Like a multi-vitamin supplement for the skin, rose hip oil is rich in many vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids, all necessary for the health of our skin.
Rose hip oil is a fruit oil which means:
- It does not need to be diluted within a carrier oil
- It is suitable for all skin types, especially sensitive
- It can be used on skin of all ages, from newborn babies to their great-grandparents!
- It is super-fine and light and absorbs easily into the skin
- It is harmonising and balancing making it great for dry and oily skins alike
- It allows the skin to breathe, unlike moisture creams which can clog pores
ROSE HIP OIL IS PACKED FULL OF GOODNESS:
| Vitamin A(or topical trans retinoic acid) | In its synthetic form, this ingredient is commonly known as retinol however, the vitamin A in our rose hip oil is naturally occurring and may help with oily skin, skin dehyrated from overexposure to the sun, fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone. |
| Linoleic acid | Omega 6 oils help preserve the cell’s natural barrier to environmental conditions and are critical in the structure of our cell membranes. Omega 6 oils, which include linolenic and gamma-linolenic acid, are found primarily in raw nuts, seeds, legumes, borage oil, grape seed oil, primrose oil, sesame oil and soybean oil as well as in our rose hip oil. |
| Oleic acid | Also known as Omega 9 fatty acid and is commonly found in avocado, macadamia, apricot seeds, almonds and olive oil as well as in our rose hip oil. Helps produce supple and moist skin and improve skin condition. |
| Linolenic acid | Omega 3’s may help dry skin conditions by softening and moisturising the skin and are critical in the structure of our cell membranes. Omega 3 EFA's, including alpha-linolenic acid, are found in fresh deepwater fish, fish oil and certain vegetable oils such as canola, flaxseed and walnut oils as well as in our rose hip oil. |
| Lycopene | Antioxidant commonly found in tomatoes. This powerful antioxidant is found in the skin of the rose hip and is responsible for giving Kosmea’s Skin Clinic™ Certified Rose Hip Oil its beautiful amber colour.
Helps protect the skin from daily free-radical damage and helps it fight against the signs of premature ageing. |
| Beta-carotene | A source of pro-vitamin A and an antioxidant to help sun-damaged skin. It also helps prevent the signs of ageing. |
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
Not only found in fish oils!
In the 1980’s, a study carried out by Drs Pareja and Kehl on the properties and benefits of rose hip oil, found that rose hip oil contains high levels of essential fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids. These are called ‘essential’ for a reason - they are necessary for our body to function healthily, yet our body is not able to reproduce them.
From the day we are born we strip our skin of its natural oils through using harsh detergents and cleansers, yet our skin needs oil to remain healthy, to retain elasticity and in order to regenerate itself. Our skin produces its own natural oils or lipids which is increased based on the amount of essential fatty acids we intake in our diet through eating oil-rich foods such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
Essential fatty acids have a very important function in the regeneration of skin cells and the repair of damaged skin tissue. Essential fats re-organise collagen and elastin to rebuild skin. As a rich source of essential fatty acids, rose hip oil was shown to help prevent the signs of premature ageing, minimise uneven skin tone and reduce the appearance of scars. In the Chilean study it was discovered that, if applied consistently for a long period of time i.e. 2 or 3 months, rose hip oil may help to smooth the appearance of wrinkles and counter balance the drying effects of the sun (which is usually first noticed in fine lines around the eyes and mouth).
By reducing the essential fat content of our skin we also increase the likelihood of having dry skin and related conditions. Increasing the essential fat intake through a diet rich in fish oil, nuts and seeds is imperative for dry skin sufferers and of equal importance is the topical application of essential fats through oils such as Rose Hip Oil to not only help nourish the skin but also ease the discomfort.
In the most recent analytical test, Kosmea’s Skin Clinic™ Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil was found to have no less than 80% essential fatty acids.VITAMIN A / TOPICAL TRANS RETINOIC ACID
Rose hip oil has also been shown to be rich in topical trans-retinoic acid (a derivative of Vitamin A)known in its synthetic form as the drug Retinol. Retinoic acid was initially introduced in its synthetic form for the treatment of oily skin, sun-damaged skin and signs of premature ageing.
Rose hip oil produces all the benefits of synthetic Retinol, but in its natural state; as part of a complex system of essential fatty acids and therefore does not have any of the side effects of the drug. Research has shown that topical trans-retinoic acid is particularly effective in preventing premature ageing caused by the sun. It is proven that even brief exposure to the sun can increase the enzymes which lead to the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin. The trans-retinoic acid present in rose hip oil reduces the activity of these enzymes thus making rose hip oil effective in reducing sun-induced premature ageing.
NB. As the vitamin A is part of a complex system of essential fatty acids, i.e. is naturally present in rose hip oil, there is no danger for use during pregnancy or whilst breast-feeding. ANTIOXIDANTS
Every day we expose our skin to free-radical damage through pollution, environment and modern day lifestyle factors such as smoking, stress and poor diets. Free radicals cause an oxidisation process in the body – just like fruit and vegetables left out in the air to spoil. This damage contributes to premature skin ageing, dehydration and other skin disorders.
Antioxidants protect cells from damage by neutralising free radicals. Rose hip oil is rich in antioxidants including lycopene. Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts a red colour to tomatoes, guava, watermelon, pink grapefruit and rose hips. Its health benefits have been well documented and within rose hip oil it helps protect the skin against the onset of premature ageing.
At Kosmea, we use the fruit skin and seed of the rose hip. Often the rose hip skin gets discarded or used as tea but it is this part of the rose hip which is found to have the lycopene content, and it is the lycopene which is responsible for giving Kosmea’s Skin Clinic™ Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil its rich, golden, amber colour.
