Rosehip oil: the miracle skin saviour

Rosehip oil: the miracle skin saviour

Aug 14, 2019Sophie Taylor
Dried? Skincare? Tea? There are loads of ways to use rosehips and with darn good reason. 

Rosehip oil was used by the ancient Egyptians (I’m looking at you, Cleopatra), Mayans and Native Americans due to its perceived healing properties and those benefits are still relevant to our skincare today. I’m going to take you through a couple of my favourite ways to enjoy the benefits – on the inside and out. 

But first, are rose oil and rosehip oil the same thing? Kind of, but not really... 

Rosehip oil commonly comes from the fruits of Rosa rubiginosa, Rosa moschata, or Rosa canina bushes which are all wild forms of the flower rosehips form after the successful pollination of the flowers, commonly known as Dog Roses, and ripen in late summer. The berry-like fruits are typically fiery red and orange in colour and it’s these that are cold-pressed and produce our lovely rosehip seed oil.  

botanical illustration of the Rosa genus family

Rose essential oil, instead, is harvested through a steam distillation or solvent extraction process of Rosa damaska petals, a hybrid rose, which leaves us with our rose essential oil. If I take you right back to your Biology classes – you can see that the genus of the plants is the same, but the species are not. 

Rosa = Genus 

rubiginosa/moschata/canina/damasca = Species 

Still with me? Great.  

So, what’s so good about Rosehip tea? 

Rosehip tea contains high amounts of vitamin C, A and E, antioxidants and flavonoids. It’s a mixture of all these that support the immune system and fight against free radicals that cause oxidative stress in the body. Rosehip is good for digestion as it helps improve absorption of nutrients thanks to the high concentration of antioxidants, it also contains flavonoids that form complexes with digestive enzymes to help break down food more efficiently, meaning fewer cramps and less bloating. Drinking a daily cup of rosehip tea has also been shown to protect cardiovascular health, the anti-inflammatory properties help reduce inflammation in arteries and blood vessels, which in turn improve your circulation.  

I called in a lovely friend, ayurvedic practitioner and pro at creating herb-based cocktails, Sachin, to give me his favourite rosehip cocktail recipe for you to impress your friends at your next BBQ - whilst getting your daily dose of vitamin C. 

Rosehip & Chamomile Cocktail

Ingredients: 

Dried Rosehips
Dried Chamomile 
Gin 
Ice 
Honey 
Rose Petals/Rose Buds*

* Available at NYR Calgary 

Steps: 

1. Make an infusion (tea) with the rosehips and chamomile. Roughly 1 tablespoon of rosehips, ½ tablespoon of chamomile in 250ml boiling water. Infuse for 15 minutes, strain and cool.  
2. Add a large handful of ice to a shaker, 1.5 oz of gin, 1 teaspoon of honey (add more if you like things on the sweeter side) and 200ml of your rosehip/chamomile infusion.
3. Shake, baby, shake.
4. Serve in a chilled glass with ice and sprinkle rose petals on top for a garnish.
5. Enjoy! 

Rosehip cocktail

Now you probably need something to help hydrate and nourish your skin after all those rosehip cocktails? I’ll show you my favourite facial oil recipe using rosehips (obviously). But why is rosehip oil so good for your skin?  

Rosehip seed oil is a rich source of omega 3 and 6 which help regenerate cellular membrane and tissue, great for scarring, stretch marks and pigmentation. Rosehip contains high levels of vitamin E which is known to calm and hydrate the skin, and vitamin A which is known to improve skin tone and texture, whilst vitamin C is known to enhance the skin’s natural radiance too. Rosehip seed oil is an excellent source of vitamins and skin nourishing fatty acids, both of which are important for keeping your skin soft, smooth and supple which could explain the oil’s history of use for improving the appearance of scars and generally evening the skin’s tone and texture.  

Sophie’s Nourishing Facial Oil (30ml): 
Revive dull and lackluster skin with this anti-oxidant rich facial oil 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Rosehip Oil 
1 tablespoon Apricot Kernel Oil (substitute for Rosehip oil again if you have very dry skin or want a night time treatment) 
2 drops Cypress essential oil 
1 drop Clary Sage essential oil 
2 drops Frankincense essential oil 

Mix all oils and transfer to a 30ml dropper bottle and shake well.  

How to use: 

Apply a few drops to the fingertips and massage into the face and neck, using upward-sweeping motions, avoiding the delicate eye area. 

Where do our rosehips come from?  

Map of Serbia

The radiance-boosting rosehips that we use in our products grow wild on the hillsides of rural, northern Serbia, where they're handpicked by the local community surrounding the town of Svrljig (pronounced sver-lig). We source our ingredients in the most respectful way we can, paying due care and attention to the provenance, the community and the earth. We do this so that you can continue to enjoy our award-winning products, like our rosehip-rich Wild Rose Beauty Balm, safe in the knowledge that they’ve been produced with a genuine commitment to preservation and the utmost care. To read about our Serbia Sustainability story, click here 

Good for your skin, good for Mother Nature.  

 

 

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