From the windswept landscapes of Siberia to the fields of the American Great Plains, Sea Buckthorn became part of an ambitious effort to heal the land.
In the aftermath of the Dust Bowl, millions of these hardy shrubs were planted across the Great Plains as part of conservation efforts to create “shelterbelts” – living barriers designed to slow powerful winds, protect depleted farmland, and help restore the soil. A plant shaped by some of the world’s harshest environments had found a new purpose in restoring an American landscape.
Its story would later reach far beyond the fields. During the Cold War, scientists studied Sea Buckthorn for its potential to help protect cells from the stresses of spaceflight, including radiation exposure. Its remarkable concentration of nutrients and antioxidants eventually brought the plant into modern skincare, where its naturally occurring Omega-7 fatty acids and other compounds are valued for nourishing and supporting the skin barrier.
