What is rosehip oil in skincare?
Rosehip oil is cold-pressed from the seeds and fruit of Rosa canina or Rosa rubiginosa – the hip left behind after a rose has flowered. It should not be confused with rose oil, which is distilled from petals and is a fragrance ingredient.
It is rich in linoleic and linolenic acid, vitamin E, and naturally occurring trans-retinoic acid in trace amounts. It has a light, dry feel and a faint earthy scent, and reviews of rosehip-based dermatological products document antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and regenerative activity.
What skin concerns does rosehip oil treat?
It suits dry, dehydrated and mature skin, and its essential fatty acids help calm eczema and general irritation. The vitamin A compounds give it a mild resurfacing effect on tone and texture without retinoid-level irritation.
Its best-documented use is repair: experimental work shows rosehip oil promotes excisional wound healing, which underpins its popularity for scars, stretch marks and post-acne marks.
What ingredients are best paired with rosehip oil?
Layer it over hyaluronic acid or a hydrating serum, and alongside ceramides and squalane for a complete barrier routine. It pairs well with vitamin C for brightening.
Because it already contains vitamin A compounds, introduce it slowly if you are also using a retinoid. Its high linoleic content makes it a better choice for oily skin than most oils, but it oxidises quickly – buy small, opaque bottles and refrigerate. Take our Skin Quiz.
What is dullness?
Healthy skin reflects light evenly, which is what reads as bright and glowing. Dull skin does the opposite – it looks flat, ashy, grey or sallow, and makeup tends to sit on top of it rather than blend in.
Dullness is not a condition in itself but a visible symptom: a build-up of dead cells, dehydration and reduced microcirculation that together stop light bouncing cleanly off the skin’s surface.
What causes dull skin?
Dead skin cells that do not shed naturally accumulate on the surface and scatter light unevenly. Dehydration flattens those cells so they no longer sit plump against one another, and overly dry skin can damage the follicles and slow the production of collagen and sebum – all of which make the complexion look duller or ashier.
Lifestyle and environment do the rest. Sun exposure, pollution, smoking, alcohol, broken sleep and stress all accelerate free-radical damage, while cell turnover naturally slows with age, so skin loses the reflectivity it had in your twenties.
What ingredients are best for dullness?
Brightening dull skin comes down to three things: gentle exfoliation, consistent hydration and antioxidant protection. Vitamin C, alpha-hydroxy acids such as glycolic and lactic acid, salicylic acid, retinol and vitamin A, niacinamide, green tea extract, coenzyme Q10 and rosehip oil all help resurface, even out tone and defend against free radicals.
Hyaluronic acid and hydrolysed collagen plump the skin so it reflects more light, and daily broad-spectrum sunscreen prevents the UV damage that dulls the complexion in the first place. Take our Skin Quiz to find the exact combination your skin needs.
