Well, everyone, I have big and exciting news. No, I didn’t just land my dream job, get a marriage proposal from Prince Harry, or become the owner of a winning lottery ticket. This news is even better. I’ve found my skincare holy grail product: Rosehip oil.
I don’t use the term “holy grail” lightly, but there’s really no other way to describe it. I’ve written in the past about how I’ve struggled to find oils that work and have worked well for me, but from the first time I used rosehip oil, I knew I’d stumbled upon something special.
It all started a few weeks ago when I was reading up on Victoria’s Secret models’ skincare regimens (as you do). In 2012, Miranda Kerr, retired Angel, and current total babe announced that the secret to her glowing complexion was rosehip oil.
“I like to wear rosehip oil at night,” she told PopSugar. “It’s full of antioxidants, and it really works on a cellular level to rejuvenate the skin. I put that on at night, and I wake up glowing.”
Well, if rosehip oil is good enough for Miranda Kerr, then it’s good enough for Kristyn Filip. I found a tiny bottle at a health food store in Toronto’s Kensington Market. The owner of the store told me that she rubbed rosehip oil all over her stomach after the birth of her twins, and now she’s stretchmark free (she lifted up her shirt to show me, and I’ll be damned– there wasn’t a stripe in sight).
Rosehip oil comes from the seeds of a rosebush grown primarily in Chile, and it’s chock full of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and vitamins A, C, and E. The antioxidants are said to help slow the signs of aging, while vitamin C stimulates collagen production, and the fatty acids hydrate dry skin. And like my new friend at the health store testified, rosehip oil is also supposed to help reduce the appearance of scars.
The first time I lifted the dropper out of the tiny bottle of oil, I was really surprised to see that the liquid was a bright amber color. I’m not sure why, but I expected it to be clear–although I kind of hoped it would be pink because, well, roses are pink, and wouldn’t pink oil be pretty?
Even more surprising, however, was the smell. Call me a damn fool, but I really thought that the oil would smell like roses. I realize now how stupid that was–the oil is extracted from seeds and not from the fragrant petals–but can you blame me for wishful thinking?
And wishful thinking it was, truly, because wow, rosehip oil smells awful. It’s kind of like wet mulch–very earthy, but not in a good way. Although the scent hasn’t grown on me, I will say that with each application, it becomes more bearable. The phenomenal changes in my skin after three weeks of using rosehip oil have also sweetened the scent considerably (figuratively speaking, of course).
So, how has my skin changed since I started using rosehip oil? For starters, my face feels (and looks) a helluva lot more moisturized than it has in a long time. I’m noticing that my skin looks a bit more lively, too–it’s glowing. It feels a lot softer than normal, which is a huge bonus. Most hilariously, the rosehip oil makes my face looks a little bit tanned, which I’ll admit that I love. I wear sunscreen every day, so I never tan, but after rubbing on a few drops of rosehip oil in the morning, I look like I just enjoyed a few hours of sun.
I’m also thrilled with the fact that rosehip oil does not make my face look greasy at all–it absorbs into the skin crazy fast and doesn’t leave a shiny residue. On days when I decide not to wear makeup, I just wash my face, rub in a few drops of the oil, and slather on the SPF.
The TL;DR version of this story is this: Rosehip oil and I are in love, and we are never, ever, ever breaking up (like, ever).
So now I want to know: have you ever tried rosehip oil? If you have, what did you think? What is your current skincare holy grail product? Do you read up on Victoria’s Secret Angels’ beauty regimens? Tell me everything in the comments below, will you?