Rose hips are the fruits underneath the petals of the flower and contain the seeds that rose plants use to reproduce, and they’re packed with a “triple A” dose of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties that vital for hair health including vitamins A, C, E, and lutein.
In fact, rose hips contain:
You can get the hair benefits from rose hips by eating them directly or by rubbing your scalp with the oil made from their seeds.
Fun fact: 100g of rose hips has 426mg of vitamin c compared to the 53.2mg of vitamin c found in 100g of an Orange (about ½ of an orange), making rose hips one of the top vitamin c rich foods.
Rose hip oil is different from essential oils like rose or rosemary oil since those come from a distillation process that gives the oil the “essence” of the plant, which is why they’re called “essential” oils. Rose hip oil comes from processing the seeds in rose hips.
Fight Against Oxidative Damage (Dandruff and Hair Loss)
Because rose hips are high in antioxidants (lutein and zeaxanthin), they help protect against oxidative damage that can cause dandruff according to this study, and worse, can lead to hair loss according to the national journal of trichology.
If you’re already dealing with thinning hair, there is some early promise that rose hips can stimulate hair growth, as they found in this study on mice. And you don’t have to eat it as it comes in topical forms like oils.
Anti-Aging Effects
Using rose hip oil on your scalp has anti-aging effects thanks to the high content of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and will help fight skin dryness by maintaining your scalp’s moisture barrier function, and can also help manage more serious skin disorders like psoriasis. If you don’t want to use oils on your hair, it’s easy to add rose hips to your diet.
Rose hip tea is very common and if your local grocer doesn’t carry it you can find multiple varieties online. The fruit is slightly sweet and tangy making it perfect to mix into jams, toppers on salads, and blended into smoothies.
Some people even switch out cranberries for rose hips, or mix them together, which could be a fun alternative sauce at Thanksgiving. It’ll be equally delicious but even more healthy with a higher fiber count and more vitamins.
And as if it wasn’t enough that rose hips are a great food choice, daily consumption can also help fight off fat.
Now you know how this vitamin C packed superfood helps your hair. If you enjoyed this overview of rose hips and hair health, subscribe to our blog below for more just like it.
