As many of us know, rosehip oil is an effective emollient as well as an antioxidant. Today, through reviewing Trilogy‘s Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, I will look into the specific emollient and antioxidant properties of rosehip oil.
First of all, the product itself. Trilogy is a skincare and bodycare brand from New Zealand, and Certified Organic Rosehip Oil is one of the brand’s key products. The oil is obtained from a certified organic source in Chile, and the product is certified by BioGro, a New Zealand based organic certifier accredited by IFOM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements).
The product is 100% rosehip oil with no other ingredient. The oil (available in 20ml and 45ml) is packaged in a brown glass bottle with a dropper dispenser. The virtually scentless oil has a deep golden color and feels relatively lightweight on the skin. It can be used both on the face and on the body.
I have been trying to find independent information on the emollient and antioxidant properties of rosehip oil, but many of the sources I have come across on-line are various companies carrying rosehip oil and other plant oils (such as Kosmea, which does provide a good round-up of rosehip oil). Nonetheless, based on these sources (along with the information on Trilogy’s website and on Paula Begoun’s Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary), here are, for your reference, elements contained in rosehip oil and their benefits for the skin:
– Omega 3 (linolenic acid): fatty acid that has emollient properties
– Omega 6 (linoleic acid): fatty acid that has emollient, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cell-communicating properties
– Omega 9 (oleic acid): fatty acid that has emollient properties
– Lycopene: a type of carotenoid, with antioxidant properties
– Beta-carotene: another type of carotenoid, with antioxidant properties
– Vitamin A (trans-retinoic acid): with antioxidant and cell-communicating properties
– Vitamin C: with antioxidant properties
– Vitamin E: with antioxidant properties
There is little doubt about rosehip oil’s skincare benefits, but there is no single best way to use the oil to maximize its benefits for everyone. For those with dry (facial) skin, it can be used as a serum before a moisturizer or simply as a moisturizer. Those with combination or oily skin should generally avoid an occlusive emollient. But if you have combination/oily skin and really want to try it, I suggest mixing one drop with your usual moisturizer in your evening skincare routine.
Handcare-wise, you can either add one or two drops to your usual hand cream to boost the level of moisture for your hands or use the oil specifically on your cuticles. (I have been doing both before bed.)
Generally, rosehip oil can work very well alongside your usual skincare/bodycare products for added emolliency and antioxidant benefits. Unlike some other face/body oils that contain fragrant plant oils (orange, geranium, lavender, etc.) that can be skin-irritants, pure rosehip oil has solid benefits for the skin and it is not likely to cause skin irritation in most cases.
(Rosehip oil can be listed on product ingredient lists as rosa canina oil (the case with Trilogy’s rosehip oil), rosa centifolia oil, rosa eglanteria oil, rosa mosqueta oil, and rosa rubiginosa oil. They are not to be confused with rose (flower) oil (or rosa damascena oil), which is a fragrant oil that can be a skin-irritant.)
As with my comment on the packaging of SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic, a more ideal packaging for Trilogy’s Certified Organic Rosehip Oil would be an airtight opaque bottle with a pump dispenser (in order to better preserve the antioxidants in this product).
(The product featured in this article is provided by Trilogy.)
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I have been using rose hip oil for a while. 3 drops on my face every night. After using it for a week, I found that my face gets blackhead from it. I don’t know why. Did you notice any difference of your skin after using it for a while? Thanks.
Awesome website, I always drop by to check your updates. :)
Hi Kate,
Thank you very much for your kind words!
First of all, I’d just like to be clear that, during the product trial prior to drafting this review, I did not apply this product on my face. As I mentioned in my review, people with combination or oily skin should generally avoid richly occlusive emollient products (such as a facial oil). My face is quite oily/sebaceous and I don’t think a pure oil will suit me.
(You might have come across information which suggests that rosehip oil has oil-balancing efficacy. I presume it is possibly due to the trans-retinoic acid (vitamin A) that it has, but, with all the emollients (fatty acids), I don’t think this product (or any other facial oil) would suit me.)
Blackheads are essentially oxidized whiteheads (which are a combination of sebum and skin cells) and products rich in antioxidants should generally be able to prevent them to some extent. However, it could be the case that rosehip oil somehow indirectly increases the amount of sebum that your skin produces. (The surface temperatures on your skin can increase when the skin is coated/sealed with a very occlusive substance/emollient, and this may trigger additional sebum secretion.) This may then indirectly increase the chances of blackheads.
If you haven’t, try stopping using the rosehip oil and see if the blackheads start to very slowly disappear. If they do, then do think about whether you still want to use it. If you do, try using as little of it as possible or decreasing the frequency of use.
I hope it helps a little, and thank you for your question! :)
Hi PJ,
Thanks a lot for your advice. I stopped using it and I will see if my skin goes back to normal later on. I am looking for anti-aging products to prevent aging. ( I am in my late 20s, have been using Sunscreen daily) However, my skin starts to show first sign of aging, little lines under my eye~~~~I thought Rose hip oil would help. I guess I have to keep looking. :)
Hi Kate,
You are very welcome!
It is great that you are using sun protection items, which, apart from hydrating your skin in the evening, are all the anti-aging products you really need. But just make sure that the sun protection products you are using provide both UVA and UVB protection. Otherwise you are not getting adequate sun protection.
Just for your reference:
http://www.atouchofblusher.com/2006/12/sunscreen-basics.html
Meanwhile, the fine lines under your eyes may be dehydration lines, which shouldn’t worry you too much. Try adding more moisture to the area in your daily skincare routine and see if there is an improvement. Also, try to look at other aspects of your life, such as the level of stress and fatigue and the possible lack of exercise.
Thank you for stopping by again! :)
Kate:
I’ve done a bit of research on Trilogy’s rosehip oil, and I’m quite positive that the blackhead that has popped up is part of the purging, all of the toxins and impurities start purging out while you use the rosehip oil, but it only lasts a week or two :) the results afterwards are amazing! You should also check out Ylang ylang oil, it’s apparently great for anti-aging.
For more info : http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=69833/Rosehip-Oil/Trilogy/Skincare—Face
Hi Christine,
Thank you for posting your comment. I hope Kate will get to read it later.
However, I personally have doubts about the idea of purging. As I mentioned, blackheads are essentially oxidized whiteheads. The reason why they are black is the oxidized melanin. The black color has nothing to do with dirt, toxins, or any other kind of impurity.
Also, ylang ylang oil is a fragrant and volatile oil that can be a skin irritant. It is mainly used to scent a product and has virtually no benefit for the skin.
Thank you very much for stopping by!
hi, i woundered if u know if this product works well with scars and strech marks as ive read several rewiews about the product but not seen any involving either of these? thanks
Hi Paige,
If it is applied over a very long period of time, it may have some efficacy in making minor scars and stretch marks look less apparent. But do bear in mind that this is the case with most other well-formulated moisturizers and that there is no magic product that erases scars and stretch marks. (The effects of reducing scars and stretch marks as advertised by most products are overly exaggerated.)
Please also refer to my answer to Nneoma’s question under this post:
http://www.atouchofblusher.com/2011/10/all-about-b-b-creams-featuring-my-review-of-garnier-miracle-skin-perfector-daily-all-in-one-b-b-cream-in-light.html
Hope it helps, and thank you for your question! :)