Think rosehip oil and rosehip seed oil are the same? Think again. Although they might sound similar, these two oils are quite different.
If you are planning to include these oils in your skincare routine, you must know what makes these oils different from each other, how they are processed and how to use them.
Read this article to explore rosehip oil and rosehip seed oil in detail.
Table of Contents
How to Differentiate Between Rosehip Oil and Rosehip Seed oil?
Whether only the seeds are used to extract the oil, or the whole fruit is used, most marketed products simply refer to it as rosehip oil. The best way to differentiate between rosehip seed oil and rosehip oil is by knowing the ingredients.
While rosehip seed oil contains only essential fatty acids, rosehip oil also contains vitamins A,C,E and phytosterols in addition to essential fatty acids.
Is Rosehip oil better than Rosehip Seed oil?
Yes, rosehip oil is better than rosehip seed oil.
Rosehip seed oil simply offers the benefits restricted to essential fatty acids. It will keep your skin moisturised, plump and hydrated.
However, by using rosehip oil you can enjoy all that rosehip seed oil offers. Additionally, the extracts from the pulp of rosehip offer benefits like reducing wrinkles, brightening the skin and fighting free radicals. This makes rosehip oil a superior choice to rosehip seed oil.
What is Rosehip oil?
Rosehip oil is extracted from the fruit of the wild rose plant. This is also known as rosehip, as it forms a bulb at the base of the rose flower. Essentially, few different species of rose plant are used to extract the oil, namely: Rosa canina and Rosa rubiginosa.
Rosehip oil is a combination of oils extracted from both the pulp of the fruit and the seeds. This process is not only economical, but also gives a higher yield in terms of nutrients.
Benefits of Rosehip Oil on face
The multitude of nutrients present in rosehip oil makes it an ideal choice to fight several skin concerns. As rosehip oil is sourced from plants, it is a vegan-friendly product. Additionally, rosehip oil is hypoallergenic and causes no adverse effect on the skin.
The main benefits of rosehip oil are as follows:
- Rosehip oil is a good moisturiser due to the presence of linoleic or oleic acid. Because of its low comedogenic rating, it can be used by people with oily skin without clogging their pores.
- Rosehip oil contains beta-carotene, which is a form of vitamin A. Vitamin A can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines on the skin. Besides, vitamin A of rosehip oil also boosts the production of collagen and elastin, making the skin firm and supple.
- The presence of vitamin C in rosehip oil helps it to fight hyperpigmentation, age spots, and uneven skin tone caused due to exposure to sun.
- Rosehip oil can also fight free radicals that damage the skin. This is due to the presence of vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant. Vitamin E can also calm rashes and soothe irritation and inflammation on the skin.
- Another benefit of rosehip oil is as an exfoliator. Rosehip oil can remove the layer of dead skin cells, dirt and sebum on our skin. As it is a natural product, its exfoliating effect is not as harsh as that of chemical exfoliators.
What is Rosehip Seed oil?
Rosehip seed oil simply refers to the oil that is extracted from the seeds of the rosehip. In this process, the pulp of the fruit is discarded and the seeds are cold pressed to extract the oil.
Rosehip seed oil mainly comprises fatty acids.
Composition of Rosehip oil and Rosehip Seed oil
Due to the difference in the way they are extracted, there are certain differences between rosehip oil and rosehip seed oil. Although both the oils are beneficial for use on the face and body, these differences in composition are necessary to know which oil you are buying.
1. Rosehip Seed oil
The main constituents of rosehip seed oil are as follows:
- Linoleic acid (54.05%)
- Oleic acid (14%)
- Linolenic acid (19.37%)
All the above mentioned acids are essential fatty acids, that is, our body does not produce them.
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid. It has barrier repairing, moisturising and skin rejuvenating properties. Due to the presence of linoleic acid, rosehip seed oil is non-comedogenic in nature.
The presence of a small quantity of oleic acid makes rosehip seed oil useful to treat skin inflammation and soothe them from burns and irritation.
Linolenic acid present in rosehip seed oil also assists in barrier repair.
2. Rosehip oil
Rosehip oil packs more nutrients than rosehip seed oil. In addition to all the essential fatty acids that are present in rosehip seed oil, rosehip oil also has the following nutrients:
Vitamin A: Rosehip oil contains vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. This compound gets converted into trans-retinoic acid when applied on the skin and contributes to anti-ageing.
Vitamin C: The pulp of rosehip contains ascorbic acid, a form of vitamin C. This is useful in lightening spots on the skin, and gives an even skin tone.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E or tocopherols are present in rosehip oil. These act as antioxidants and prevent oxidative stress from affecting our skin.
How to identify good Rosehip oil?
The quality of rosehip oil depends on the process of extraction used, its consistency and colour. The following things are to be kept in mind while choosing a good rosehip oil:
1. Extraction Method- CO₂ Extraction
CO₂ extraction means that the oil is extracted under high pressure and very low temperature using carbon dioxide. This process ensures that the oil is never exposed to oxygen or oxidised.
Rosehip oils extracted through CO₂ extraction have the highest nutrient content, no added chemicals and offer the maximum range of nutrients and fatty acids.
2. Colour of oil
Pure, unrefined rosehip oil has a mild pink colour. As unrefined oil has not undergone any processing, it restores all the benefits of the original oil extracted from the seed and pulp of rosehip.
If your rosehip oil is yellow in colour, it means that it has been subjected to some form of refining and thus has lower nutritional value.
3. Packaging
As rosehip oil loses some of its benefits under sunlight, good quality rosehip oils are packed in dark, UV-protectant bottles.
Rosehip oil is a widely favoured skincare ingredient. It is used as a carrier oil, in face serums, moisturisers and toners.
Be it rosehip seed oil or rosehip oil, using this oil will help to improve your skin complexion, and provide plump and youthful looking skin in the years to come.
Conclusion
Rosehip oil and rosehip seed oil are quite different but belong to similar families. Rosehip oil contains Vitamin A,C,E which helps to improve skin texture and also helps your skin to get rid from acne. If you want to consume the benefit of both the oil, you should purchase rosehip oil because this oil contains the property of both the oil.
