I feel in love with rosehip oil many years ago when I noticed how effective it was at improving the elasticity and hydration of my skin. It also helped heal my acne scars. In fact, it was the first oil I ever used on my skin. Unfortunately, my second bottle of Rosehip Oil (a different brand) was not as effective as the first and the texture felt different, although I wasn’t sure why. I figured that like Olive Oil it must vary in quality based on production methods. I’ve since done some research and narrowed down a few things that are important to look for when choosing a Rosehip Oil for your skincare routine.
Firstly, what is rosehip oil? Is it different to rose oil?
Rosehip oil and Rose Oil come from two different plant ‘species’. Rose oil is obtained from roses (scientific name: Rosa damascena) while rosehip oil is from an amber berry-like fruit that grows on wild rose bushes (scientific name: Rosa canina, Rosa moschata or Rosa rubiginosa) and is left behind after the rose has flowered and dropped its petals.
The other major difference between them is that Rose Oil is an essential oil extracted from the rose petal and is too harsh to be used directly on the skin; although Rosehip Oil which is extracted from the fruits or seeds (known as rosehips), is a carrier oil that can ‘carry’ essential oils onto the skin safely.
What are the benefits of rosehip oil?
Essential fatty acids
Rosehip Oil contains essential fatty acids such as omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. It is known for its anti-aging benefits and scar-reducing properties. Both are extremely good for the skin and impart powerful anti-aging benefits!
Vitamin C
Rosehips are thought to have more vitamin C than an orange or lemon. Vitamin C has antioxidant properties. Research shows vitamin C may help reduce ultraviolet light damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin C also supports collagen production, which helps reduce wrinkling. Finally, vitamin C may increase wound healing and help prevent dry skin.
When choosing rosehip oil for skin care, keep in mind some vitamin C may be lost during the oil extraction process. Vitamin C is also water-soluble and doesn’t store well. This makes it difficult to know exactly how much vitamin C is in rosehip skin care products. Some manufacturers add vitamin C to their rosehip oil formulations. You’re still getting the benefits of vitamin C for your skin, but you may not be getting all of the benefits directly from rosehips.
Vitamin A
Rosehip oil contains vitamin A. Research on vitamin A shows it may benefit your skin by:
- reducing and reversing sun damage
- reducing wrinkles
- reducing hyperpigmentation
- treating mild to moderate acne
There is anecdotal evidence that rosehip oil reduces the appearance of scars and stretch marks. But there is no scientific evidence to back up the claim. It may be due to the vitamin A, vitamin C, and fatty acid content of the oil.
What should I look for when buying Rosehip Oil for skincare?
Australian Certified Organic bud logo
If you want to be sure of what’s in a beauty product, along with the supply chain, then it’s best to choose a one with the Australian Certified Organic bud logo. This is because although beauty industry is required to list product ingredients on the labels, there are no actual checks on what ingredients are used in beauty products – let alone the safety of the chemicals used within (but that’s a topic for another blog post!). When a product has the ACO bud logo you can be sure that you’re being protected from misleading claims. It is the mark of a genuine organic product, which has been audited all along the production chain to comply with strict organic standards.
Cold Pressed Rosehip Oil
Rosehip oil can be extracted with C02 (via heat, solvents and chemicals) or cold pressed. Cold pressed is the best option because it retains the potent antioxidants and essential fatty acids found in the rosehip seed. So why would companies opt for a refining extraction process rather than cold pressed? This is because you can maximise the amount of rosehip oil that is extracted from the seeds – ie. they choose quantity over quality. So I will always choose a rosehip oil that’s cold pressed because I want to maximise the quality of the nutrients that will offer benefits to my skin.
Australian Owned and Made in Australia
Support locally owned businesses who make their Rosehip Oil in Australia.
No added fragrances, colour or preservatives
Choose the natural and pure option! Embrace the beautiful woody and toasty aroma of cold pressed pure rosehip oil.
The brand I use that meets these requirements – Rosehip Plus
One of my favourite Rosehip Oil brands that meets all these requirements is RosehipPLUS. As part of my research I spoke to Russell Diamond, Director of RosehipPLUS who said “We know there are a lot of choices of Rosehip Oil but many are deodorised or will have a fragrance added to mask the true natural aroma of a true cold pressed Rosehip oil, but we felt it imperative to offer the purest oil available. RosehipPLUS rosehip Oil is 100% pure, natural and Australian certified organic. Nothing is added and nothing is removed, what comes from the Rosehip seed goes straight into the bottle. Our oil is sourced from the what is the best available in the world, currently we are sourcing from Chile with constant research on new sources from other countries. “
About half way through my recent pregnancy I switched to using RosehipPLUS as a Australian Certified Organic natural skincare option and I am still using it daily today.
RosehipPLUS products expand beyond just the pure Rosehip Oil but also to cleansers and moisturisers that utilise rosehip oil too. I was gifted those pictured above, but would happily purchase these in the future – especially because they are also reasonably priced (eg. 30ml Rosehip Oil is $19.95) and have won numerous awards in the beauty industry. You can see the other ingredients they used in RosehipPLUS products here.
I hope this post has helped equip you to find a quality rosehip oil too! It’s such a beautiful oil to use on your skin.
Amy Darcy
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