Rosehip oil for hair: what it is, what it does, how we blend it
Rosehip seed oil is a thin, amber, quick-to-absorb active, prized on skin and useful on hair for shine, with a shelf life short enough that fresh blending matters.
| Role | Active oil |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2 of 4, medium-light |
| Chosen for | Shine |
| On the label | Rosa Canina Fruit Oil |
| In our blends | Not in a signature blend yet |
| Builder limit | Up to 10% of a hair blend |
What it is
Pressed from the seeds of the wild rose (Rosa canina), the oil is about 45% linoleic and 30% alpha-linolenic acid with around 15% oleic, which makes it light, fast and fragile. The pale orange colour comes from a small amount of carotenoids. Because of all those double bonds, rosehip goes rancid in months rather than years; dark glass, a cool shelf and a small bottle are the answer.
How it feels on hair
Weight 2 of 4, medium-light. It spreads thin, sinks in within minutes and leaves a dry finish with a little shine. The scent is faint and slightly earthy.
Who reaches for it
Fine and medium hair that wants shine on the ends without weight, and people who already use rosehip on their face and want the same oil in their hair blend. It is not in a signature blend yet.
Where it sits in our blends
No signature blend uses rosehip yet, which makes it one for the builder: start from a blend that is close and swap it in, or build from scratch. Every blend is weighed to the gram and the recipe is printed on the label.
How to compose with it
The builder allows rosehip up to 10% of a hair blend. Use it as a second active behind pomegranate seed or prickly pear over squalane or jojoba for a light shine oil, and keep the essential oil bright (bergamot, neroli). Order the 1 oz if you use oil rarely.
Good to know: Short shelf life. Keep it cool and dark; a sharp, waxy smell means it has turned.
Compose with rosehip Find your formula
Weighed to the gram and blended to order in New Jersey, with the recipe printed on the label. For external use only; patch test before first use. Every oil, with its INCI name, is in the oil library.