Are you looking for the best sea buckthorn powder? Do you know how to find the best one?

Below, we list 10 key things you should assess to find the best sea buckthorn powder. By following these recommendations, you can easily assess and compare sea buckthorn powders, and choose the best for you.

Wild vs. farmed (cultivated)

Highest quality ingredients are always the key to top quality food products; the same applies to sea buckthorn powder. One of the most important aspects to understand is that not all sea buckthorn berries are the same.

The most nutrient-rich and thus healthiest sea buckthorn berries are the ones growing in the wild Arctic nature. If you want to have a true superfood, go for a sea buckthorn powder that comes from wild berries.

Recommendation: Go for a wild sea buckthorn powder.

Processing method

Another important point to note is how the whole sea buckthorn berries become powder. Most commonly, fresh sea buckthorn berries are first dried and then powdered. A critical aspect you should pay attention to is the drying method used, as it makes a big difference in the quality, taste, fragrance, and nutritional value of the sea buckthorn powder.

Companies often use the heat-drying method to dry fresh berries. The main reason is economical as this method is much cheaper. Unfortunately, using heat reduces the quality and nutritional value of the berries. Also, the color, taste, and fragrance of the berries deteriorate when using the heat-drying method. The other drying method is freeze-drying, which is currently the best for multiple reasons. As no heat is used, it maintains the characteristics and unique nutritional value of sea buckthorn berries in the best way.

Recommendation: Go for freeze-dried sea buckthorn powder.

Whole berries vs. parts of berries

Sea buckthorn powder can be made by using the whole berry including the flesh, skin, and seeds, or just parts of it – such as the flesh or the juice of the berry. An important thing to understand is that the most nutritious and thus, the highest quality sea buckthorn powders come from the whole berries. The reason is that the skin, seeds, and flesh each contain different essential nutrients. The seeds, for example, are rich in quercetin, which is a flavonoid that lowers blood pressure and reduces heart disease risk. To enjoy the most nutritional value, choose a powder that comes from whole berries instead of parts of it.

Recommendation: Go for a sea buckthorn powder made from whole berries.

Ingredients – 100% whole berries vs. something else added

We recommend you always check the ingredient list of a sea buckthorn powder, as it may tell you a lot about the product quality. For example, certain companies may add sugars, preservatives, and colorants to it. This is typically a sign of lower quality products. These unhealthy additives are used to improve the smell, taste, color, and shelf life of lower quality products.

The best sea buckthorn powders include only one ingredient: whole sea buckthorn berries – nothing else. As previously mentioned, the freeze-drying method preserves the quality and characteristics of the fresh berries in the best way. This method typically guarantees a shelf life of a minimum of two years, without compromising the quality of the product. In summary, a premium sea buckthorn powder made of 100% whole berries does not need any added preservatives or artificial sweeteners or colorants. 

Recommendation: Go for a sea buckthorn powder that has only one ingredient: whole sea buckthorn berries.

Country of origin

As mentioned before, the secret to the best sea buckthorn powder is the quality of the berries. We always recommend you choose a product coming from clean nature and not one with heavy industry and polluted air, water, and soil.

Countries that are well-known for their clean and unpolluted nature, such as Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Canada are great options for the country of origin. We recommend looking for sea buckthorn powder, which sources the berries from these countries. Many of the products in the market come from countries like India, China, Poland, and others with dubious environmental conditions. We suggest staying away from these products.

Recommendation: Go for sea buckthorn powder from countries known for their unpolluted and clean environment and such as Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Canada.

Organic vs conventional

Organic products have become increasingly popular. However, when it comes to berries, it is critical to understand what organic actually means and whether ‘organic’ berries are really better.

In simple terms, organic means no use of antibiotics, pesticides, or GMO plants. 

However, for a wild product such as wild sea buckthorn powder, the organic label does not really add value. The reason is that the wild berries are not cultivated but instead, they have grown wild and free in nature. Furthermore, there is no use of pesticides when berries grow wild in nature. Similarly, there is no use of fertilizers as nature provides berries with the best and 100% natural fertilizers. Thus, having organic certification adds does not make a difference for wild berries. In Finland for example, all forests are classified as organic. However, as they are wild, they are not eligible for official organic certification, as they are wild natural forests.

If you buy a sea buckthorn powder made of cultivated (farmed) sea buckthorn berries, we recommend going for organic, as it is a safer and cleaner option. However, if you buy a wild sea buckthorn powder, choose a country of origin that is well-known for its clean environment.  

Recommendation: If you buy a wild sea buckthorn powder, country of origin is more important than an organic certification. If your sea buckthorn berry powder is made of cultivated berries, choose organic.

Color, taste, aroma

The best sea buckthorn powder has a dark orange color without added artificial colorants. When you smell a premium quality powder, you should sense a citrusy, tangy fragrance – just like fresh sea buckthorn berries! 

If the sea buckthorn powder doesn’t smell like much, it is likely that it won’t taste like much either. There are several reasons why a powder may not have much taste. Typical reasons are lower quality sea buckthorn berries, a low-quality drying method, or an old product. Don’t choose the cheapest option, choose the option with the most value for your money.

Recommendation: Go for a sea buckthorn powder which has a natural dark orange color, fresh citrusy smell, and a delicious tangy taste – just like the fresh berries.

Packaging

The best way to store berry powder is in an airtight package, which does not expose the powder to light or air. This is because light, especially sunlight, can quickly impact the color, flavor, and fragrance of the sea buckthorn powder. You may have seen powders sold in transparent bags, which can look attractive. Unfortunately, once exposed to sunlight, it can deteriorate the quality of the product.

Recommendation: Go for a sea buckthorn powder in airtight packaging that does not expose it to light. 

Reviews

Who should you trust to find the best sea buckthorn powder in the market? Other people who have already tried it are always a great starting point! No wonder people read product reviews very carefuly; they give you insights the product packaging may not have. Just quickly skimming through the product reviews can convince you (or not) whether the product is of premium quality and good value for money. 

Recommendation: Go for a sea buckthorn powder with positive customer reviews.

Price

Even though you may want to find the cheapest deal on the market, keep in mind that usually, the price is an indicator of quality. A low-priced sea buckthorn powder is typical of lower quality or mass-produced in an industrial farm. Unfortunately, this impacts the nutritional value of the product.

A product made from organic or wild sea buckthorn berries will always be more expensive than the ones from mass-produced cultivated berries. A higher price is fair when the berry powder meets one or more of the following criteria: it is a product of freeze-drying method, it comes from a country with pristine nature, it comes from wild whole berries or it has an organic certification. These factors ensure a high-quality berry powder but come at a higher price. 

In summary, lower price usually means lower quality and therefore lower nutritional value of the sea buckthorn powder.  

Recommendation: Do not blindly choose a sea buckthorn powder based on price – you may end up buying a low-quality product. Understand what goes into the pricing and assess the product quality before buying your berry powder. Go for a good deal and not for a cheap deal. 

~ ~ ~

Those are the 10 things you should note when looking for the best sea buckthorn powder in the market. We hope you find it insightful and helpful! 

We created this list simply because we at Arctic Flavors are very passionate about sea buckthorn powder and we are proud of offering the highest quality globally! This is a strong statement, but we really believe it.

Before we launched Arctic Flavors, we spent 12 months researching and trying different berry powders, to really understand what is the difference between the best quality powders and the rest. We were surprised about the quality differences.

We worked hard to find the best quality sea buckthorn powder. Because of that, we encourage you to trust us and try our delicious, nutritious berry powders! We guarantee you will notice the difference in quality. Arctic Flavors wild sea buckthorn powder is made of 100% wild sea buckthorn berries growing in Finland’s pure nature. Our Arctic berry powders are always made using the method of freeze-drying. We hope you love the sea buckthorn powder as much as we do! Add this superfood to your nutrition, and your body will thank you!

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Arctic Flavors