The benefits of sea buckthorn during menopause

Found in temperate areas of Europe and Asia, sea buckthorn can often be spotted growing among the sand dunes on England’s east coast, where it’s spiky foliage and eye-catching orange berries brighten any autumn walk.

A nutritional powerhouse, sea buckthorn has a long history of use in natural medicine and is mentioned in Tibetan medical texts as early as the 8^th century BCE. Traditionally used as a remedy for stomach ulcers, digestive complaints, liver issues, and cardiovascular disease, sea buckthorn remains a popular medicinal plant to this day and researchers continue to discover new uses for this spiky seaside shrub.

When it comes to menopause, it is sea buckthorn’s benefits for our vaginal health that draw the most attention. Vaginal dryness, itching, and pain are common symptoms of peri- and post-menopause, but there’s evidence that taking sea buckthorn may help to ease these issues.

Sea buckthorn has other potential benefits for menopausal women too. It is often found in skincare because of its high levels of vitamins, fatty acids, and polyphenols, which help to support skin health. And it may also relieve dry eyes, another common symptom of menopause.

In this blog post, we’ll look more closely at the benefits of sea buckthorn during menopause. We’ll also briefly cover ways to incorporate sea buckthorn into your own daily routine.

Vaginal dryness is a common symptom of menopause. As our oestrogen levels drop, it causes a weakening and thinning in the tissues of the vagina – known as vaginal atrophy.

Plunging oestrogen also reduces our bodies’ ability to produce lubrication. And all of this can add up to dryness and itching in our vaginas.

You can read more about vaginal dryness and how to manage it in our blog post here.

But what does all this have to do with sea buckthorn? Well, various studies have found that sea buckthorn can help to reduce vaginal dryness and improve the health of vaginal tissues.

For example, a study published in Maturitas followed 98 women for 3 months. Some took a daily sea buckthorn oil supplement, while others took a placebo. At the end of the 3 months, the group that took the sea buckthorn showed significant improvements in their vaginal health, including vaginal pH and moisture.

Similarly, a 2024 study looked at the effects of sea buckthorn oil capsules on women over 45 over a 12-week period. This study mainly focused on the impact on skin health, but also collected data on vaginal issues and eye dryness.

After 12 weeks, the participants reported reduced vaginal dryness, as well as improvements in redness, itching, and odour. However, it is worth noting that women in the control group also reported improvements in their vaginal health, although not as frequently as the women who took the supplements.

These two studies looked at the benefits of taking sea buckthorn oil orally, but there’s also evidence that it can work topically. In 2021, researchers looked at the effects of a new vaginal gel that contained sea buckthorn oil. After 12 weeks, the postmenopausal women who used the gel reported reduced dryness, itching, and burning.

Researchers are still investigating exactly how sea buckthorn helps to reduce vaginal dryness, but the benefits likely come from a range of different components. For example, sea buckthorn oil is rich in Omega-7, which helps to keep mucous membranes (like those found in the vagina) hydrated.

Sea buckthorn also contains high levels of vitamin E, which helps with vaginal dryness, and a wide range of polyphenols, including flavonoids like quercetin. As well as reducing inflammation, quercetin supports the production of collagen and elastin, which help to keep the tissues of the vagina strong and elastic. 

So, it seems that sea buckthorn’s rich range of nutrients mean that it can support vaginal health in several ways. And those nutrients don’t just benefit the tissues of the vagina either.

The wide range of vitamins, polyphenols, antioxidants, and fatty acids found in sea buckthorn are also great news for our skin and eyes. Many of us find that we struggle with dry, itchy eyes during menopause and changing oestrogen levels can also affect our skin, often leaving it drier, thinner, and more sensitive.

But taking an oral supplement of sea buckthorn oil can improve both our eye and skin health. And so can topical applications – one study found that spraying a sea buckthorn oil emulsion over closed eyelids significantly decreased eye dryness and it is regularly used in skincare products aimed at reducing skin dryness and preventing visible signs of skin aging.

How to take sea buckthorn

While you can find sea buckthorn berries in various forms, such as dried, powdered, or fresh, the most commonly used form of sea buckthorn is an oil made from the berries and seeds.

You can choose to take sea buckthorn oil orally – usually as a capsule or combined with other oils in a dropper. Or you can find creams, gels, and sprays that contain sea buckthorn oil. These can be applied directly to the skin.

Which should you opt for? That depends on what you want to achieve.

If you have an isolated issue that you want to try sea buckthorn oil on, then a topical treatment might work well for you. For example, for vaginal dryness, you might use a vaginal gel enriched with sea buckthorn oil.

However, if you prefer to see widespread benefits, you likely want to opt to take sea buckthorn oil orally, as an oil or a capsule. This was the delivery method for most of the studies we discussed earlier in this blog post, so it seems to be an effective way to use sea buckthorn for vaginal dryness, eye dryness, and skin issues all in one go.

As always, when looking for a supplement, make sure you choose one made from high-quality, natural ingredients. 

References

Sea-buckthorn, the Wildlife Trusts, https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/trees-and-shrubs/sea-buckthorn, consulted 02/02/2025

Wang, Z., Zhao, F., Wei, P., Chai, X., Hou, G., & Meng, Q. (2022). Phytochemistry, health benefits, and food applications of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.): A comprehensive review. Frontiers in nutrition, 9, 1036295. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.1036295 

Larmo, P. S., Yang, B., Hyssälä, J., Kallio, H. P., & Erkkola, R. (2014). Effects of sea buckthorn oil intake on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Maturitas, 79(3), 316–321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.07.010 

Chan, L. P., Yen, T. W., Tseng, Y. P., Yuen, T., Yuen, M., Yuen, H., & Liang, C. H. (2024). The impact of oral sea-buckthorn oil on skin, blood markers, ocular, and vaginal health: A randomized control trial. Journal of Functional Foods, 112, 105973. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2023.105973

Larmo, P., Järvinen, R., Laihia, J., Löyttyniemi, E., Maavirta, L., Yang, B., Kallio, H., & Sandberg-Lall, M. (2019). Effects of a sea buckthorn oil spray emulsion on dry eye. Contact lens & anterior eye : the journal of the British Contact Lens Association, 42(4), 428–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2018.11.011 

Vaginal dryness, the NHS, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaginal-dryness/, consulted 02/02/2025

Porterfield, L., Wur, N., Delgado, Z. S., Syed, F., Song, A., & Weller, S. C. (2022). Vaginal Vitamin E for Treatment of Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of menopausal medicine, 28(1), 9–16. https://doi.org/10.6118/jmm.21028 

Mihal, M., Roychoudhury, S., Sirotkin, A. V., & Kolesarova, A. (2023). Sea buckthorn, its bioactive constituents, and mechanism of action: potential application in female reproduction. Frontiers in endocrinology, 14, 1244300. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1244300 

Hadi, T. H. S., Hardianto, G., Kurniawati, E. M., Parathon, H., Yudaniayanti, I. S., Utomo, B., & Santoso, B. I. (2024). The Effects of Quercetin on the Expression of Collagen I, Collagen III and Elastin in Vaginal: An Experimental Animal Study. Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology, 51(10), 217. https://doi.org/10.31083/j.ceog5110217

Zielińska, A., & Nowak, I. (2017). Abundance of active ingredients in sea-buckthorn oil. Lipids in health and disease, 16(1), 95. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-017-0469-7