Is Rosehip the Secret to Beautiful Model-like Skin
World renowned models religiously include rosehip oil as part of their everyday skincare regime. Supermodel Miranda Kerr swears by rosehip oil and credits it with giving her skin its trademark rosy glow. She puts it on at night and wakes up to a refreshed and rejuvenated complexion. As a busy model and mother, she loves the simplicity of rosehip oil and the fact it delivers better results than higher priced products. Rose oil also absorbs easily into the skin, making it an effective overnight beauty treatment because it doesn't leave greasy stains on sheets and pillowcases.
Today’s women are turning to rosehip oil—an ancient product, to preserve their youth by keeping their skin smooth and glowing, and helping their hair retain strength, shine and bounce. Oil extracted from rosehip seeds is a versatile grooming product.
What is Rosehip Oil?
Rosehips are the fruit of the rose plant visible in autumn, after leaves and petals had fallen off the plant. Rosehips colors run anywhere from soft orange through shades of purple so dark they look almost black, but most rose hips are red. Filled with vitamin C goodness, they've long been used to make teas, jellies, syrups, wine, and personal care products. Oil extracted from rosehip seeds has an ancient history of use as a topical beauty product. Chile's Andean Indians have been using rosehip oil for centuries for a variety of external purposes. Rosehip oil, harvested during autumn, is used to create chemical-free products designed for topical application on skin and hair.
What Does Rosehip Oil Do?
Oil derived from rosehip seeds is used to combat signs of aging, as well as promote a healthy complexion in people of all ages. The oil contains the following vitamins, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants
Vitamin A
Rosehip seeds contain beta carotene--a form of vitamin A that enhances skin moisture levels and minimizes lines and wrinkles by helping exfoliate upper skin layers. Vitamin A also helps correct hyperpigmentation caused by UV ray exposure, skin damage and acne.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C stimulates skin collagen production and helps brighten skin tone and lighten dark spots.
Vitamin E
Hlps retain natural moisture in skin, neutralizes free radicals, and protects the skin from environmental damage. It even helps decrease sunburn when applied before sun exposure.
Vitamin F
More commonly known as linoleic acid, vitamin F plays a vital role in promoting regeneration of the skin and hair. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that keep skin soft and soothed, and has been found to be effective in curing acne.
Oleic acid
Naturally produced by the human body, levels of oleic acid tend to wane as people grow older. Oleic acid mimics the sebum produced by the skin, making it a powerful moisturizer.
Palmitic acid
Levels of palmitic acid can decrease as much as 56% in aging skin. It’s primarily an emulsifying agent that helps keep skin hydrated.
What is Rosehip Oil Used For?
Rosehip oil is used in a variety of personal grooming products and cosmetic preparations. Following are the benefits this oil offers:
Counteracts the effect of premature aging. A few drops of oil placed on a clean cotton swab and dabbed once or twice daily onto problem areas—around the eyes, nose and mouth, produces visible results within two weeks.
When smoothed through hair after a shampoo, it helps prevent breakage and a brittle texture. The essential fatty acids in the oil help hair shafts stay strong and supple. Can also be used in between shampoos to keep hair shiny and manageable.
Rubbing rosehip oil into cuticles on a regular basis prevents ragged cuticles and keeps hands looking attractive and well-groomed. Because it's a dry oil, there won't be a greasy residue to worry about after it absorbs into the skin. Can also be massaged into your nails to keep them strong and supple.
Regular applications result in a more even skin tone, making Rosehip oil an excellent choice for those with sun spots or scarring caused by acne. It’s also successfully used to tone down overly vibrant freckles.
Scalp conditions such as dandruff are often alleviated by massaging rosehip oil into the scalp and leaving it on for about 30 minutes prior to shampooing. The vitamin A in the oil helps unclog hair follicles, while the anti-inflammatory properties of the essential acids keep scalp irritation levels low.
Sunburn sufferers experience immediate relief upon application of rosehip oil to the affected areas of the skin. The anti-inflammatory agents in the oil reduce the swelling and associated pain caused by overexposure to UV rays.
Rubbing the oil into areas affected by stretch marks helps the marks fade.
Rosehip oil can be mixed with water in a spray bottle and applied throughout the day when skin needs refreshing. This is particularly useful on hot summer days, especially when the spray bottle is kept refrigerated.
It’s useful to set makeup after application, when mixed with water in a spray bottle. Spray on after makeup is applied and wait for it to dry.
Used as a bath oil to give the water a silky texture and to provide an extra layer of hydration.
Makes a great massage oil used alone or combined with other oils.
For additional benefits, rosehip oil can be successfully added to several existing beauty products like creams and lotions.