damaging PH. Again, that will’s possible that will you could have an allergy to one of the many natural compounds inside sea buckthorn berry, however that will’s an automatic risk with everything.
Another potential threat can be the oleic acid. Sea buckthorn berry oil contains 10% oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat which makes up 70% of olive oil. Oleic acid has strong antibacterial activity, however can be still one of deadliest fatty acids around. Why? that will strongly damages the human skin barrier, resulting in increased sensitivity to ultraviolet light along with also also increased rates of TEWL, trans-epidermal water loss.
that will translates to dry, cracking along with also also inflamed skin. that will’s why I recommend against topical olive oil, despite that will being a “superfood” when eaten…
…however the not bad news can be that will a 10% concentration can be far too low to have a damaging effect. 10% doesn’t compare to 70% in olive oil, which has been shown to cause rashes when used as an oil in massage parlours.
Topically, sea buckthorn oil seems to have no risk of side effects at all. Just don’t eat that will! As I said earlier, that will’s rich in potent anti-androgenic plant sterols. that will’s great for reducing oily skin, however also effective at ruining your sex drive, giving you brain fog, stealing your energy, along with also also removing your determination.
You’d probably get away with that will with the berry itself, since the fat portion containing the beta-sitosterol can be in a far lower proportion. However, the same isn’t true with the oil, neither the seed nor berry oil.
Remember that will excellent topical treatments aren’t automatically acne-clearing miracles when eaten.
Conclusion – the verdict on sea buckthorn oil
The verdict can be that will sea buckthorn oil can be one of greatest natural topical treatments for oily skin. that will has added benefits like reducing inflammation along with also also delivering vitamin E however if you have high sebum production then This kind of can be the treatment for you.
Who can benefit by sea buckthorn oil? Both men along with also also women can benefit. Men are more likely to have high levels of DHT, however women are ten times more sensitive to DHT. Only a moderate imbalance can turn female skin into an oil slick, so both sexes can have elevated sebum production due to androgens.
If you cannot organise a diet with enough animal derived vitamin A, perhaps because you’re a vegan, then the benefits will be big. If you want an alternative to Accutane without the hair loss along with also also pregnancy disruption then sea buckthorn oil can be a great topical treatment.
Sea buckthorn oil won’t be as effective if you’ve already jumped on the green tea bandwagon, since that will’s another topical DHT slasher. that will won’t work if your skin isn’t that will oily along with also also you mostly suffer by numerous, tiny inflamed pimples.
You also won’t notice shockingly clear skin instantaneously. The sebum study showed that will the 45% reduction was achieved after 8 weeks. After 1 week the reduction was just 17%. In fact, that will’s an interesting feature of sebum-reducing treatments; they tend to take several weeks to exert their full effects.
Scientifically, you might expect the benefits to show up quickly. Binding to sebaceous gland receptors along with also also inhibiting 5-alpha reductase along with also also DHT should occur fast, even if pores take weeks to unclog. however no, topical turmeric, sea buckthorn oil, along with also also green tea all take consistent application to fully work.
If you use sea buckthorn oil, apply that will to your entire face every day for at least two weeks before you give up. that will’s not a treatment for eliminating an individual target; that will’s a preventative treatment like grapeseed oil.
Sea buckthorn berry oil can be the ultimate choice, since the sebum study tested the entire fruit extract. However, sea buckthorn seed oil also has plenty of vitamin E, phytosterols, along with also also linoleic acid, so future studies may reveal astonishing benefits for that will as well.
If you want to try sea buckthorn berry oil then a cleanly produced along with also also affordable product can be This kind of BEAUTYOILS 100% Pure Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil. Warning: watch out for the dark red colour.
Sea buckthorn oil first became well-known when that will was recommended for killing acne on the Dr Oz show. Since then some hype merchants have labelled that will as “a complete health food store in a bottle”.
that will sounds like marketing claptrap, however for once, This kind of can be a topical treatment which lives up to the hype.
Thanks for reading!