NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Sea Buckthorn Oil

Hippophae rhamnoides

Omega-7-rich berry oil for dry eye, mucosal and skin support.

Preliminary evidence ✨Joint & Skin

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
7 verified / 7
Classification
Joint & Skin
❝
What the evidence says. Graded preliminary: a handful of small double-blind RCTs (mostly from one Finnish research group, often industry-supported) show modest, statistically real effects on dry-eye osmolarity, vaginal epithelium and skin, but trials are few, short and have not been independently replicated at scale. (Preliminary evidence: Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.)

What is Sea Buckthorn Oil?

Sea Buckthorn Oil (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a joint and skin supplement used for ease dry eye symptoms. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Sea buckthorn oil is pressed from the berries (pulp) and seeds of Hippophae rhamnoides and is unusually rich in palmitoleic acid (omega-7), other unsaturated fats, carotenoids and vitamin E. In small double-blind trials, 2 g/day for 3 months blunted the cold-season rise in tear-film osmolarity and eased redness and burning in people with dry eye; 3 g/day modestly improved vaginal epithelial integrity in postmenopausal women (odds ratio ~3.1); and 5 g/day shifted skin and plasma fatty-acid profiles in atopic dermatitis. Meta-analyses of berry/oil products suggest small reductions in triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, mainly in people with abnormal lipids, but no effect on glucose, blood pressure or BMI. Effects are real but modest, trials are small and short, and much of the work comes from a single group, so evidence remains early.

Purported Benefits

✓Ease dry eye symptoms
✓Support skin hydration
✓Improve vaginal mucosal integrity
✓Modestly improve blood lipids

Evidence by outcome

The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.

OutcomeEvidenceEffectStudies
Ease dry eye symptomsOne RCT (n=86): 2 g/day blunted tear osmolarity rise and eased redness/burning; single group's work. Preliminary ↑ benefit · small 2
Vaginal mucosal integrity (postmenopausal)Single RCT (n=98): 3 g/day improved vaginal epithelial integrity (OR 3.1). Preliminary ↑ benefit · moderate 1
Improve blood lipidsMeta-analyses suggest small TG/TC/LDL reductions, mainly in hyperlipidaemic people, not healthy. Preliminary ↑ benefit · small 2
Atopic dermatitis / skinSmall trials shifted skin/plasma fatty-acid profiles; symptom benefit modest and inconsistent (n=16). Preliminary ↔ mixed 2
Glucose, blood pressure, BMIMeta-analysis found no effect on glucose, BP or BMI. Preliminary — no effect · negligible 1

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
2–5 g/day of seed or pulp oil (or both) by mouth, taken for 1–3 months in trials; topical preparations are also used.
Active Compounds
Palmitoleic acid (omega-7)Alpha-linolenic & linoleic acidsCarotenoids & tocopherols (vitamin E)Flavonoids

Safety & Cautions

Oral sea buckthorn oil is generally well tolerated; the main effects are mild GI upset or loose stools at higher doses, and topical use can cause transient redness or itch. Because it contains vitamin K and salicylate-like and antiplatelet compounds, it may add to the effect of anticoagulants/antiplatelets (warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel) and theoretically increase bleeding risk, so use caution if you take these or have a bleeding disorder, and stop before surgery. It may also slightly enhance blood-pressure-lowering or glucose-lowering medication, so monitor if you take antihypertensives or antidiabetics. Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not established. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Sea Buckthorn Oil with any medicine.

Key Studies

Meta-analysis Geng 2022 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis (15 RCTs): SB reduced triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol and raised HDL, but no effect on glucose, BP or BMI.
Meta-analysis Guo 2017 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis (11 RCTs, ~900 people): SB improved lipid profile mainly in those with hyperlipidaemia, not in healthy subjects.
RCT Larmo 2010 ✓ PubMed
2 g/day SB oil for 3 months blunted the cold-season rise in tear-film osmolarity and eased dry-eye redness/burning vs placebo (n=86).
RCT Larmo 2011 ✓ PubMed
Same RCT: oral SB oil raised palmitoleic/oleic acid in tear film, suggesting a plausible lipid-layer mechanism for dry-eye benefit.
RCT Larmo 2014 ✓ PubMed
3 g/day SB oil for 3 months improved vaginal epithelial integrity in postmenopausal women (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.11–8.95; n=98).
RCT Yang 2000 ✓ PubMed
5 g/day seed/pulp oil for 4 months shifted skin glycerophospholipid and plasma fatty-acid profiles in atopic dermatitis patients (n=16).
RCT Yang 1999 ✓ PubMed
Placebo-controlled trial: seed oil tended to improve atopic dermatitis symptoms; pulp oil less so, but the sample was small.
7 sources cited · 7 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Sea Buckthorn Oil

What is Sea Buckthorn Oil used for?

Sea Buckthorn Oil is most often taken for Ease dry eye symptoms, Support skin hydration, Improve vaginal mucosal integrity, Modestly improve blood lipids. Omega-7-rich berry oil for dry eye, mucosal and skin support.

Does Sea Buckthorn Oil work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Sea buckthorn oil is pressed from the berries (pulp) and seeds of Hippophae rhamnoides and is unusually rich in palmitoleic acid (omega-7), other unsaturated fats, carotenoids and vitamin E. In small double-blind trials, 2 g/day for 3 months blunted the cold-season rise in tear-film osmolarity and eased redness and burning in people with dry eye; 3 g/day modestly improved vaginal epithelial integrity in postmenopausal women (odds ratio ~3.1); and 5 g/day shifted skin and plasma fatty-acid profiles in atopic dermatitis. Meta-analyses of berry/oil products suggest small reductions in triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, mainly in people with abnormal lipids, but no effect on glucose, blood pressure or BMI. Effects are real but modest, trials are small and short, and much of the work comes from a single group, so evidence remains early.

What is the typical dose of Sea Buckthorn Oil?

2–5 g/day of seed or pulp oil (or both) by mouth, taken for 1–3 months in trials; topical preparations are also used.

Is Sea Buckthorn Oil safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Oral sea buckthorn oil is generally well tolerated; the main effects are mild GI upset or loose stools at higher doses, and topical use can cause transient redness or itch. Because it contains vitamin K and salicylate-like and antiplatelet compounds, it may add to the effect of anticoagulants/antiplatelets (warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel) and theoretically increase bleeding risk, so use caution if you take these or have a bleeding disorder, and stop before surgery. It may also slightly enhance blood-pressure-lowering or glucose-lowering medication, so monitor if you take antihypertensives or antidiabetics. Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not established.

How many studies support Sea Buckthorn Oil?

NutriDex cites 7 sources for Sea Buckthorn Oil, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Sea Buckthorn Oil (Hippophae rhamnoides): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/sea-buckthorn

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_sea_buckthorn,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Sea Buckthorn Oil (Hippophae rhamnoides): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/sea-buckthorn},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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