Medically reviewed by Minimalist Health Specialist - Written by Sritama Dutta (Medical Science) on 30th Jan 2021
Rosehip Oil Can Have Multiple Benefits on Your Skin: Here’s What You Need To Know!
Our ancestors have passed on to us wonderful things through generations. One of the incredible things we have received from our wise forefathers is rosehip oil. Though a recent trend in the modern skincare industry, rosehip oil has been in use since ancient times.
Rosehip has multiple uses. Apart from being included in the diet as herbal teas, jams, jellies, syrup, pies, bread, wines, and marmalades, Rosehip is also known for its medicinal values. It is rich in nutritional compounds and vitamins. It is considered to be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis.
Today in this article, we will discuss the benefits of rosehip oil when used as a skincare ingredient.
Keep reading to find out the various beneficial effects of rosehip oil that you never knew.
Rosehip Oil: What is it?
Rosehip oil is an oil derived from the fruits and seeds of the rose plant. The rosehip is the round, plump part that grows beneath the rose flower. It typically comes in different colors such as red, orange, dark purple, and even black. This oil is commonly extracted from the rosa canina rose bush, which grows mostly in Chile.
Something To Keep In Mind:
People often get confused between rose oil and rosehip oil. Though both are by-products of the same rose plant, they are not the same. While rose oil is derived from the rose flower's petals, rosehip oil is obtained from pressing the rose plant's fruits and seeds.
The rosehip oil is a non-greasy ingredient that gets easily absorbed by the skin. It is accredited with multiple benefits that make the ingredient one of the most precious in the skincare industry. Let's move forward to the benefits of rosehip oil.
What are the Benefits of Rosehip Oil?
Rosehip oil is loaded with vitamins and essential fatty acids that can greatly affect your skin's health. It also contains phenols that are known to have antifungal, antibacterial as well as antiviral properties.
Scroll down to know more about the benefits of rosehip oil on the skin:
1. It Helps in Hydrating the Skin
Our skin can lose its natural moisture due to various reasons like aging, extreme weather conditions, and even the pollutants that the skin is exposed to. Rosehip oil is a rich source of essential fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acid. It helps in strengthening the barrier of the dermal layers and retain the moisture inside. It is suggested to apply rosehip oil after bathing or showering. It can help build a physical barrier over the skin's superficial layer, which traps the moisture.
Lightweight and mild, the rosehip oil gets quickly absorbed by the skin and can penetrate the deeper layers and help in soothing dry and itchy skin by hydrating the skin cells. A 2015 study has revealed that taking rosehip powder orally can improve skin's texture by increasing moisture content.
Another study reviewed in 2018 stated that topical application of Rosehip and a few other oils could repair broken and damaged skin.
2. It Exfoliates and Brightens the Skin
Rosehip oil has a mild exfoliating property that helps eliminate the dull and dead surface skin cells and brings out the younger, brighter skin layer underneath. The oil is also rich in vitamin A and C. Vitamin A helps promote the skin cell turnover rate, while Vitamin C increases cell regeneration and boosts skin's brightness.
3. It Promotes Collagen Formation
Collagen is a protein that gives your skin its firmness and resilience. With advancing age, our skin's collagen production rate decreases, and the skin loses its firmness. Rosehip oil has abundant quantities of Vitamin A and Vitamin C that promote collagen production in the skin. It has been seen that rosehip oil can inhibit MMP-1 synthesis responsible for breaking down the collagen. In the 2015 study mentioned earlier, it was also found that oral ingestion of rosehip powder can improve skin's elasticity and firmness.
4. It Has Anti-inflammatory Effects
Rosehip oil has a high content of polyphenols and anthocyanin. These compounds are known to have anti-inflammatory effects. It also has Vitamin E that helps in calming inflammation. This property of rosehip oil helps in the treatment of multiple skin disorders like:
- Rosacea
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- Dermatitis
5. It Protects the Skin Against Sun Damage
Exposure to harsh sun rays can severely damage skin cells' integrity and give rise to various skin conditions. It can develop sun spots, melasma and even cause premature aging. UV rays can also obstruct collagen production in our skin.
Loaded with high amounts of antioxidants such as vitamin A, C, and E, Rosehip oil has proven to be beneficial against sun damage to the skin. It helps in reversing the symptoms of photodamage by increased collagen production. It also brightens the skin and helps get rid of sunspots by improving the cell turnover rate.
6. It Can Help Improve Hyperpigmentation
Skin Hyperpigmentation can occur due to various reasons. Exposure to UV rays, hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy or menopause, even while taking hormone-regulating medications, can induce the melanocytes or the pigment-producing cells to synthesize increased melanin amounts. This results in the formation of dark spots and patches on the skin.
The Vitamin A in Rosehip Oil is composed of several nutritional compounds. One of those is the retinoids. This compound can regulate melanin synthesis and decreases its production. Rosehip oil also has lycopene and beta carotene, which are known to have skin-lightening properties. An Animal study can support the skin-lightening activity of Rosehip oil.
7. It Can Act As Anti-aging Agent
Rosehip oil has high amounts of antioxidants as well as essential fatty acids. The antioxidants help bust the free radicals in the skin, which are responsible for giving rise to aging signs. It also aids in faster wound healing and promotes cell regeneration.
A study demonstrated that rosehip powder, when orally taken, can effectively reduce fine lines and crow's feet around the eyes. After eight weeks of administration of rosehip powder preparation, it was found that there was a significant reduction in the signs of premature aging.
Its ability to increase collagen production tightens the flabby skin and makes it appear youthful. Rosehip oil has also been seen to erase post-surgical scars on topical application.
7. It Can Act As Anti-aging Agent
The antioxidant properties of rosehip oil and the rich amounts of linoleic acid in rosehip oil can strengthen the skin barrier by preventing a cell membrane's breakdown in the skin. The stronger skin cells keep the invading microbes at bay. This, in turn, reduces/decreases the risk of skin infections and breakouts.
Several animal and human studies have been conducted which have provided evidence to support these claims.
Using Rosehip Oil in Your Skincare Routine:
Rosehip oil is a dry oil that leaves no residue on the skin and gets rapidly absorbed in the skin. It can be used as a carrier oil for other essential oil such as jojoba oil, avocado oil, or olive oil. It is usually safe on the skin, but dermatologists recommend performing a patch test before you begin using it in your skincare regime.
If you experience no adverse reaction, you can use rosehip oil twice a day in your AM and PM regime. You can mix this with your preferred moisturizer too. But, Rosehip oil can go rancid quickly if not kept properly. It is suggested to keep the oil in a cool, dry place or even refrigerate it to extend its shelf life.
The cold-pressed organic rosehip oils are the most expensive ones. But they are the purest, and you will be able to enjoy the best results using them.
Are There Any Potential Side Effects of Rosehip Oil?
Rosehip oil is usually safe on the skin and does not show any adverse reaction in most people. However, some cases of allergic reactions have been reported by some individuals. Thus, it is important to perform a patch test at least 24 hours before using the oil.
The common symptoms of a hypersensitive reaction due to rosehip oil are:
- Red, itchy eyes
- Eyes may water
- Sore or scratchy throat
- Nausea and vomiting
If these symptoms persist, you should consult your doctor immediately.
Anaphylaxis is another possible side effect of rosehip oil. You might experience these symptoms:
- Difficulty in breathing
- Wheezing
- Swollen mouth and throat
- Increase in heart rate
- Stomach ache
Final Note:
Rosehip oil has been a part of the skincare routine since ancient times. Fortified with multiple benefits, the modern skincare industry has brought this ingredient under the spotlight again.
When applied to the skin, it is an inexpensive ingredient that gets quickly absorbed in the skin without leaving any sticky feeling. Rosehip oil can hydrate skin, reduce hyperpigmentation, and a lot more. We hope this article has helped you to understand the ingredient in a better way.
