Botanical Name: Rosa mosqueta, Rosa rubiginosa

Aroma: Mild and perhaps earthy aroma.

Texture: Light and leaves only a hint of oil on the skin.

Color: Virtually clear.

Shelf Life: 6-12 Months.

Rosehip Oil, Rosa rubiginosa (Sweet briar or Eglantine Rose; syn. R. eglanteria) is a species of rose native to Europe and western Asia. It is a dense deciduous shrub 2-3 m high and across, with the stems bearing numerous hooked prickles. The foliage has a strong apple-like fragrance. The leaves are pinnate, 5-9 cm long, with 5-9 rounded to oval leaflets with a serrated margin, and numerous glandular hairs.

Rose Hip Oil is rich in essential fatty acids, namely alpha linolenic acid, and is said to be excellent in treating many skin conditions. It is expensive and is usually blended in a small (often 10%) dilution with other carrier oils. Despite rose hips being a natural source of the antioxidant VITAMIN C (a water soluble vitamin) and VITAMIN E(fat soluble), the oil itself goes rancid rather quickly. Rose Hip Oil contains approximately 6% saturated fat, 13% oleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid), 43% linoleic acid (an omega-6 essential fatty acid), and 36% alpha linolenic acid (an omega-3 essential fatty acid).

Rosehip oil is not a volatile carrier oil, yet is expensive and scarce due to crop failures, and for this reason often sold adulterated, and mixed with another carrier oil. It is high in GAMMA LINOLENIC ACID (GLA), and helps reduce the signs of ageing, especially the fine lines around the eyes (crows feet) and lines around the mouth, the drying effects of the sun and climate, as well as assisting with attenuating both accidental and surgical scars.

Rosehip oil has been used for centuries in South America for its effective moisturising qualities. This carrier oil replenishes dry and damaged skin and naturally promotes elasticity and firmness. Pure Rosehip oil contains around three- quarters essential fatty acids: oleic, linoleic, and linolenic, which help maintain healthy skin. Rosehip oil also contains natural Tretinoin, a derivative of Retinol (VITAMIN A), which replenishes and helps rebuild skin tissue. The oil has a naturally occuring preservative in the form of anti-oxidant tocopherols (Vitamin E), helping to maintain shelf-life.

This cold pressed carrier oil is excellent as part of a blend for skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. See the Essential Oils and proportions to use under these headings.