Used by the Europeans to treat everything from skin irritations to depression, rose oil is making a comeback. In this beauty age of serums, essence and botanical extracts, there is something relaxing and refreshing about the simplicity of rose.
  
The beauty market is currently saturated with tons of products, most making exaggerated claims. Consumers are getting more informed and health conscious of what they buy and use, so it's no surprise they are starting to shun mass produced skincare products and going back to old fashioned, trusted ingredients that have proven to work.
 
Rose oil is a highly prized ingredient used in cosmetics and skincare, much for its scent and beauty benefits. Rose oil is usually extracted from 2 types of rose - (i) Rosa Damascena otherwise known as Damask Rose, and (ii) Rosa Centifolia. which is sweeter smelling and referred to as cabbage or Moroccan rose. What about Rose Otto? Otto is also commonly used in skincare products and obtained through steam distillation, while Absolute involves a more complicated extraction process and is preferred by perfumers. Regardless of extraction method, rose oil is extremely delicate and expensive. It takes 700 kg of rose petals to produce 1 kg of rose absolute, and because of its potency, only a couple of drops is required for maximum effect.
 
Truly versatile, rose oil retains moisture and boost radiance, which is one of the main reasons why it is often used for all skin types. It is especially popular for sensitive/rosacea skin though, because of its astringent effects on the capillaries to reduce redness.
 
And rose water, as most of you know or are are using by now, is a byproduct of the distillation process of rose oil and contain antiseptic and anti-inflammatory qualities. It is best used without alcohol, preservatives or additives as a skin toner / facial mist or mixed in cleanser and mask for soothing and restorative effects.  
 
Still unsure? One of rose oil’s key ingredients - Farnesol, contains a biological agent that stops bacteria growth and reproduction. In other words, rose oil will also inhibit acne. And for those of you blessed with good skin, spritz on some rose water and you will come up smelling of roses.
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I often get inspired by our customers' questions. Common knowledge sometimes don't seem so common and its largely the fault of commercialisation. You see, I think it is irresponsible of a business to advertise and advocate products claiming certain benefits and no effort in consumer education. You would think that leaflet of product information in small print tells you something, but nope. So what I am going to share with you about the much loved rosehip oil is going to surprise or disturb some of you.

1. Ok, let's get this straight. Rosehip oil has nothing to do with rose one way or another.
 
2. Most commercial rosehip oil (Rosa moschata / Rosa rubiginosa) now grows in Chile, Argentina and even New Zealand and Australia, while Rosa canina, grows in Europe and South Africa. The colour of pure rosehip oil is either golden amber or a blood orange, depending where it is grown. Genuine rosehip oil can get more expensive than argan oil as extraction is highly labour intensive or CO2 extracted, thus not as straight forward as other seed and vegetable oils. Small crop, small yield, go figure.
 
3. Up to 95% of organic rosehip oil is certified organic, but not entirely pure or organically grown. Before you even ponder, I would not get overly excited with a $25 organic rosehip oil that's thick, gooey and "orangey". Genuine rosehip oil is fluid, non-sticky and undiluted.

2. Rosehip oil is the only vegetable oil containing natural tretinoin, more commonly known as retinoic acid or Vitamin A. The typical shelf life of pure rosehip oil is approximately 4-6 months. So why does the rosehip oil you bought or displayed in drug store keeps longer? Most commercial manufacturers have added supercritical carbon dioxide or a substantial amount of synthetic (man-made) Vitamin E to as preservative, which explains why some rosehip oil are more "orangey" than others. As a result, the shelf life of the rosehip oil you are buying or browsing in stores has been extended to 2 years after production and bottling.

3. If you've managed to get a good quality of rosehip oil, it's going to be a keeper, simply because of its wondrous skin benefits. Rosehip is a powerful anti-oxidant that treats oily skin, sensitive skin, fine lines and is considered to be one of the best anti-wrinkle oils available in the marketplace today. It is an excellent source of omega 3 and 6, that are involved in cellular renewal, tissue regeneration and balancing skin with large pores.

4. The smell of rosehip oil is strong and unique - earthy if you ask me. It's pleasant or unpleasant depending on how you like it. Majority of the rosehip oil available commercially are deodorised or refined with chemical solvents.
 
5. One important thing all these big brands forgotten to tell you -you are NOT supposed to use rosehip oil continuously for more than 2 weeks, especially if you have dry or sensitive skin. The natural retinoid acid in rosehip oil can cause dryness, redness and flakiness!
 
Please use your own judgment when someone tells you an oil is 100% pure or there is no negative effect in it. Even your favourite pure essential oil can possess a certain level of toxicity if improperly blended or utilised. And if you are seriously concerned about purity, wouldn't you want to know where it is grown, how it is extracted or produced and what are you really getting?