Natural and organic skincare has gained its popularity in
recent years and I have heard many bloggers sang praises of rosehip oil. I was
at Chemist Warehouse last week and found rosehip oil came with many different names, different types, different brands and organic or not. Confusing!
It inspired me to make my research online and seek answers of my questions. Although I am not a skincare expert by any means, I am happy
to share some of my findings and my thoughts to you girls.
What people rave about rosehip oil?
Every brand sells rosehip oil describes it as rich in omega 3 & 9, vitamins as well as antioxidants. A few research showed it had a skin regenerative effect, meaning it could be helpful in reducing wrinkle/ fine line, scar, pigmentation etc.
--------------------------- Some questions I had ---------------------------------
Rosehip oil? Rosehip seed oil?
I always read the ingredient list (and nutrition table if
any) before I make a purchase. One of the first things I noticed was the product
name. While some are called rosehip oil, some are called rosehip seed oil. What
is the different between them?
Both names represent the same
kind of product as seeds are held inside fruits/ hips and manufacturers simply put the whole fruits in extraction.
Rosa Canina? Rosa Eglanteria?
Rosa Rubiginosa - official Latin name of Rosa Eglanteria or Rosa Mosqueta (often used in Spain and South America).
=> Rosa Eglanteria = Rosa Rubiginosa = Rosa Mosqueta
It is native to Europe and famously known as Shakespeare's rose.
However, it is identified as invasive species in the US(USDA) and Australia and planting is restricted (here).
Rosa Canina, native to Europe, is commonly known as the dog rose and its fruits
are often used to make syrup, tea and marmalade in Spain or other countries (here). It is seen as an invasive specie in New Zealand (here).
I have been trying to look for any evidence but cannot find any research or proof identifying Rosa Eglanteria rosehip oil superior to Rosa Canina rosehip, or the other way around.
Kobashi claims both oil share almost identical properties.
In
Jeanne Rose's book 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols, she only included Rosa Rubiginosa as one of the source of making rosehip oil but left out Rosa Canina. Dr. Steve Esomba's 21st century's fuel sufficiency road map also only included Rosa Rubiginosa but no Rosa Canina. Cloverleaf Farm on the other hand excluded Rosa Rubiginosa as a source of rosehip oil.
Any scientific evidence about effectiveness of rosehip oil?
Most so-called research does not sound solid to me as either I cannot actually find the articles themselves through my university library (connected to other academic database) or I failed to access it. Even if research did take place, I would not know which companies funded the researches and if there was any affiliation.
The official website of Rosehipplus, which is an Australian brand selling rosehip oil, listed a few research on regenerative effect of Rosa Rubiginosa (details here: http://www.rosehipplus.com.au/rosehip-oil-scientific-evidence/ ). Yet I searched my university library database and I have never found the exact research paper mentioned. There were a few other research related to rosehip but irrelevant to beauty and skincare.
I also found an article written by Marc Cohen where he
used Rosehip oil (made out of Rosa Canina fruits) on his experiment objects who
suffered from osteoarthritis. The trial suggested Rosehip oil had an excellent
anti-inflammatory effect. I was not able to find the exact research paper from my university library database and the article was only thing. I question if it is a scientific research after all.
The only paper that looks legitimate to me was a review paper called A systematic review on the Rosa canina effect and efficacy profiles . However, I could not access the library of US National Library of Medicine.
Extra: Any interesting thing?
Often product description on the box describes rosehip as 'rich in Vitamin C'. Yet, it is a question whether rosehip oil actually retains its natural Vitamin C after cold pressing or CO2 extraction. Vitamin C oxidizes when exposed to light, heat and air and it is almost impossible to assure How much Vitamin C loses/ is retained after manufacturing process (AromaWeb claimes none is left after extraction.)
**********************************************
How to pick?
First - Quality of rosehip used makes a big difference. Unfortunately, most companies do not state where their oil comes from or how the oil is extracted.
-> Buy from a brand that has confidence to disclose where the oil is from
-> Buy a rosehip oil made from CO2 extraction or cold pressing.
Where is it from??
When I looked at options available at Chemist Warehouse, I could not find information about where brands sourced their rosehip oil. They only stated the product was made with imported ingredients...
(I never get paid, nor received any free products)
Some Australian brands I love:
Kosmea is one of the top rosehip oil brands and its rosehip oil is made of Rosa Eglanteria from South Africa. Its oil comes with a natural amber colour and nutty fragrance. Its consistency is also much thicker than the other two brands below. From my personal experience, I think it worked excellent. Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost works even better than regular rosehip oil.
Trilogy is known for its rosehip oil antioxidant+
collection. Multiple antioxidants and ingredients were added to boost its effectiveness.
“Certified Organic Rosehip Oil , Solanum lycopersicum
(tomato) seed oil (and) caprylic/capric triglyceride (and) vaccinium macrocarpon
(cranberry) seed oil (and) helianthus annuus seed oil (and) tocopherol,
Lycopene, Acai oil, Oat extract”
Sukin positions itself at the cheaper end of the price spectrum. Its certified organic Rosa Eglanteria oil, RRP $19.95 for 20ml, was a very affordable option.
Yet, its oil has a light yellow colour and retains no fragrance. Very thin consistency as well. Its facial moisturizer retailed for $9.95 (125ml) uses Rosa Canina rosehip oil instead of Rosa Eglanteria oil. Unsure if it will make any difference, yet it is a very affordable option.
Bibliography (sorry I am too lazy to follow formal
referencing system lol maybe someday I will edit it)
Do you girls try any rosehip oil? Which brand is your favourite?
Let me know what you think about it below. Thank you for reading my post. Love
you :*
