Rose hips, the seed pods of wild roses, grow wild and abundantly in the mid-plains of America and elsewhere around the world. The flowers range from white to pink, and the hips are an orangey-red color. They are used for tea and a food source by some Native American people. The oil of rose hip, often referred to as rosa mosqueta, is used for skin care because of its nutritive components.
Antioxidant
According to the American Indian Health and Diet Project, a handful of rose hips, or haws, contain as much vitamin C as 60 oranges. Vitamin C is a highly effective antioxidant, able to protect fat, protein and carbohydrate cells in your body from the damage of free radicals. Used as an oil applied to the face, it may help decrease skin aging by protecting the skin's collagen. Collagen is a building block for connective tissues and blood vessels.
Anti-inflammatory and Fatty Acid
A study published in the "Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering" explains that rose hip oil, which is extracted from the waxy skin using solvents, is an important source of nutrients and unsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids may attenuate scar tissue, improving its appearance. Rose hip oil also has anti-inflammatory properties, which may reduce swelling associated with acne and rosacea.
Retinol
Rose hips contain high levels of vitamin A, or retinol. A study cited by the University of Michigan Health System concluded that retinol-treated skin showed definite improvement in natural aging and in photoaging, or damage from the sun. The oil also promotes collagen formation, which helps skin withstand injury, and appears to reduce fine lines or wrinkles due to the aging process. In the elderly, it may help heal wounds and reduce ulcers.
References
- Kstrom.net: Wild Roses: Hips, Haws, Vitamin C
- American Indian Health and Diet Project: Foods Indigenous to the Western Hemisphere
- Vanderbilt University: Antioxidants and Skin Care: Media Hype or Wonder Drug ?
- "Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering"; Comparison of Conventional and Supercritical CO2--Extracted Rosehip Oil; J.M. del Valle, et al.; Sept.2000
- "Journal of Natural Products"; An antiinflammatory galactolipid from rose hip (Rosa canina) that inhibits chemotaxis of human peripheral blood neutrophils in vitro; E. Larsen, et al.; Jul.2003
- University of Michigan Health System: EurekAlert: Retinol lotion reduces the fine wrinkles from natural aging of skin
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