I've just finally came to the conclusion that I HAVE to do something about my KP cause I'm not gonna grow up being paranoid about myself throughout the rest of my life. =P The problem is, I dunno how faithfully I could follow all the steps in Sirduckles guide. I figure popping a capsule once every day would be simple. But, would it work? I could maybe get the lotion too but would rather not..As i hate feeling greasy all day long. Haha. Lastly...I was unclear about two things. Does Seabuckthorn only work for people with demodex parasites? And also. when it gets worse how much worse will it get? currently i wear long sleeves and jeans all the time. and the KP on my face randomly went away, I wouldnt want it to come back...even if it was only for a short time it wouldnt be a good time right now =P


~Thanks

Well, guestt, since no other sea buckthorn user has replied to you, I'm jumping in. There is no way for any of us to tell you how well it would work for you. It likely depends what your body needs. SBO is a good supplement in that it is full of Vit A and E precursors, good fatty acids and oodles of flavonoids that have particular benefits to the human body. It is pricey. I do not take it all the time but I have found it very supportive to my skin when I have. Also, I have used it neat (straight) on acne rosacea and badly infected KP plugs and it has soothed, sped up healing and lessened scarring. So I think well of it. but...

Research seems so far to only tell us that SBO is basically good at reducing inflammation, is a safe nutraceutical antioxidant, reduces the effects of mustard gas (!), that it promotes wound healing (I sure think so), and that it may be very supportive as an anti-carcinogenic. nothing about demodex.
There are a lot more legit research papers submitted since I last looked however. China, Canada and Finland are busy trying to make the best of this crop for themselves. No papers about mites and only a couple re: skin health or atopic dermatitis but SBO is showing significant benefits.

you'll find some documentation at this site:
Seabuckthorn Science
<-Some of these research docs show results that are inconclusive, I haven't read all of them. And even their documentation on Rosacea says this and they are trying to sell us the stuff, ok?:
"Some medical and commercial documentation suggests that Seabuckthorn kills Demodex mites. This may be true, and in fact elevated levels of Demodex may exacerbate skin conditions. However, it is extremely important to remember that the majority of Rosacea sufferers do not have elevated levels of Demodex mites, and in sufferers with elevated levels, the mite infestation may be a symptom, not a cause of their condition. Consider that Rosacea = thicker skin, which = deeper pores, more sebaceous secretions and more dead skin cells, which = more food and living space for Demodex mites... Seabuckthorn – used topically and internally – contributes to skin and overall health in so many ways, relegating it to an insecticide is doing it – and us – a disservice" <-bolding is mine.

I suspect that the demodex link to KP is about as strong - in that maybe we produce more food for the little buggers but not all of us have elevated levels of them and only some of us may be reacting allergically to them or something. There is a connection between the mites and the acne bacteria too so they could possibly contribute a bit to secondary infection I suppose. You could take Borax baths for a week to try to kill off any excess you have before embarking on further trials... and then repeat that a few times a year.

and at the Nat'l (USA) Inst of Health's site:
PubMed Home
you can search for / sea buckthorn \ and see what come sup (260 articles)

So there you are. Your skin might respond well to it if you need the vitamins, or fatty acids or if it needs some support for healing or in reducing inflammation. There's no way I can tell over this forum. perhaps a good naturopath or someone might if they saw you and your skin and got a good idea of your overall health. but I don't know...
-bd