Botanical Portrait: Elderberry Seed Oil

A Multi-Purpose Powerhouse

Elder (genus Sambucus), a member of the honeysuckle family, is a storied plant that has a long history in mankind’s medicinal herb toolkit, having been used for centuries in Europe and the Americas to address a variety of ailments like scratches and wounds, fever and rheumatism, also being used to ward away evil spirits. Native Americans even utilized the hollow branches to construct flutes for music! Because of its deliciously sweet taste it is also often found in pies, cakes, reduction sauces, cocktails, and, of course, in teas. It is truly one of our favorite plants for its multi-functional uses, plus it’s also a visually beautiful plant (as you can see in the images). On our farm we grow the classic European Sambucus nigra, or black elder, having grown into actual trees, but the plant is most often found as shrubs or bushes when being propagated for cultivation.

These trees/bushes produce three main “crops”: the flowers, berries, and seeds (and more investigation is now going into the leaves as well). As with most fruits, the flowers turn into the berries (just like the blossoms do for apples, oranges, pears etc) as the season progresses, so whether you’re making elderflower tea, elderberry syrup, or using elderberry seed oil, you’re technically using the same part of the plant, just at different stages of its lifecycle. This multiplicity of uses fascinates me as a formulator of medicinal herbs for skincare, and it makes me appreciate the variety of uses a single plant can provide.

Elder is probably best known for its elderberry syrup which you can find in any Whole Foods or Vitamin Shoppe to treat colds, coughs, and sore throats; comprising of a large quantity of flavonoids and antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, iron, vitamin B6, and beta-carotene. The elderberry seed oil is also a fantastic ingredient for skincare. Elderberry seeds have significant levels of pro vitamin A, making it an ideal option for fading age spots and lessening wrinkles. The flower extracts of elder have skin-soothing effects that can relieve discomfort from rashes and sunburns as well as help to restore the complexion and skin tone, inducing smoothness and elasticity.

We use both the elderflowers and then that which they later turn into: the seeds. The elderflowers, on the one hand, make an excellent addition to our signature Extrait de Maison blend as they transfer their power into the extraction, and on the other hand, we also use the elderberry seed oil as a stand-alone ingredient.

The primary fatty acid constituents of elderberry seed oil are linoleic, linolenic, and oleic fatty acids, with a strong omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of almost 2:1 (omega 6 = linoleic and omega 3 = linoleic). This means that you get a good dose of both of these essential fatty acids, instead of just one, as you might in some other oils. It also contains a healthy dose of Vitamin E, which is a term used to classify two different sets of molecules: tocopherols and tocotrienols, each of which are found in elderberry seed oil.  This not only benefits the skin, but also keeps the oil stable and prolongs its shelf-life. Not to mention all the antioxidants! The oil is full of flavonoids that provide a broad-spectrum of anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties making them quite effective against microorganisms in addition to their free-radical neutralizing powers.

All in all, it is an incredibly vital and potent plant that has been a staple of medicinal herbalists for millennia, as well as a staple in our skincare line. The elder trees on our land consistently produce both flowers and berries, no matter the weather, being both frost resistant (they flower in late June) and established, having been planted decades ago. We are proud and delighted to include them in our serum (and the future products we are working on), as we love including plants that have not only amazing benefits, but also have an important historical context in the world of healing.