Well Red: Everything You Need to Know About Rosehip Oil

There may just be one ingredient on the market today that’s about as close to a “great for all skin” ingredient as we’re ever going to get. Have you had the pleasure of meeting rosehip oil yet?

If you have even a passing interest in skincare, you know one thing that gets repeated all. the. time. is that what works for one face may not work for another. “One size fits all” does not apply to skincare. There’s certainly no magic pill that will cure your skin issues and your mom’s and your best friend’s and your boss’. We are all unique, glorious unicorns and our skin is no different.

BUT! There may just be one semi-magical ingredient on the market today that, while not a miraculous cure-all, is about as close to a universally-acknowledged “great for all skin” ingredient as we’re ever going to get. Have you had the pleasure of meeting rosehip oil yet?

What is rosehip oil?

Despite their similar names, rosehip and rose are two very different things — let’s get that out of the way up front. Rosehip oil is pressed from the seeds and fruit of wild rosehip, a plant that gowns in Chile and that was originally used for its healing properties by Mayans and Native Americans. See, we’re already off to a good start if it’s been used for centuries.

How does rosehip oil work? Why should I care?

At the most basic level, rosehip oil is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids that are all critical in keeping skin hydrated, fading dark spots, fighting blemishes, and reducing fine lines.

As far as vitamins go, it’s got naturally high levels of vitamins A, C and E, all of which may treat face scars, improve skin’s tone and texture, and protect against sun and environmental damage. This also means that rosehip oil is totally safe to use morning and night as there’s no risk of it reacting oddly with exposure to the sun. And if you’re concerned about acne, rosehip has you covered with linoleic acid.

Rosehip is also chockfull of carotenoids, the free radical-fighting phytonutrients that may not only help your skin deactivate free radicals, but that are also found in all the good-for-you red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables out there. (They’re also what gives the oil it’s beautiful orange hue.)

Oh, and it also stimulates the production of collagen and elastic. You know, that stuff that keeps your skin bouncy and young.

So you know why rosehip oil is great for your skin (see above), but how is it possible that it works for so many different skin types and ailments? The secret, dear friend, is two-fold. First, it’s a dry oil, meaning it absorbs quickly into your skin rather than sitting on top and taking forever to seep deep down. That said, it does seep deep down, penetrating your skin at a cellular level, working well after application to repair and restore

What does this mean for different skin types? If you’ve got reactive, sensitive or oily skin, it’s gentle enough that it’ll do a great job moisturizing and treating your face without leaving it a slick mess. If you’re super-dry, it’ll penetrate deeply and play nicely with thicker moisturizers you may layer it with. What’s more, since it’s light-yet-mighty, you can use it year-round — no need to switch it out when the seasons change since it’s effective enough to combat dryness in the winter but light enough not to clog pores in the summer.

How do I use rosehip oil?

One of (the many) nice things about rosehip oil is that it has a longer shelf life than a lot of other natural oils. (Because of the way it’s harvested, the oil only starts oxidizing — i.e. losing its potency — once opened. So while a lot of other face oils will only be useable for 6-12 months, a quality rosehip oil will last for 12-24…if you can even keep it around that long.)

Ready to get started? Use it like nature intended: as a pure, simple, effective face oil, morning, noon and night. Or as part of an oil blend so your face gets benefits from multiple incredible ingredients at once. Or as an uber-moisturizing mist. Or as part of a serum to layer with, I don’t know, pure rosehip oil? Or as an ingredient in a face mask to double down on its free radical-fighting properties. Or…honestly…just use it for everything. Rosehip oil for president!