Rosehip seed oil has become widely recognized as an effective skin and beauty care agent in the last decade, with great interest surrounding its scientifically-validated beauty-enhancing effects. The oil has been heralded as a miracle cure for skin, useful for a great myriad of conditions, from premature aging and sun damage to scarring and other damage. What is this wonderful red liquid, where does it come from, how does it work, and most importantly, can it work for you?

Rosehip seed oil is made from the seeds of the fruit of wild thorny rose bushes native to mountainous regions of South America. Also known as ‘Rosa Mosqueta’, the oil has been used by native people for hundreds of years.

The red colored oil can be either solvent extracted or ‘cold-pressed’ – cold pressing is the really way to go, as there is no chance of any solvent residues remaining in the final product, and it is easier on the environment. The cold-pressed oil is the closest to nature; it has a high essential fatty acid content, and is considered more delicate than other seed oils. For this reasons, pure Rosehip seed oil should be kept in a cool place, out of direct light, and should be used within 1 year of purchase. Otherwise the more fragile of the fatty acids could begin to turn bad, and your skin might not be so fond of them.

The oil is one of nature’s best sources of vitamins E and A. Retinoic acid, the acid derivative of vitamin A, is the active ingredient found in Retin-A, which has been used for years as a wrinkle cure because of its ability to speed the time it takes for your skin to regenerate. Rosehip seed oil has been studied for many of the same actions attributed to this pharmaceutical preparation, and has been shown effective without side effects that the man-made version may have.

The first major study on Rosehip seed oil was performed in 1983 by a team of researchers at the University of Santiago, Chile. The study’s participants included individuals with diverse forms of skin damage: deep wrinkles and other premature aging, UV damage, radiation damage, acne scarring, burn scarring, dermatitis, and other problems of this type. Rosehip seed oil was shown to have significant, noticeable effects in regenerating the skin, reducing wrinkles and scars, and helping the skin to regain its natural color and tone.

A second major study was done with middle-aged women with noticeable premature skin aging.  Again, Rosehip seed produced noticeable, significant effects in smoothing the skin, leading to a younger texture and appearance.

In addition to it’s skin regenerative properties, the oil is also a fantastic moisturizer and nourishing agent due to it’s high essential fatty acid content. The oil easily penetrates the skin and is well absorbed – it does not leave an oily feeling, but rather one of healthy skin moisture.

Rosehip seed oil may be used directly on the skin daily – It may also be blended with other oils like jojoba and sweet almond, and will still give noticeable results at one-tenth of the concentration.  In addition, Rosehip seed oil makes an excellent carrier oil for aromatherapy, blending it with essential oils having skin regenerative properties will make an exceptional natural skin care product.

Suggested essential oil blends for use are as follows:-

For improvement of scarring, a simple blend of 20 drops of Helichrysum Italicum per 1 ounce of Rosehip seed oil, applied daily to the area, can be helpful. Helichrysum is known for its content of regenerative ‘ketones’.

For a more luxurious beauty blend, try the following in 4 ounces of rosehip seed: 5 drops Helichrysum 5 drops Lavender 3 drops Sandalwood 3 drops Neroli 3 drops Carrot Seed 3 drops Geranium 2 drops Roman Chamomile 2 drops Jasmine 1 drop Palmarosa 1 drop Ylang Ylang.  Even simply the Helichrysum and Lavender will go a long way – Lavender oil is very gentle, and is also known to have regenerative properties.

A little Rosehip seed oil will go a long way – and once you use it, you may forever include this wonderful natural botanical in your skin care collection. It is truly a beauty-care miracle from mother nature.

The mysterious frankincense has been used for thousands of years throughout many ancient cultures of the world, including the, Roman,  Babylonian, Persian, Egyptian, Hebrew, and  Greek  civilizations. Frankincense was highly sought after and was valued a lot more in comparison with gold.  It is actually still used today by the majority of the world’s religions.

Frankincense is one of the few resins that come from a tree which can be burned as incense (frankincense tears) or used as an essential oil.

The frankincense tears are extracted from a tree (Boswellia  Carteri) which only grows in dry desert conditions. The tears are extracted by shallow cuts into the bark of the tree. The resin then flows out, dries and hardens and is then harvested and dried naturally in the sun.  The trees themselves are not harmed during this process and there are trees still producing this resin after hundreds of years of harvesting.  The older the tree, the better the quality of the frankincense tears.

Frankincense has many properties that can assist in healing.  One of it’s major uses in the past was as an antiseptic. The pure oil would be spread across a wound which would prevent infection.

It is also said that Queen Cleopatra would use pure Frankincense oil in her beauty regime and Kohl – the black eye liner that the Ancient Egyptians were so fond of – was produced from the burned remains of frankincense tears. The Ancient Egyptians would burn literally tons of frankincense during their rituals.

Frankincense when burned has an extremely calming effect, helping the mind and body relax.  It is best to burn pure frankincense resin on a special charcoal disk.  It is highly recommended that you do this at night or when you are preparing to go to bed as it is extremely relaxing.  Used in combination with cedar wood oil, it will provide you with a very deep sleep – naturally.

Modern day research has shown that frankincense does indeed have a number of therapeutic effects. Scientists have found that frankincense oil has a positive effect on arthritis, rheumatism and other inflammatory ailments.  Frankincense is also known to have anti-depressant properties and also helps strengthen the immune system.  It seems like the ancients were onto something.

Sesquiterpenes are a component of Frankincense oil , and this stimulates the limbic system, the hypothalamus, the pineal and the pituitary glands.

Burning Frankincense tears will slow down your breathing so this is an ideal fragrance to use when meditating. You may also use frankincense tears in a vaporizer if you have a cold or bronchitis/laryngitis as frankincense helps clear the lungs. You may also use frankincense essential oils in a bath to help relieve a cold or any aches and pains you have.

Adding 5 -10 drops of pure frankincense essential oil into your face cream will benefit mature or aging skin.

Frankincense is truly one of aromatherapy’s best kept secrets. It will calm both your mind and body, help you sleep, take care of your beauty needs,  acts as an antiseptic, assist with getting over coughs and colds and help ease your aches and pains.