Lingonberry, sometimes known as mountain cranberry or mountain bilberry, is a short evergreen shrub in the heath family. These antioxidant and vitamin-rich berries are more than just delicious and are the perfect addition to our Arctic Blend.

Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis idaea) grows a particularly delicious and versatile small, red, and slightly sour berry, which ripens at the end of summer or beginning of fall. It grows in the northern hemisphere from Eurasia to North America in boreal forests and up in the arctic tundra where the summers provide long days of sunlight for the berries to grow.  

In recent years, lingonberries have come to be known as a superfruit, making their way into even more dishes. Traditionally, in Scandinavia, the tart berries have been used in everything from side dishes and garnishes to desserts. Since they’re loaded with vitamins A, B, C, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, and magnesium (to name a few), they really do promote health inside and out, and their popularity continues to climb.

Superfruit for the skin

All those vitamins that are so nutritious as food are beneficial to the skin as well.  Many act as antioxidants, inhibiting free radicals that can deteriorate skin. The omega-3 and -6 fatty acids in lingonberries help to reduce water loss and accelerate healing. They are crucial in maintaining the skin’s protective barrier and structural integrity, and lingonberries are loaded with them.  The powerful berries are also loaded with lingon sterols which calm the skin and reduce redness and inflammation. To top it off, they’re full of vitamin E, too, which inhibits melanin synthesis in the skin. 

The lingonberries are all wild picked in the arctic forests of Lapland. Lingonberry seed oil belongs to one of our 6 arctic plant ingredients in the Arctic Blend in all our INARI Arctic Beauty cosmetics.