Everything you need to know about rosehip oil

finca skin organics rosacea calming serum ETR subtype 1 rose hip oil

If you’re already a plant oil enthusiast and you’re into skincare you need to know about the benefits of organic rosehip oil. This is one of my all time favorites, and actually the ingredient that kicked off the whole Finca Skin Organics journey.

Where does rosehip come from?

Rosehip oil (aka rosehip seed oil) comes from the seeds of rose bushes. These are grown a lot in Chile. They are known to be full of vitamins and antioxidants that work wonders on your skin. It is high in omegas 3, 6 and 9. It helps skin repair and regeneration. Rosehips are a fruit which come from the rosebush. If you have a rose bush at home, watch what happens when you leave dead roses on the plant. A bright red/orange fruit is left there. All roses produce these fruits, but certain varieties are more powerful than others.
Because of its high antioxidant content, it can play a useful role in treating a range of skin conditions and sensitivities. It is often found in cleansers, serums, moisturizers, make-up removers and as a standalone product. Rosehip has a heap of benefits attached to it such as redness reduction, anti-aging, acne calming and moisturizing effects. Give it a quick Google and you’ll see bloggers, celebrities, dermatologists and skincare experts hyping it up.

What’s does rosehip oil do to your skin?

The pressed seed oil from the rosehip plant has been valued for hundreds of years for its healing properties. It has a whole range of benefits which I’ll go into more below. It’s now widely known for its hydrating and counter aging properties, but at its core it's a super effective moisturizer. Rosehip has a lot of essential fatty acids including omega 3 and 6. This helps with softening skin and protecting the skin barrier. You might think oils aren’t for you if you suffer from an oily skin condition. It sounds counterproductive, right? Rosehip oil can actually be used on all skin types, dry, oily or combination. Due to the fatty acids it can be helpful for even those suffering from acne and rosacea prone skin. The linoleic acid found in the oil can also be effective against hyperpigmentation.

The benefits of rosehip oil

Moisturizing

Chemicals and air pollution can damage the skin barrier, leaving it dry, itchy and sensitive. When the skin barrier is damaged, it’s not able to properly retain moisture. A study in 2018 concluded that rosehip oil can be good at repairing the skin's natural barrier. If the skin is applied right after a bath or shower it will create a physical barrier and lock in the moisture. We’ve also added rosehip oil to our Moisturising Balm for an extra hit of hydration and protection.

Anti-Aging

Rosehip is rich in vitamin A (you might know this as “retinol”). This helps reduce signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles while thickening the skin layers below the surface. The result of this is firmer and tighter feeling skin. Who doesn’t want that?

Brightening the skin and evening the skin tone

Not only packed with vitamin A, there’s also a healthy dose of vitamin C in this nutrient dense oil. The vitamin C is known to stimulate collagen production, but also gives a brightening effect making skin radiant and glowy.
If you suffer from hyperpigmentation or have red blotches, rosehip is a much kinder alternative to lemon juice for sensitive faces. The mix of vitamins in rosehip oil work together to keep your skin tone even. This is the reason why we’ve included it as an ingredient in our Anti-Redness Primer.

Protection from damage

As mentioned above, there are powerful antioxidants hidden inside your dose of rosehip oil. Tocopherols and carotenoids join together to protect against free radicals (a molecule known to damage cells). In a nutshell, these antioxidants cancel out the free radicals skin damaging attempts.

Calms redness and soothes irritation

Rosehip oil is an anti-inflammatory. Skin conditions like subtype 1 rosacea and eczema are primarily inflammatory conditions. This means rosehip can be an effective ingredient in helping to calm supersensitive skin. It can bring the redness associated with these conditions down, and promote growth and renewal of cells due to its high beta-carotene content.
In our Finca Skin Organics Calming Serum 1, you’ll find a hefty dose of organic rosehip and hyaluronic acid to soothe and plump the skin.
As well as being a good agent in the fight against inflammatory conditions, it’s also good for more oily, acne-prone skin. Vitamin A (retinoids) is often prescribed for acne treatments since it speeds up the process of skin cell turnover. It’s also non-comedogenic, meaning it doesn’t clog the pores.

Prevents scarring and stretch marks

A study in 2015 proved rosehip oil an effective elixir to help with the prevention and reduction of scars and stretch marks. The participant in the study group saw reduction in redness / erythema after 6 weeks, while after 12 they also noted reduction in further discolouration and skin atrophy.

Potential side effects and drawbacks

As with every new ingredient you add into your routine, we always recommend patch testing first. Although side effects from rosehip oil are rare, allergic reactions can happen. These are mostly mild, but depending on the individual could be more severe. To reduce the risk, apply a small bit somewhere like your wrist or elbow, cover and leave for 24 hours. If there’s no rash or side effects then, you’re probably safe to keep using. It’s always best to slowly incorporate it into your routine.

The entire Finca Skin Organics range has been specifically formulated for sensitive skin including rosacea. After using our products, 87% felt the appearance of their skin improved significantly after using our products and 100% said their skin felt more comfortable*. We only use minimal, plant-based ingredients to avoid any further irritation to your skin.

View the range of Finca skin organics products here or find out what rosacea subtype your skin is.

If you have any queries regarding your rosacea or how to use our products get in contact with us, we'd love to hear from you.

With love from Ireland,

Finola

*Clinical evaluation by Harley St. dermatologists on 23 subjects after 8 weeks of use.