Rosa rubiginosa ~ Sweet Briar Rose
From this earthly gift of a plant, we obtain rosehip seed oil. Ever heard of it? Sometimes referred to as Rosa mosqueta, rosehip seed oil is kind of like a well-guarded secret… Used by Chileans for centuries, the amazing healing benefits of rosehip seed oil have only relatively recently been validated.
Photo Credit: heatheronhertravels.com
Now gaining popularity with the general public, this cold-pressed, sensitive, “dry” oil has thoroughly impressed the scientific community at large. Heather, from a Real Food Lover, accurately summarizes two important studies on rosehip seed oil:
The first major confirmation of its capabilities came in 1983, when the University of Santiago conducted research on 180 individuals. These tests studied people with extensive facial scarring, acne scarring, deep wrinkles, UV damage, radiation damage, burn scars, surgical scars, premature aging, dermatitis, and other skin related problems. In these tests, rosehip seed oil regenerated the skin, reduced scars and wrinkles, prevented the advancement of wrinkles and aging, and helped skin to regain its natural color and tone. Since this time, other universities and labs have also completed studies, also yielding positive results. Another well-known study in 1988 was conducted on twenty women between the ages of 25-35 with extensive premature aging to their skin. Their skin was wrinkled, and had sun spots from overexposure to the sun. After four months of applying rosehip seed oil daily, their wrinkles and sun spots had almost completely disappeared, and the skin had a fresher and healthier look.
With it’s amazing healing properties and ability to moisturize, this diversely capable oil is one you will want to be familiar with. I have only recently discovered it in the past year, and I assure you–it’s brilliant. I love it’s non-greasy, oil-free feel, and when I use it to moisture my skin; face and neck especially, it feels like my skin just took a big hydrating drink of water!
Most of the rose hips used for rosehip seed oil grow wild in the southern Andes although that is not the only habitat for the Sweet Briar, or Eglantine rose. It is a deciduous shrub with delicious apple-scented leaves. It is from the fruit, or “hip” of this plant that bears a tiny seed that is then pressed into rosehip seed oil that I (and others) so covet.
The rosehip seed is made up of 77% fatty acids. High in linoleic and linolenic acids, vitamin C, and vitamin A (retinol); all essential for skin and hair health, Rosa rubiginosa has been found to regenerate tissue and eliminate wrinkles, fine lines, scars, sun damage and stretch marks. The essential fatty acids it contains when absorbed through the skin, convert to prostaglandins which assist in cellular membrane and tissue regeneration.
Rosehip seed oil in short helps prevent premature aging, soothes, heals and moisturizes mature skin, and prevents the formation of keloid scar tissue, which is the characteristic thickening of the skin in scar formation.
It also helps to heal conditions such as:
- Dermatitis
- Age spots
- Brittle nails
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- Hyper-pigmentation
- Burns, radiation and sun
- Dry and damaged hair
This amber-to-orange hued oil has a nutty scent and may be used ‘straight out of the bottle.’ It is perfect for use undiluted on the skin– even sensitive skin, but it is not recommended for those with acne or very oily skin, due to it’s high fatty acid content. It is safe, inexpensive and effective. It can also be used in many “kitchen cosmetics” recipes including creams, lotions, facial serums and massage oils. It should be kept refrigerated due to susceptibility to oxidization, even though it has a shelf life of two years. I buy it in bulk at my co-op, which sources it from Mountain Rose Herbs. You can also buy it from them directly, but their smallest size is 8 ounces. I like to re-bottle it into a smaller container and add carrot seed oil and vitamin E to improve it’s shelf life. (Carrot seed oil is also the best essential oil for rejuvenating skin). Aside from preserving the rosehip seed oil, you’ve just made an easy DIY facial serum 🙂 There are many recipes out there where you can expound on facial serum creations, but with rosehip seed oil I prefer to keep it simple. I truly subscribe to the “if it ain’t broke–why fix it” motto, and rosehip seed oil definitely falls into that category. I usually take my rosehip seed oil ‘neat,’ but since you’ll likely already have the oil around, why not try these fun, homemade formulations:
Customizable Facial Serum Recipe
Bruise and Under-Eye Circle Serum
Anti-Wrinkle Cream
Rosehip seed oil has become key in my facial care routine. Aside from its miraculousness, it’s simplicity and ease of use is something I truly appreciate. I LOVE that I can toss a tiny amount in a small bottle and take it anywhere.
Where can you get this stuff? Mountain Rose Herbs carries a high-quality, cold-pressed
rosehip seed oil.
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How do you use rosehip seed oil? Or do you plan to start a regimen with it? Share your knowledge or questions in the comments below, or on my facebook page.
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**Remember, I am not a doctor or an expert. Nor am I a butcher, or baker, or candlestick maker, and I thoughtfully encourage you to do your own research on topics of interest to you. The remedies suggested are not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Shared With: Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways
Thanks for the rosehip info, they grow loke a weed up here.
Russ
I bought 3 small bottles of Rosehip Seed Oil about 3 yrs. ago & then had a bad accident so was not able to use it til now. It has not been refridgerated. Is it ok to use it since it hasn’t been opened yet?
Kathleen,
I would open them up and smell them. If they smell rancid at all, toss them out. If kept refridgerated that whole time, i’m guessing it may be all right. Let your nose be your guide 🙂
Do you know anyone who has used rose hip seed oil on their infant’s eczema? My son is 13 months old.
I’ve used rose hip seed on my infant before. It’s a great oil. I bet it would work well for eczema, but ask your doctor first 😉
How much carrot oil and vit E oil should be used when mixing with rosehip oil?
Just a few drops
How do you apply rose hip oil to your face?
I use a small amount and rub it in like a lotion after cleansing. It absorbs quickly.
hi there – i have a small bottle of Argan oil that I use at night. How do I incorporate Rosehip oil as a serum with Argan oil?
Thank you!
Hi Karen,
I would combine the two in very small amounts until you find a ratio that is suitable for your skin type. An excellent combo. Great idea!
Is it possible to make your own? I know you can infuse rosehip seeds into another oil, but I’m guessing that it’s not the same!
It’s not the same. I wish! 🙂
What about using an oil press to make your own from the rose hip seeds? I’m about to harvest rosehips to infuse into honey and wine, and would like to experiment with running the seeds through an oil press. Considering buying this one. http://www.easyoilpress.com/
Jamila,
Give it a try and report back!
Does rosehip oil tones?
I just wanted to let you know that when I was researching rose hip seed oil, Wikipedia said this about retinol and Vitamin C:
The oil contains provitamin A (mostly beta-Carotene). It has been wrongly said to contain retinol (vitamin A) which is a vitamin solely made by animals from provitamin A. It does however contain levels (up to .357 ml/L) of tretinoin or all-trans retinoic acid, a vitamin A acid that retinol converts to.[1]
Similarly, while the fruit is rich in vitamin C, the oil does not contain any, as it is a water soluble vitamin.
How about hyperpigmentation?
All right, I love this article. I have a question, though. I was aiming to grow rose-hips from the Rugosa rose bush for daily use in things such as; masks, toners, maybe even facial lotions and other home remedies. Are they the same roses/rosehips that we buy the oil from? I really haven’t gotten a straight answer from the articles I’ve read.
Rosa rubiginosa. The oil is pressed out of the hips though, which isn’t so simple to do at home. You could make some great infusions though
Hi I make distalled rosewater from rosehip petals and have now bought a 700.00 oil press machine well my husband tried it with fresh seeds to my disappointment no oil pretty please can you tell me do the seeds have to be dry or what I’m doing wrong Thankyou Linda Service
Hi Linda, I don’t make the oil so I’m sorry I can’t help. Best of luck. What a fun project!
Hi Linda, did you work out how to press the oil? I think because the seeds are so hard they need a very tightly wound screw press. What kind of press did you buy? I have lots of wild roses at my place and would like to know the right machine that could press the oil. Hope you got some oil, Mara
Thank you for all this information. I was thinking about combining the rosehip oil with my Marula oil and some rose absolute that comes already diluted in jojoba oil. I also have some vitamin E that I could add. If the rosehip is combined with these other things, would it need to be refrigerated? Thanks!
No, it should be fine. Sounds lovely!
Hi there, we have lots of rose hip bush at the back of our cottage near the beach. I collect them and dried them, i kept also the seed and stored it in a jar for later use.The dried flowers i infused it with the sunflower oil for more than six weeks, so now i have rose hip oil. My,question is..will the oil still good since it is more than six weeks already?and will the dried seed be good for infusing?Thanks
Hi Salyne!
How lovely to have an abundant supply of rose hip! Your rose hip-infused sunflower oil should be fine if the hips you used to infuse it were very dry. The only thing that is troublesome for infusions is fresh herb. Fresh herb has a high water content and water is the enemy of an infusion. As for the seeds, I personally wouldn’t use them in an infusion by themselves. To make rosehip seed oil, the seeds are pressed, not infused.
Happy Infusing! 🙂
Thanks for answering my question. I have another question regarding the using of the rose hip. I used my infused rose hip oil in some of the creams i made and it is almost more than six months since i made them, would it still be ok to use?Thank you.
The thing that generally contributes to spoilage is water content. If your product has water or uses fresh herbs, fridge storage would be best. You also can add a few drops of vitamin e oil to preserve the shelf life of things you make. If your cream doesn’t smell “off” or rancid, I would guess it is fine to use. Use your nose as your guide
Happy DIYing!
I have just made some rose-hip oil using olive oil as the carrier oil (2cups of oil to 1 of rose-hips; however it feels too oily to me. Is there anything I can do to reduce the oiliness?
I recently made some rosehip oil using olive oil as the carrier oil I followed all the directions. I tested the result & found it too oily. Is there anything I can do/use to rectify this problem?
Hi Lily, what you did was make a rosehip-infused olive oil, which is vastly different from rosehip seed oil. Rosehip seed oil is made from pressing the actual seeds of the rosehip, and is generally not made with a casual DIY. The infused olive oil you made still has a great many uses, but yes, the properties of it will always perform like olive oil does, so it’s not a proper substitution. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays to you! Jerica
Thanks for your replies; sorry I’m so behind in replying but life sometimes gets in the way.
I did another batch of rose-hip oil using coconut oil & it turned out much better. I am not trying to make rose-hip seed oil; I read that there are more benefits in using the whole hips versa just the seed.
Hi
This thread and post really cleared much of the questions i had pertaining to rosehip
However theres one thing id like to know is related to storage; i have it large portions (2 ltr bottle) and often refill smaller dropper bottles.
I read it somewhere you need to put nitrogen in it to increase its shelf life.
TIA
Should rosehip oil change the colour of my hair and skin? Both appear orangy after use, what am I doing wrong or is my product the problem?
Rose hip oil irritates my face. Is there a functional substitute or replacement?
Hi Rita,
Rosehip seed oil is considered a “dry” oil, meaning it has a very fast absorption rate and not too greasy. Perhaps you might look into other dry oils to see if one is a good fit for you, or mix rosehip seed oil with scant amounts of another moisturizing oil. Argan would be a good choice, or sweet almond oil, olive, etc. Hope this helps 🙂
Thank you.