In my recent searching I have discovered a use for rose-hip that I hadn’t known of before. I have always recommended rose-hip tea to people with colds and flu, as it is a rich source of vitamin-c which is important for immune system functioning if you haven’t been getting enough. Rose-hip tea is also very soothing. Apparently rose-hip oil is a fantastic natural, skin care ‘cure-all’ that I had no idea about until reading about it online recently. This makes sense as topical vitamin C is all the rage at the moment for improving the skins condition and treating wrinkles. However, rose-hip oil also contains numerous essential fatty acids which are also great for skin functioning. It gets even better… it is also good for dry eczema and scarring (acne scarring included) and can also improve rosacea, redness and pigmentation problems. However a lot of people with eczema find that applying oil directly to their skin is a bad idea; if you’re one of them then rosehip oil is probably not for you. I hadn’t yet had a bad experience with rosehip oiI so I wanted to give it a try and I organized a sample of Araucana’s mosqueta rose-hip oil, mosqueta being the botanical name for rose hip. Araucana is an Australian owned and run company and is a rose-hip specialist.

When I got it my skin was feeling a little red and dry so I though it would be a good chance to try it out. I tried after my morning shower to see how it would fare during the day. I applied it like I would for the night, except I used a little less as my skin was still hydrated from the shower. I waited for it to sink in before considering using a cream, and found I didn’t need to. After my skin had dried from the shower my skin felt soft and hydrated and I didn’t need to use anything on top. I did pop on a little mineral foundation top later in the day to reduce shine, as this is an oil and may make you appear a little shiny. Surprisingly though, it wont make you as shiny as you’d expect from a pure oil, which is a little odd but very welcome.

I think the rose hip oil calmed my skin down – it appeared less red and I used the mineral MU mainly to stop the slight shine. I was very impressed and I am looking forward to seeing the long term result of using this. I really hope that it reduces the dry, eczema prone tendency of my skin and I will certainly update on that. So far It feels good to use as it is a completely natural alternative to creams, lotions and potions and my face feels light and fresh with it on. It would be a bonus if it had anti-wrinkle properties, but as for that only time will tell . I’m not sure if this is suitable for a current acne break-out or not so I’ll check and update you on that. Edit: apparently it shouldn’t be used on active acne, but can be used after it’s cleared up to assist the healing process. It does appear to be recommended for rosacea however, and I think it would be good to use on dry or dull patches of skin as well. I only found one bad result for rose-hip oil on a Google search and that was from a rosacea sufferer, but that was for an oil bought on ebay where it could be just about anything.

That link is here: http://rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosacea_Forum/showthread.php?t=11234
I do think it was the quality of the oil, as I also found this on a similar rosacea forum about organic rose-hip oil: http://rosacea-support.org/community/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1197&p=8620&hilit=rose+oil
Although it is difficult to find good clinical trials on natural treatments I did find a 2009 review article on the use of rose-hip in the treatment of wounds. It’s in Portuguese and even though I can’t ascertain the specifics, babelfish tells me they make positive conclusions. Here’s a translation from babelfish:
“Diverse studies had demonstrated, in vitro and in alive, the antiinflammatory, bacteriostáticas and imunomoduladoras properties conferred to the extract of the oil of Mosqueta Rose”

There was also one other review (in English) with positive conclusions for the internal use of rose-hip as an anti-inflammatory in arthritis. Other than that not much, there wasn’t anything on the Cochrane reviews website either. I think the little evidence out there for the benefits of topical rose-hip justify a few more clinical trials, but unfortunately funding for medicinal clinical trials is probably dictated by how much you can charge for (and whether you can patent) a product, which is not much for a naturally sourced and un-synthesized ingredient. If you know of any relevant rose-hip trials please let me (and others) know about them by posting a comment.

Back to actually using the stuff; I recommend using rose-hip all as a replacement for a moisturizing cream (especially overnight). You can try using it like a serum after cleansing like I did. Dab your finger tip into the oil and massage gently into the face or the affected areas you want to target. If your skin is still feeling dry after using the oil as a moisturizer replacement, next time you use it I recommend applying it straight out of the bath or shower, preferably in a steamy room and before the skin dries out. You can pat a bit of the water off of your face with a clean towel but try to keep your face a little bit damp. This way the oils will seal in the moisture that is already there, rather than have to add moisture as a cream would do. The oils, obviously don’t contain any water so this is a good way around that.

Rose hip oil can also be added to your regular facial cream. Two to three drops, depending on how much cream you’re using, will give your cream a nourishing boost. I would do this for particularly dry skins. Alternately you can use it as a serum and then put your regular cream on top after it has sunk into the skin for a few minutes. I actually prefer this method at night, however I’m finding it so conditioning as it is I haven’t felt the need to use another cream on top of it yet. If you have dry skin doing this like a mask or treatment occasionally might be a good option.

Another neat use for rose-hip oil is to use it on your hair. After applying it on my face I rubbed my hands together and smoothed the residue into my hair. It doesn’t make the hair greasy looking like olive oil can so I think I’ll use this to condition my hair when I need to. I tend to prefer oils over hair conditioner as I like to use it mainly on the lengths and tips and oil is easier to control than a full-head application of conditioner. Overall I am really glad I discovered this new use for rose-hip, and especially that I found a really lovely, specialist supplier. Araucana make a quality, very pure mosqueta rose-hip oil and I am happy I found a trustworthy brand on my first try. You can buy their rose-hip oil from the link below.

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Araucana: Mosqueta Rose Hip Oil, 18 & 30ml from www.araucana.com.au
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Have you used rose-hip oil as a skin or hair care product before? What where your experiences of it? 

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