6 Ways Rosehip Oil Can Keep You Looking Beautiful at Any Age
With their familiar reddish-orange fruits and deep green leaves, wild rose bushes have become an iconic addition to holiday beach scenes along the northeastern coastline, as dune preservation becomes an environmental priority. But rosehips—the seedpods of wild rose plants—are more than just a pretty part of vacation landscapes. For countless generations, people have utilized these vitamin and antioxidant-rich seeds to keep them feeling their best throughout the seasons.
The exciting news is that rosehip oil also turns out to be an amazing beauty elixir for all ages that is particularly beneficial for mature skin. Discover everything you need to know about this lovely oil, and how it can help bring out your own natural beauty, no matter how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.
Rosehip Oil Basics
Although predominantly grown in Chile, rose plants thrive in many parts of the world, and were well known by the Mayans, Native Americans, and Egyptians for their healing potential.
The oil from the rosehip generally ranges from a rich golden color to a reddish-orange hue, and carries a fragrance that’s more woodsy than flowery (to the surprise of many!). Rosehip oil is loaded with antioxidants like vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin C, and beta-carotene—as well as essential fatty acids like GLA and linoleic acid to provide just the right nourishment for mature skin, while supporting cell and tissue regeneration. It’s one of nature’s best moisturizers!
How Rosehip Oil Can Enhance Your Good Looks
Rosehip oil is a surprisingly versatile natural beauty treatment that can easily replace a whole slew of jars and tubes that are likely cluttering up your shelves. Here are just a few of the many ways it nourishes and beautifies you from head to toe:
1. Keeps your skin looking smooth and dewy.
After years of a life well lived, skin may begin to look dry, loose, and lined. That doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to having tired-looking skin as you get older, since the antioxidant cocktail in rosehip oil seems to encourage cell regeneration.
Recent research shows a topical application of rosehips reduced wrinkle depth while improving skin hydration and elasticity to create a healthier, ageless appearance.1
That means that with consistent use, you’re more than likely to notice that your skin is beaming with vitality and lustre without any oily residue or greasy feeling.
To hydrate, protect, and revitalize thirsty or mature skin, simply massage in a few drops of rosehip oil before applying your regular facial moisturizer. You can also rub some into troublesome dry spots such as your hands, elbows, heels, and knees.
2. Calms irritated skin.
The passage of time sometimes brings on breakouts, irritations, dullness, and other unwanted skin changes. Rosehip oil is gentle and incredibly calming—and it’s been shown to have stronger antioxidant properties than many other fruits to help protect and encourage bright, clear skin.2 Try it for soothing relief after too much sun, and anytime your skin feels tired or uncomfortable.
3. Reduces the appearance of scars.
We all know that some of life’s most beautiful moments—like becoming a mother—as well as life’s more challenging times, such as embarrassing breakouts, rapid weight fluctuations, or surgical incisions, leave what seems to be indelible evidence on our skin. So it’s especially exciting that science is beginning to reveal that perhaps these marks aren’t quite so permanent as we might have thought. It turns out that the special combination of vitamins and fatty acids in rosehip oil nourish and exfoliate the skin in a way that lessens redness, hyperpigmentation, and the appearance of scars over time. A recent study in Spain revealed that when used twice daily over the course of three months or more, rosehip oil helped to reduce redness and promoted healthy tissues. That means the more consistently you use it, the more skin enhancing effects you're likely to see.3
Another study found that when pregnant women used a rosehip oil-infused cream on their bodies, it was effective in preventing new stretch marks, as well as reducing the severity of the ones they already had, while keeping them from getting any worse.4 Try rosehip oil on both new and older scars to soften the storylines your skin currently carries.
4. Helps hair look full and shiny.
If you’re having a bad hair day, rosehip oil could be your perfect solution. Just a tiny dab massaged into wet hair before styling moisturizes hair and scalp and tames frizzies—while giving hair a rich shine. When deeper conditioning is called for, work the oil into hair and scalp first, then wait 30 minutes to an hour before washing your hair.
5. Conditions nails.
If your nails have become brittle and dry over the years, simply rub in a tiny bit of rosehip oil every night before bedtime to restore moisture and a healthier appearance. You’ll be amazed how conditioning your nails helps your hands and feet look better than they have in decades.
Rosehip Tips
To get the most benefit from rosehip oil:
• Understand that this oil is delicate. To keep it from going rancid, store it in the fridge or in a cool, dark place. Our rosehip oil comes in a dark amber bottle for this very reason.
• Choose a pure, cold-pressed product like Valentia Rosehip Oil that’s organic, vegan, sustainably sourced, free of parabens, sulfates, artificial preservatives, and chemical additives—and is manufactured in a way that’s both ethical and cruelty-free.
• A little bit of rosehip oil goes a long way! Experiment with using just a drop or two, and only add more as necessary.
• Although rosehip oil is great for keeping skin clear and easing scars from old breakouts, applying it directly to a raging breakout isn’t recommended.
Rosehips are a nourishing treat for the eyes, the body—and now the skin, too! Including just a tiny bit of rosehip oil in your daily beauty routine can make a huge difference in the way the whole world sees you—enhancing your unique appearance in an authentic way that’s in perfect harmony with the planet and all its inhabitants.
References:
1. Winther, K., Wongsuphasawat, K., & Phetcharat, L. (2015). The effectiveness of a standardized rose hip powder, containing seeds and shells of Rosa canina, on cell longevity, skin wrinkles, moisture, and elasticity. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 1849. doi:10.2147/cia.s90092
2. Mármol, I., Sánchez-de-Diego, C., Jiménez-Moreno, N., Ancín-Azpilicueta, C., & Rodríguez-Yoldi, M. (2017). Therapeutic Applications of Rose Hips from Different Rosa Species. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(6), 1137. doi:10.3390/ijms18061137
3. Valerón-Almazán, P., Gómez-Duaso, A. J., Santana-Molina, N., García-Bello, M. A., & Carretero, G. (2015). Evolution of Post-Surgical Scars Treated with Pure Rosehip Seed Oil. Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications, 05(02), 161-167. doi:10.4236/jcdsa.2015.52019
4. García Hernández, J. Á., Madera González, D., Padilla Castillo, M., & Figueras Falcón, T. (2013). Use of a specific anti-stretch mark cream for preventing or reducing the severity of striae gravidarum. Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 35(3), 233-237. doi:10.1111/ics.12029
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Roberta Pescow is a writer and the proud mom of two amazing and unique young men. As someone who’s been passionate about holistic wellness most of her life, she understands that the skin is the body’s largest organ—and its first line of defense. That’s why she knows how important it is to use only the purest, natural skincare ingredients. Roberta loves sharing all she’s learned over the years to help others reveal their healthiest, most beautiful skin ever.
