We know what you’re thinking. Forget knights in shining armor and hordes of magical treasure—dragon’s blood, a relatively new addition on the Western skin care scene, is anything but mythical.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), not to be confused with buckthorn, is a plant native to Europe and

Asia and is largely contained within coastal areas.

There is nothing like the cold months to suck the life out of your skin. Dullness? Check. Flakiness? Double check. Cranked furnaces, hot showers, and the natural elements of winter—dry air, snow, wind—can all dehydrate your exterior, causing the epidermis—the outermost layer of the skin—to become chapped, itchy, and even cracked.