After turning 30, I noticed that my skin started to change dramatically. Fine lines and wrinkles started to appear and I noticed a loss of elasticity – the joys of getting older.
Pregnancy hormones weren’t kind to me, either. My skin was dry and wrinkles started appearing under my eyes. I had red blotches on my cheeks my skin had an overall dull appearance.
So when I starting hearing more and more talk of the many rosehip oil skin benefits, I was intrigued. I ordered this organic, cold-pressed rosehip oil and started using it daily.
Rosehip oil is a nourishing, natural product that works wonders on the skin. It’s now an essential part of my skincare routine.
If you’re interested in learning more about rosehip oil, it’s many benefits, and what rosehip oil I recommend, read on.
What is Rosehip Oil?
Rosehip oil is made from the hips (seeds) of wild rose bushes (not to be confused with rose essential oil.) For thousands of years, the ancient Egyptians, Native Americans, and Mayans have use rosehips as a natural healing remedy.
Unlike a lot of other oils, rosehip oil is a “dry oil” which means that it penetrates deeply into the skin without leaving the skin feeling oily or looking shiny.
Rosehip oil is absolutely brimming with goodness, including essential fatty acids, vitamins (A, C & E,) and free-radical fighting antioxidants.
10 Impressive Rosehip Oil Skin Benefits
1. Reduces the signs of aging
Because rosehip oil contains antioxidants including lycopene, vitamin A & vitamin C, it has significant anti-aging properties. Vitamin C helps to stimulate collagen production, which helps to tighten the skin. Lycopene helps to improve the skin’s texture and reverse the signs of aging.
2. Minimizes the appearance of scars & dark spots
The essential fatty acids found in rosehip oil can help to reduce the appearance of scars by promoting skin regeneration.
Rosehip oil can also help to reduce dark spots which are caused by sun damage. The antioxidants in rosehip oil provide a defense against skin-damaging free radicals.
3. Alleviates dryness
There’s a reason why essential fatty acids were given their name – because they truly are “essential.” But unfortunately, our body doesn’t naturally produce the essential fatty acids we need to keep our skin supple and moisturized. This means we either need to consume them or absorb them through our skin.
Luckily, rosehip oil is full of essential fatty acids and because the skin absorbs it quickly and deeply, it helps to prevent dryness and promote healthy, glowing skin.
4. Relieves Sunburn Pain
If you’ve been sunburnt before you can attest to the fact that sunburn can be incredibly painful. I remember the sun burning me so badly once (after accidentally falling asleep at the beach for a couple of hours) that I could barely sit in my car and drive home.
Rosehip oil can help to alleviate the pain associated with sunburn due to it’s soothing, nourishing properties. It also helps to combat the skin damage associated with sunburn due to it’s regenerative properties.
5. Moisturizes the Skin
The high levels of essential fatty acids found in rosehip oil help to nourish the skin, combat dryness, and increase hydration. Because rosehip oil is a “dry oil” it quickly absorbs and penetrates the skin, improving the skins moisture levels without leaving an oily residue.
6. Helps to Prevent Dandruff
Likewise, the moisturizing properties of rosehip oil can also help to prevent dandruff by deeply penetrating the scalp. Just massage some rosehip oil into the scalp and leave for 30 minutes before shampooing.
Related: See our guide to Monat Shampoo alternatives
7. Strengthens Nails
The same nourishing properties that help to promote healthy skin also have similar benefits for the nails. By rubbing a small amount of rosehip oil into the nails, the essential fatty acids will help to strengthen the nails and prevent cracking and brittleness.
8. Helps to Protect against Environmental Pathogens
Another amazing benefit of rosehip oil is it’s ability to help heal environmental damage, due to it containing retinol (also known as vitamin A.)
You might be familiar with retinol – expensive skincare products often contain retinol. Dermatologists commonly recommend using retinol because it helps to protect the skin from free radicals and environmental pathogens.
9. Soothes Irritation and Redness
Irritation and redness can be a common side-effect of aging. Unfortunately, we can’t avoid aging but we can help to avoid the side-effects.
The anti-inflammatory properties of rosehip oil (due to it containing linoleic acid) can help to reduce redness and heal damaged capillaries, while the omega-6 essential fatty acids help repair damaged skin cells.
10. Helps to Prevent Blemishes and Acne
In addition to it’s moisturizing and anti-aging properties, rosehip oil is slightly astringent which can help to cleanse the skin and prevent blemishes and acne.
Also see: Does Mandelic Acid Really provide Anti-Aging Benefits?
What type of Rosehip Oil Should you choose?
When choosing a rosehip oil, there are a few important qualities that you should be looking for.
Always choose an organic, cold-pressed rosehip oil with a darker hue.
Cold pressing is a mechanical extraction of the oils without the use of heat. This is very important because heat will destroy the nutrients and produce an inferior oil. Cold-pressing produces a high-quality oil with a darker hue, which retains the nourishing qualities and nutrients that make rosehip oil so beneficial.
I love Radha Beauty Rosehip Oil, which you can find here. It’s 100% pure cold pressed, certified organic, not tested on animals, and a gorgeous dark amber color.
Rosehip Oil Tips
A little goes a long way – start with 3-5 drops, smooth into the skin and then give it some time to penetrate into the skin.
Rosehip oil can go rancid quite easily. To avoid your rosehip oil going rancid, you can either store it in the refrigerator or in a cool, dark place. Avoid leaving it in direct sunlight.
If you have very light skin, you might notice the dark amber color of your rosehip oil gives your skin a slight tint to it. Don’t panic! Just wait a few minutes and your skin will absorb the oil.
And remember, always buy organic, cold-pressed rosehip oil.
Related: Simple Solutions to Improve Your Air Quality at Home
