Sea buckthorn oil for hair: what it is, what it does, how we blend it
Sea buckthorn fruit oil is the orange one: a medium-rich active so dense in carotenoids that a few percent colours a whole bottle, with an omega-7 fatty acid profile few plant oils share.
| Role | Active oil |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3 of 4, medium-rich |
| On the label | Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil |
| In our blends | Not in a signature blend yet |
| Builder limit | Up to 1% of a hair blend |
What it is
Pressed from the pulp of the sea buckthorn berry (Hippophae rhamnoides), the fruit oil is about 30% palmitoleic acid (omega-7) and 30% palmitic acid, with a very high carotenoid content that makes it deep orange-red. The seed oil, a different product, is pale and linoleic-rich; the library carries the fruit oil.
How it feels on hair
Weight 3 of 4, medium-rich. It has real body, spreads slowly and leaves a soft, slightly waxy finish. At a few percent it tints a clear blend amber; on its own it can tint very light hair, towels and a pillowcase.
Who reaches for it
Dark or medium hair that wants a rich active for the lengths, and anyone who likes an oil with colour and character. It is not in a signature blend yet.
Where it sits in our blends
No signature blend uses sea buckthorn yet, which makes it one for the builder: start from a blend that is close and swap it in, or build from scratch. Every blend is weighed to the gram and the recipe is printed on the label.
How to compose with it
The builder holds sea buckthorn to 1% of a hair blend, because above that it stains, so it never leads the actives: put it behind baobab or avocado over a jojoba or argan base, and expect the bottle to turn gold even at that share. The quiz does not suggest it for the same reason; it is a builder oil.
Good to know: Deep orange. Can tint pale blonde or grey hair and fabric; the builder keeps it at 1%, and wash your hands.
Compose with sea buckthorn Find your formula
Weighed to the gram and blended to order in New Jersey, with the recipe printed on the label. For external use only; patch test before first use. Every oil, with its INCI name, is in the oil library.