Above the Arctic Circle, almost nothing grows easily. But every summer, in the brief window of light between long winters, a handful of small, stubborn berries push through the cold anyway. They've been part of Icelandic life for generations, and we think their resilience is exactly what makes them so good for skin.

What are Arctic Berries?

Arctic berries is our shorthand for a family of hardy fruits including blackcurrant, lingonberry, bilberry, and sea buckthorn. They grow through freezing temperatures and limited sunlight, conditions that would wear most plants down. Instead, these berries respond by concentrating their own natural antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients, essentially building up an internal defense system to survive. That same concentrated strength is what we bring into our formulas.

Why they matter for skin

The same compounds that help Arctic berries survive the cold turn out to be genuinely useful for skin too:

• Antioxidant support. Rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, and flavonoids, Arctic berries help skin defend itself against everyday environmental stress.
• Hydration and nourishment. Natural fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 help support skin's moisture barrier, leaving it feeling soft rather than dry or tight.
• Brightening, even-looking tone. These berries support skin's natural renewal, helping the complexion look more luminous and even over time.
• Calming for reactive skin. Arctic berries are known for their soothing feel, making them a good fit for skin that's easily unsettled.
• A revitalized feeling. Whether skin is showing signs of a long week or a long winter, Arctic berries help it feel refreshed again.

Arctic berries survive by concentrating everything good a plant can offer into a small, hardy fruit, and that concentrated strength is exactly what we want for skin.

How Sea Buckthorn Compares

Where you'll find them in ANGAN

Sea buckthorn, one of our favorite Arctic berries, shows up throughout our range. In the Arctic Youth Face Oil, it joins nine other plant oils and the Icelandic Botanical Complex to support dry, sensitive, redness-prone skin with a soothing, age-defying feel. In the Sun Glow Vitamin-C Serum, sea buckthorn and black currant work alongside 15% stabilized vitamin C to help brighten the look of skin tone, gently and without irritation.

A ritual worth borrowing from Iceland

There's something grounding about skincare built from plants that had to work for their strength. We don't source Arctic berries because they're trendy. We use them because generations of Icelanders have trusted them, and because their resilience translates so naturally into skin that feels calm, nourished, and a little more radiant. If your skin has been feeling tired, dull, or easily irritated, an Arctic berry formula might be worth adding to your routine, whether that's a few drops of face oil in the evening or a vitamin C serum each morning. Either way, you're borrowing a bit of Arctic staying power for your own skin.

How to bring them into your routine

You don't need a complicated routine to feel the benefit. In the evening, a few drops of Arctic Youth Face Oil massaged into clean skin can help nourish and calm skin while you sleep, especially useful if your skin runs dry or gets easily irritated by wind and cold. In the morning, Sun Glow's berry-rich formula slips in before your moisturizer, giving skin a gentle dose of brightness to start the day. Neither is meant to replace the rest of your ritual, just to quietly reinforce it, the same way these berries have quietly reinforced Icelandic skin for generations.

The Research

Sea buckthorn, one of the Arctic berries behind this blend, has been studied for its effect on skin cells under UV stress, with its omega fatty acids and carotenoids cited as the likely reason (study, sea buckthorn seed oil and human skin cells).

Continue Reading

• Unbottled: The Vitamin-C Serum
• Behind the Lupine Bloom
• The Icelandic Botanical Complex