One of my favorite herbal teas is Rosehip. I steep 4 Tbspoons of crushed Rosehips in a thermos filled with boiling water overnight and enjoy this tonic in the morning. It's super delicious!
Rosehips come from the very familiar rose plant (Rosa sp.). They form after the flowers die and the petals drop.
Though often called the fruit of the rose plant, Rosehips are technically known as a "false fruit" or "pseudo-fruit." Nevertheless, they are entirely edible with a sharp, tangy, sweet flavor.
Rosehips are packed with vitamins and antioxidants that make them nutritionally superior. Many cultures throughout history have been well aware of the health benefits of Rosehips.
In traditional Chinese medicine, they are called jin ying zi and are considered a health tonic, especially for the kidneys, digestion, and immune system.
What are the top benefits of Rosehips?
- Packed full of immune-boosting Vitamin C.
- Rich in antioxidants that fight inflammation.
- Excellent for heart health.
- Protective of gut health (+ A prebiotic).
- Incredible anti-aging benefits for the skin.
We use organic cold-pressed Rosehip Seed Oil at Vika's in several products: Raw Cream, "Prodigal Sun" Oil Blend, Earthly Elixir, Seeds of Life Facial Serum, Sea Buckthorn Facial Serum, and Geranium-Propolis Cream.
What are the benefits of this oil for your skin?
- Boosts collagen to fight the appearance of wrinkles.
- Helps protect against photo-aging.
- Nourishes and hydrates skin.
- Rejuvenates skin with beta carotene (Vitamin A).
- Brightens skin and fades the appearance of pigmentation.
- Softens skin and improves elasticity.
As you may know, collagen is an essential anti-aging skin protein and plays a significant role in keeping your skin firm, thick, and plump. Which in turn fends off signs of aging like wrinkles, crow's feet, etc.
Unfortunately, collagen production starts to decline in your body starting as early as age 18! Using Rosehip seed oil helps boost collagen and prevents wrinkles from appearing.
Photo-aging refers to dark spots and thinning skin from overexposure to UV rays. This cellular damage accelerates aging and can make your skin look prematurely old. Fortunately, Rosehip seed oil has powerful health benefits against this damage due to its antioxidant content!
Antioxidants are some of the best protective agents for your skin to prevent UV damage. Vitamin C and vitamin E work synergistically to provide greater photoprotection. (Rosehips contain both of these vitamin antioxidants.) Rosehip oil has specifically shown an ability to protect against UVB-induced photo-aging, which means it can help your skin look younger.
Fatty acids content, including linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and oleic acid, are deeply nourishing for your skin and help to lock in hydration. They also help support your skin barrier (something else that degrades with age), preventing water from evaporating too quickly.
Interestingly, studies have also shown that Rosehip seed oil can improve skin moisture when consumed and applied. A good case for utilizing these fantastic pseudo-fruits in more than one way!
Vitamin A is a well-known anti-aging nutrient, especially for your skin.
It helps protect your skin from UV damage, slowing the process of skin aging. Vitamin A can also help reduce wrinkles, age spots, hyper-pigmentation, and other signs of aging when applied topically. One of the reasons retinol products are so popular. However, you should know that retinol is a synthetic ingredient, so I avoid using it in my formulations.
Rosehips contain vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, which is a potent carotenoid (antioxidant). Beta carotene is a precursor to vitamin A and has demonstrated its benefits for photoprotection and improving elasticity.
The vitamins in Rosehips (and in Rosehip seed oil) have significant health benefits for restoring the appearance of youth to your skin.
Both vitamin A and vitamin C encourage skin cell turnover, which makes your skin look brighter, fresher, and "glowing."
Vitamin C is also known to help calm inflamed skin, and vitamin E (abundant in rosehips) has a significant anti-inflammatory effect.
It means that applying Rosehip Seed oil to your skin is an excellent way to calm the appearance of inflammation or redness, which has the added benefit of balancing your skin tone.
In addition, vitamins A, C, and E can all help fade the appearance of hyper-pigmentation (age spots). Studies have also indicated that Rosehip seed oil inhibits pigmentation, which can help stop age spots before they form.
By providing much-needed hydration and encouraging skin cell turnover, Rosehip seed oil also helps your skin to feel softer and look smoother and tighter. Studies have also shown that using this oil long-term can improve skin elasticity, which measures how well your skin can "bounce back" after injury. It is essential for maintaining youthful-looking skin because the loss of elasticity is a top reason for wrinkles and saggy-looking skin.