Carrier Oil Profile: Rosehip Oil

Image Source:  Craftology Essentials

INCI Name: Rosa moschata (Rose Hip) Seed Oil OR Rosa canina (Rose Hip) Fruit Oil

Source: Fruit and seeds

Types: Refined / Unrefined

Color: Pale yellow to reddish-orange

Aroma: Slightly nutty

Viscosity: Thin

Absorption: Fast

Comedogenic Rating: 1

Shelf Life: 6 months (if stored in cool, dry place and away from direct sunlight)

SAP Value (for soap making): 185 - 193 (mg KOH), NaOH = 0.135 (g, oz or lb), KOH = 0.189 (g, oz or lb)

Ideal for which skin type: oily/acne prone

Fatty Acid Profile (in %):

Linoleic Acid	51.2
Oleic Acid	21.3
Alpha Linolenic Acid	18
Palmitic Acid	3.8
Stearic Acid	2.2
Others	3.5

Table Source: https://shop.skinchakra.eu/en/Cosmetic-Lab/Plant-oils-butters-and-waxes/Rosehip-oil.html

If you can only choose 3 oils to include in your beauty arsenal, then rosehip oil must be included in the list. Rosehip oil is the star ingredient in several natural anti-aging skin care products and even popular Hollywood celebrities have nothing but praises for this amazing beauty oil.

Rosehip oil comes from the rose hip (also known as rose haw) which is the fruit of the rose plant that is native in southern Chile. The oil is either extracted from the seeds or from the whole fruit using either cold-pressed or solvent extraction methods. Cold-pressed rosehip oil is the preferred choice of many consumers because it retains most of the oil’s potent nutrients that are good for your skin.

Rosehip oil can also be either refined or unrefined. Refined rosehip oil is pale yellow in color and has very faint odor. This is in contrast to unrefined rosehip oil which is yellow-orange to reddish-orange in color and has earthy scent. Most people thought that pure rosehip oil should smell like rose, but it doesn’t. It is because the oil is extracted from the seeds or fruits, not from the rose petals.

Rosehip oil has so many skin-loving benefits. Based on its fatty acid profile, it contains high amount of essential fatty acids: linoleic (omega-6) and alpha linolenic (omega-3) acids. Oils high in linoleic acid are ideal for people with oily and/or acne-prone skin. These two essential fatty acids help regulate sebum production and reduce skin inflammations (e.g. pimples). Also, rosehip oil is considered as a “dry” oil because it gets absorb so fast and won’t leave any greasy residue, perfect for oily-skin people! It also has a comedogenic rating of 1 which means that it has a very low chance of clogging your pores.

One of the most important components of rosehip oil is beta-carotene where vitamin A (a.k.a retinol) is derived. Aside from protecting our skin from free-radical damages, beta-carotene has the ability to regenerate skin cells. This is the ultimate reason why continuous use of rosehip oil can eventually reduce the appearance of scars, stretch marks, age spots, fine lines and wrinkles. These properties make rosehip oil an effective anti-aging ingredient for skin care products.

Rosehip oil is quite an expensive oil (just like argan oil) so it’s very important that you only buy good quality cold-pressed, unrefined variant to get the most of its skin-loving properties. If it’s for personal use only, try to buy the smallest size you can find because rosehip oil gets rancid very quickly (shelf life is approximately 6 months). In order to extend its shelf life a little bit, you may add 0.5% vitamin E to your rosehip oil and store it in the refrigerator.

Finally, if you want to formulate a skin care product using unrefined rosehip oil, then make sure that you only use it at 5 – 10% in a formulation. Due to its high beta-carotene content, it has dark yellow to orange color that might stain your skin (e.g. like having a fake tan) when added in large amount in a product formulation.

References:

Saponification Chart. Retrieved from https://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/resources/sapon.asp

Rose Hip Oil. Retrieved from https://www.aromaweb.com/vegetableoils/rosehipoil.asp

Why Linoleic Acid and Rosehip Oil Might Fix your Skin. https://labmuffin.com/why-linoleic-acid-and-rosehip-oil-might-fix-your-skin/

P.S. To always get the latest blog updates, don’t forget to follow me on Facebook.