Rosehip Oil

A natural history

Rosehips are the jewel-red fruit left behind when a wild rose drops its petals, and the oil prized in skincare is cold-pressed from the small seeds inside. The most storied source is the wild rose the Spanish carried to South America, where it ran wild across the valleys of Chile, and the oil, rosa mosqueta, became a folk treasure for nourishing skin and softening the look of scars. Rosehips also carry one of the richest natural stores of vitamin C of any fruit.

That vitamin richness wrote rosehips into history. During the Second World War, when blockades cut Britain off from imported citrus, volunteers fanned out across the countryside to gather hedgerow hips by the ton, which were boiled into a national rosehip syrup and handed out, especially to children, as a homegrown source of vitamin C. The same humble fruit became, in time, a beloved beauty oil.

What it does for your skin

Rosehip seed oil is rich in essential fatty acids and natural carotenoids, including a trace of vitamin A. In a controlled trial on post-surgical scars, twice-daily rosehip seed oil was linked with less redness and discoloration over twelve weeks than untreated skin, supporting its reputation for the look of softer, more even scars.^[1] A 2024 review echoes that rosehip may help the look of scars and redness while noting the evidence is still limited.^[2] We use it as a nourishing oil for dry, mature skin.

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