Rosehip Oil: Benefits for Face and Skin
What is Rosehip Oil?
Rosehip oils were used as a remedy by the ancient Egyptians, Native Americans and Mayans due to its amazing healing properties. During the war in Britain, this oil was prepared as a syrup and sent there for children to build their resistantce against any kind of infections and it also provided relief from stomach and menstrual cramps, diarrhea, indigestion as well as nausea.
Rosehip oil cannot be considered as an essential oil, but the uses are way more than skin deep. Rosehip oil has the ability to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. The presence of Vitamin A and Vitamin C in particular help in the stimulation of collagen production.
The rosehip oil comes from the seeds of a very specific type of rose called Rosa aff.rubiginosa or Rosa moschata, which were predominantly grown in Chile. It is a fruit which gets left behind after the rose has flowered and the petals are dropped off. It is said to be loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and the essential fatty acids. These essential nutrients are known to help in the correction of dark spots, keep the skin hydrated, reduce the scars and fine lines which are signs of aging and also to get rid of itchy skin.
Rosehip oil is separated from the seeds and the hips by the cold press extraction process. There are several benefits of rosehip oil when it comes to skin care. It can be applied externally and is known to protect the skin as well as increase the cell turnover. This is because the oil contains a number of vitamins such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin D and Beta-carotene which is a form of Vitamin A.
Rosehip oil also contains antioxidants which help to fight against the free radicals. It is rich in the essential fatty acids, but specifically in the gamma linolenic acid also called as GLA, oleic, linoleic and palmitic. It also contains the polyunsaturated fatty acids known as Vitamin F, which are also called as Essential Fatty Acids or EFA. When these fatty acids get absorbed in the skin, they convert themselves into prostaglandins or PGE.
These PGE are involved in various functions of the cellular membrane as well as regeneration of tissues. This regeneration can provide the benefit of anti-aging to an individual. Rosehip oil is considered rich in Vitamin C, thus making it one of the richest sources for treating skin making it a great choice among skin product manufacturers and specialists.
Anti-aging Benefits
Usually when there is a deficiency of essential nutrients such as vitamins and fatty acids, the skin looks dull and dry. Rosehip oil is full of all of these essential fatty acids as well as vitamins, thus is beneficial in providing natural moisture to the skin. When the skin has everything which it requires, then the skin will obviously look hydrated and healthy. Rosehip oil is great for people with dry skin, since this oil is known to be lightweight and does not feel heavy on the skin. It makes the skin look superb and glowing.
As skin ages, it becomes more mature and this is the time when wrinkles and fine lines develop on the skin. Rosehip oil is considered to act as a boon that helps to fight against those aging effects. Since rosehip oil has the ability to properly moisturize the skin, it helps to treat those messy wrinkles with its Vitamin E and A content. The essential fatty acids present in the oil help in proper repairing of the skin, thus helping to make it wrinkle-free. Regular use of rosehip oil gives an individual younger looking skin.
However, if the wrinkles on the face are deep inside the skin, then it would take some time for the results to show up, hence have patience in such cases. Ensure that you use the oil on a regular basis both in the morning and night and follow it as a regime. Apply the oil on the wrinkles and let it absorb. After some time, again apply another layer on top. Once it gets absorbed, if required, you can apply any petroleum jelly on top so as to keep it moisturized.
Rosehip oil is known to provide significant benefits of anti-aging to the face. It is non-greasy and very light. The properties of anti-aging come from the rich presence of antioxidants in the oil.
Rosehip oil has the ability to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. The presence of Vitamin A and Vitamin C in particular help in the stimulation of collagen production. Since Vitamin A is known to contain smaller molecules, it allows for deeper penetration into the skin and also improves the moisture levels of the skin, thus leading to reduction in wrinkles as well as fine lines on the skin. For those who do not want to go in for chemical treatments or Botox, then the perfect option would be the application of rosehip oil since it leads to rejuvenation of skin due to Vitamin C and lycopene. Thus, rosehip oil is a safer option for repairing as well as restoring the skin's elasticity.
As we age, the skin starts to sag due to various factors. If the skin is saggy or looks tired, then an effective remedy is rosehip oil that has amazing benefits of toning and making the skin look firm. There is everything present in the rosehip seed oil, which would help the skin normalize again and also give it all the essential vitamins and nutrients, which it is lacking. When the skin has the essential nutrients, then it does not look tired anymore. Rosehip oil is immensely beneficial in building the elasticity of the skin.
It is a fact that the more the skin is elastic, the more one would look younger. As previously mentioned, rosehip oil deeply penetrates the skin and moisturizes it thoroughly, thus giving back a skin which is tighter as well as more elastic. It makes the skin feel wonderful without providing any greasy texture.
Best Natural Treatment for Acne and its scars
If you are one of those who suffer from scars related to acne as well as trouble due to acne, then the best natural option would be to go in for rosehip oil. There is a myth that people with oily skin cannot go in for rosehip oil. However, that is not true as the skin produces too much oil because it is dehydrated due to lack of proper care or improper nutrition. When the skin starts producing too much oil, the pores tend to get clogged easily resulting into acne. To get rid of this, one can start using rosehip oil and alongside also increase the intake of water.
The use of rosehip oil would create a protective layer or barrier so that the skin stays hydrated all the time. Gradually, the acne scars would also fade if this oil is used on a regular basis. This is so because rosehip oil has various vitamins, which help the skin to heal and also regenerates new skin cells, which are healthy. On regular use, one can see the results in the acne and its scars in just two weeks’ time.
Protection against age spots
We all know that the harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun tend to easily damage the skin, if there is consistent exposure. This damage leads to age spots and also discoloration of the face. The antioxidants found in rosehip oil are known to fight against the free radicals in the body, which lead to sun damage. A combination of Vitamin A along with other oils and essential fatty acids is known to improve the tone of the skin, along with its texture and the pigmentation.
There are chances that too much exposure of skin to the sun can lead to reduction in collagen, the protein that not only gives our skin strength and elasticity, but also works in replacing dead skin cells. The Vitamin C present in rosehip oil helps to counteract this damage. Rosehip oil is known to be very moisturizing and also helps in reducing skin redness and irritation caused due to the sun. Due to these properties, rosehip oil is considered as a possible treatment for rosacea.
How to use rosehip oil for skin benefits?
- First and foremost, it is important to prepare the skin for the skin care process. The skin should be clean and exfoliated so as to make sure that after the application of the rosehip oil, it would deeply penetrate into the skin. There are various methods one can use for skin exfoliation. Baking soda can be one of them. For the exfoliation one, you can mix baking soda with rosehip oil and apply the mixture onto your face, there you go with the natural facial exfoliate. The reason it can be treated as an exfoliation is because it is very lightweight and easy on the skin.
- Once the skin is made clean and clear, take a small amount of oil into the palm of your hand.
- Now, slowly pat the rosehip oil onto the skin with the use of fingertips.
- Once done, wait for five minutes. After five minutes, again apply a small amount of the rosehip oil onto the dry areas of the skin such as under the eyes as well as the forehead. If there are wrinkles on the skin, then apply the oil there as well.
- It is very important that the oil should be absorbed deeply into the skin, thus creating a protective barrier against getting dehydrated.
This oil has been termed as great for any skin type, however it is best to apply small amounts for testing, to check that it does not cause any harmful side effects.
Important tips for usage
- Rosehip oil is very delicate, hence there are chances that it can go rancid easily. So, it needs to be stored properly. It can be kept in the refrigerator or stored in a cool and dark place so as to avoid the instance of rancidity. In certain cases, it has been seen that adding Vitamin E to rosehip oil has improved its shelf life.
- This oil is expensive compared to other oils and cold-pressed rosehip oil is the best since there is no process of altering the oil with heat, thus retaining the essential vitamins or nutrients.
- Rosehip oil is termed as a dry oil as it gets easily absorbed into the skin. Hence, the individual can directly apply the oil on the face or any other area. It should be gently massaged in circular motions. It can also be used in a number of skin care recipes.
- For adding benefit, one can apply the oil two times in a day. However, one should note that this oil does not provide protection against sunburn.
- Rosehip oil should not be directly applied on active scars.
- For those who have oily skin, it is essential to get the skin test done to ensure that the product is safe for your skin type and also to check that it would not clog the pores, leading to unwanted flare-ups.
Purchasing Rosehip Oil
Rosehip oil can be easily found at various food markets and also on online website stores. However, before purchasing any rosehip product, ensure that the label of the oil says that it was cold pressed since this is a very important process of extracting the oil along with maintaining the essential vitamins, which would provide maximum benefits to the skin. It is better to go in for rosehip oil which says best for all skin types as well as for anti-aging.
