Rose hip seed oil

Rose hip seed oil is a pressed seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the wild rose bush Rosa rubiginosa (rosa mosqueta) in the southern Andes. Rosehip seed oil can also be extracted from Rosa canina, a wild rose species native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia. The fruits of the rosehip have been used in folk medicine for a long time. Rosehips have prophylactic and therapeutic actions against the common cold, infectious diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, urinary tract diseases, and inflammatory diseases.

Nutrition
Analysis with GC-MS showed among many others the following major components in oil samples: Vitispiran, α-E-acaridial, dodecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, docosane, ionone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 2-heptanone, heptanal, myristic acid, linolic acid.

Rose hip seed oil contains significant amounts of the two polyunsaturated essential fatty acids linoleic acid, linolenic acid, as well as of the monounsaturated oleic acid.

It also contains antioxidants including δ- and γ-tocopherol, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds.

The oil does not contain vitamin A directly, however it contains provitamin A (mostly beta-Carotene). It also contains the toxic and teratogenic tretinoin (all-trans retinoic acid).

Uses
Researchers have tested the efficacy of topical rose hip seed oil together with an oral fat-soluble vitamins on different inflammatory dermatitis such as eczema, neurodermatitis, and cheilitis, with promising findings of the topical use of rose hip seed oil on these inflammatory dermatose. Due its high composition of UFAs and antioxidants, rose hip oil has relatively high protection against inflammation and oxidative stress.

Research on rose hip oil has shown that it reduces skin pigmentation, reduces discolouration, acne lesions, scars and stretch marks, as well as retaining the moisture of the skin and delaying the appearance of wrinkles. Cosmetologists recommend wild rose seed oil as a natural skin-vitaliser.

A 2014 study on the nutritional composition and phytochemical composition of the rose hip seed and the fatty acid and sterol compositions of the seed oil showed that rose hip seed and seed oil were good sources of phytonutrients. Consumption of foods rich in phytonutrients is recommended to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The nutritional composition and the presence of bioactive compounds make the rose hip seed a valuable source of phytonutrients. The rose hip seed was highly rich in carbohydrates and ascorbic acid, and the rose hip seed oil was highly rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and phytosterols. The rose hip seed and seed oil proved to have antioxidant activity. The findings of the study indicated that the rose hip seed and seed oil may be proposed as ingredients in functional food formulations and dietary supplements.