As a power ingredient, rosehip oil for skin care has been around since ancient times and (as with many plant-based ingredients) is enjoying a resurgence in interest in recent years. With celebrities like Victoria’s Secret model and businesswoman Miranda Kerr giving it the thumbs up, it has cemented its place as one of the ‘oils du jour’ for the beauty industry right now.
Also known as rosehip seed oil, rosehip oil is pressed from the fruit and seeds of the rose plant (that’s Rosa Canina to you Latin enthusiasts!) and is predominantly sourced from Chile. It’s packed full of skin-loving vitamins and essential fatty acids, as well as phenols with beneficial antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal qualities.
Our range of serums – Clarify, Renewal and CoQ10 – all boast rosehip oil as one of their key natural ingredients. Oh, and the fragrance? Imagine a garden full of gorgeous roses in bloom… and you have a blocked nose. Yep! That’s right; rosehip oil smells nothing like roses! In fact, it has almost no aroma at all beyond a faint woody scent.
So, if not for fragrance, what is it good for? Let’s find out…
Where Does It Come From?
Rosehip oil is extracted from the pressed seeds and fruit of both the wild rose bush Rosa rubiginosa which grows in the southern Andes, and Rosa canina, which grows in many places including South Africa and Europe. The fruit (which is inedible) takes the form of small, roundish red bulbs which grow beneath the rose flower on the plant.
Rosehip oil is often used as a carrier oil – i.e. the base oil to which other oils are added to create multi-oil products – and as a dry oil, it easily absorbs into the skin.
What Does It Do?
Rich in free fatty acids, including linoleic acid, rosehip oil is super hydrating for the skin on your face. Fatty acids help to keep cell walls strong so that they don’t lose water, so products which contain high amounts of fatty acids are renowned for giving skin that dewy glow. As such, rosehip oil can work as a great natural alternative for moisturizing.
Another benefit of rosehip oil for skin comes courtesy of the astringent properties in this oil, which help to tighten pores and brighten skin. It’s also full of vitamins A and C, which are both necessary for the production of collagen (the protein which keeps our skin from sagging, among other things!)
In addition, this wonder oil has been shown to inhibit the creation of MMP-1, an enzyme which breaks down collagen in the body. Talk about an anti-ageing powerhouse!
How To Use On Your Skin
At Cannabella, we’ve used rosehip oil to bump up the skin-nourishing qualities of our Renewal Serum, Complex CoQ10 Serum and Clarify Serum. It combines perfectly with our hero ingredient, hemp seed oil, and the other oils in our formulations. Recommendations for use can be found on each individual product page for these products.
If you’re keen to try rosehip oil on it’s own, we encourage you to source organic oil online via a reputable retailer.
Who Should Use It?
As with many natural plant-based oils, rosehip oil is gentle and suitable for all skin types. Products containing this natural oil are great for those seeking to hydrate their skin without resorting to chemical formulations; it’s also recommended to those looking to reverse the signs of ageing.
Of course, no product is without potential side effects so we recommend spot testing for all of our products, or for any ingredients – including rosehip oil – that you choose to use solo.
