Arctic Cloudberry promises younger, stronger, more radiant skin and can be found in product lines such as Lumene and Clarins. It’s part of a trend in skin care right now of finding skin care ingredients in arctic regions — think cranberry and sea buckthorn. So what does this golden berry do for skin care? The claims are impeding skin’s aging process and combating cancer. Tests results are promising, but there’s a lot more research to go before skin care companies’ claims about Arctic Cloudberry can be backed up.
What is Arctic Cloudberry?
Arctic Cloudberry is an amber berry that is often compared to raspberries but is larger and has a taste more like apples. The berry is found wild in Northern Finland growing in bogs and forests (Cosmetics and Toiletries). While it’s not often enjoyed raw, it’s know for it’s antiscorbutic properties by the Inuit people, as was used for this purpose by Vikings, because it contains more than twice the vitamin C of oranges. Called the “baked apple berry,” it can often be found in jams and pies (UCLA).
The plant has been used in traditional medicine to ease hard labor as well as menstrual difficulties. Its relationship to the raspberry could explain this. Raspberries contain a substance fragrine that’s said to help relax, smooth, and tone the uterus.
What does Arctic Cloudberry do in Skin Care?
Cloudberries are said to be beneficial to skin because the contain Omega 3 and 6, carotene, Vitamins A, C and E, phytosterols, and antioxidants (Cosmetics and Toiletries, Savonia). It’s said to help strengthen skin and fight oxidative damage. In one lab test, Cloudberry was shown to inhibit the formation of MeLo-conjugated diene hydroperoxides by over 90% (Journal of Agriculture and Food Studies).
These individual components have been shown to be effective forms of skin care, but there are limited tests on exactly how effective Cloudberry is. Will it make skin more radiant and stronger? Perhaps, but without further labs tests, it’s impossible to say definitively.
Is Arctic Cloudberry Anti-Carcinogenic?
One of the potentially important components in Cloudberry is ellegic acid, which in lab tests has been shown as an anti-carcinogenic (American Cancer Society). Studies have been done only on cell cultures and animals — so there’s almost no research that demonstrates the effects on humans — but these tests show that Cloudberry helps to inhibit tumor growth.
In tests on human cervical cancer cells it’s been found to have anti-proliferation qualities for cancer cells (Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry). In the only test done one humans, men with prostate cancer were give Cloudberry, which lessened the side effects of chemotherapy, but did not slow the cancer or improve survival.
Bottom Line
Arctic Cloudberry has potential as a phenomenal skin care ingredient because it’s rich in vitamins, phenols, and antioxidants. The arctic berry has been shown in initial lab tests to serve as a pretty powerful antioxidant — but hasn’t been tested on humans. As for it’s hand in cancer-treatment: Lab tests are promising in that it inhibited tumor growth in cells and animals, but the only tests done on humans did not obtain such results. In the future, we hope to see more studies to understand exactly how Arctic Cloudberry works and what it does.
If you’re interested in trying arctic cloudberry, consider:
Clarins HydraQuench Rich Cream ($59.99, amazon.com) — with hyaluronic acid, this is hydrating and the vitamin C rejuvenates skin.
Lumene Vitamin C Radiant Day Cream ($13.97, amazon.com) — Vitamin C has been shown to work synergistically with UV-protection to make it more effective.