Rosehip Oil for Face: What the Research Shows and How to Use It

Rosehip oil is a plant oil pressed from rose hip seeds, and people put a few drops of it on their face for dryness, uneven tone and fine lines. This guide covers rosehip oil for face care: what the research actually shows, which skin types it may suit, and how to use it.

We sell a Rosehip Face Oil, so read this with that in mind: the evidence is thinner than most marketing suggests, and this guide says so. For narrower questions, see our guides to rosehip oil for wrinkles, rosehip oil for acne scars and rosehip oil for sensitive skin.

Does Rosehip Oil Actually Work on Your Face?

It may help some people, but the evidence is thin. We found one small facial pilot, one scar trial with an untreated comparison group, and one oral trial that is not about applying oil to skin.

• 2025, face pilot: In a pilot study in Cosmetics, 27 volunteers with normal skin (chosen from 86, after 59 with skin conditions that could confound the results were excluded) applied three drops of cold-pressed rosehip seed oil to the face daily for five weeks, and their skin was photographed with VISIA imaging before and after. The authors report a significant reduction in mean wrinkle scores across several age groups, with the biggest improvements in people who started with deeper wrinkles, and visible declines in UV spots.
• The catch: The pilot was open-label, with no control group, which its authors call a considerable drawback because change over time and expectations cannot be ruled out. In the youngest group the average front-of-face wrinkle score did not improve, and at least two volunteers' scores rose; the authors suggest sensitivity to vitamin A or lifestyle factors. Volunteers did not use sunscreen, because the study ran in late fall and the authors did not want it to affect the UV-spot readings.
• 2015, scars: A trial in the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications followed 108 people after skin surgery. Seventy-six applied pure rosehip seed oil twice a day and 32 used no treatment. Compared with untreated scars, treated scars had less redness at 6 and 12 weeks and less discoloration and atrophy at 12 weeks, on subjective scoring, with statistically significant differences. That is evidence about scars, not everyday facial skin.
• 2015, by mouth: A randomized trial in Clinical Interventions in Aging gave 34 adults a rose hip powder made from seeds and shells to swallow, and compared it with astaxanthin. That is a supplement, not an oil applied to skin; our wrinkles guide goes into it.

Our reading, not the studies' conclusion: a five-week pilot with no control group can show that people used the oil and their skin looked different afterwards, but it cannot show the oil caused the change. The scar trial's untreated comparison group makes it the better-controlled of the two, though it is about scars.

What Is Actually in Rosehip Oil?

Rosehip oil is pressed from the seeds of rose hips (Rosa canina in most studies) and is mostly made up of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Beyond that, what a given bottle contains varies.

• Composition varies: A 2025 analysis of seven commercially available rosehip oils in Molecules found two chemically different groups: five samples dominated by omega-6 fatty acids and two dominated by omega-3 (alpha-linolenic) acid. In one sample, polyunsaturated fatty acids made up about 75%. The authors add that only 4-7% of a seed's dry weight is recovered as oil, so rosehip oil is often adulterated with cheaper oils such as corn, soybean or sunflower oil.
• Vitamin C: Marketing often leads with it. The 2024 review of rosehip-based skin products in Frontiers in Pharmacology, written by the same research group as the face pilot above, places the vitamin C in the hips themselves, in figures per dry weight of fruit, and calls vitamin C a water-soluble antioxidant. Our reading: those figures describe the fruit, not a bottle of pressed seed oil, so we cannot source a vitamin C claim for the oil itself.
• Retinoic acid: The same review says trans-retinoic acid, a vitamin A form, is present in large amounts in oils extracted from rosehip seeds, citing a single 2019 paper. The face pilot measured carotenoids in its oil (about 28 micrograms per millilitre in total) but reported no retinoic acid concentration, and neither did the analysis of seven commercial oils. In the papers we read, there is no measured retinoic acid content for a finished retail oil, so we cannot tell you how much a bottle contains, or whether it acts like a retinoid at all.

Does Rosehip Oil Help With Wrinkles, Dark Spots or Scars?

The best-supported use is scars, and even that rests on one trial. For wrinkles and dark spots, the topical evidence we found is a single uncontrolled pilot.

• Wrinkles: The face pilot above is the only topical study we found, and it had no control group. Our rosehip oil for wrinkles guide covers it, and the oral trial, in more detail.
• Dark spots: The pilot reported fewer UV spots with the same limits. For melasma, our melasma guide covers the one lab study we found, which combined rosehip oil with an added lightening ingredient.
• Scars: The 2015 trial followed post-surgical scars, which are a different type from acne scars. Our acne scars guide covers that question.

Which Skin Types Suit Rosehip Oil?

No study we found compares rosehip oil across skin types, so treat this as a starting point built from the sources, not a rule. The only facial data comes from volunteers chosen for normal skin.

Skin situation	What the sources say	How to approach it
Normal skin	The face pilot enrolled only normal-skin volunteers and excluded people with skin conditions that could confound the results, so it says nothing about acne, eczema or rosacea.	Reasonable to try: patch test first, then a few drops.
Dry skin	A 2018 review of natural oils says oils with a higher linoleic-to-oleic acid ratio have better barrier repair potential, and that oils with more oleic acid may be detrimental. Rosehip is not among the six oils its abstract names.	Our reading: a mostly polyunsaturated oil fits that pattern, but no trial has tested rosehip oil on dry skin.
Oily or acne-prone	We found no published human comedogenicity test of rosehip oil. A 2020 review says fatty-acid ratios in plant oils often have opposite effects on barrier function and comedogenicity, and a 2006 study of six volunteers found that finished products containing ingredients on comedogenic lists were not necessarily comedogenic.	Try a small area for a few days first. Our jojoba oil for oily skin guide covers another option.
Sensitive skin	The face pilot's authors note that high concentrations of vitamin A can cause transient irritation, such as burning, dryness and exfoliation, in sensitive people, and two volunteers' wrinkle scores rose.	Patch test for 24 hours. Our sensitive skin guide goes further.
Pregnant or breastfeeding	Our product page says to consult a healthcare provider before starting any new product during pregnancy or breastfeeding.	Ask first. Our pregnancy guide covers the retinoid question.

How Do You Use Rosehip Oil on Your Face?

Use a few drops on clean, slightly damp skin, and start with once a day. The steps below combine our product page's instructions with the dose used in the face pilot, three drops a day with the eye area avoided.

1. Patch test first: Our product page says to test on the inner wrist for 24 hours before regular use.
2. Cleanse and leave skin slightly damp: Our product page says the oil spreads best on skin that is damp, not fully dry.
3. Use three or four drops: Our product page says to warm the drops between your fingertips, then press them on to forehead, cheeks and chin. The face pilot used three drops a day and kept away from the eye area.
4. Press, do not rub, and wait: Our product page says to press with flat palms and allow about a minute for absorption before moisturizer or sunscreen.
5. Add sunscreen in the morning: Our product page says to follow with SPF in the morning. The face pilot's volunteers skipped it for study reasons, so do not read its results as a reason to skip yours.
6. Store it well: Rosehip oil can go rancid, and our shelf-life guide covers storage and the signs it has gone off.

How Do You Choose a Rosehip Oil for Your Face?

Read the ingredient list first: a pure rosehip oil lists a single ingredient, such as Rosa Canina Fruit Oil. Because rosehip oil is often adulterated and no label proves what is in the bottle, a single-ingredient list and a maker that says how the oil was pressed are the checks you can do.

The 2018 review of natural oils says cold pressing is the preferred extraction method, because a process with no heat or chemicals preserves beneficial lipids and limits irritating byproducts. Store it away from heat and light, and see our jojoba vs rosehip oil guide if you are deciding between the two.

Is Sampson's Rosehip Face Oil Pure Rosehip Oil?

No. Our Rosehip Face Oil is a blend, and the studies above tested pure rosehip seed oil, so their results do not carry over to it.

The ingredient list on its product page reads: Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Squalane, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate. Rosehip oil is the third ingredient, and an ingredient list does not show percentages, so we cannot tell you how much of the bottle is rosehip oil. It lists no fragrance or essential oils, and the product page describes the rosehip oil as cold-pressed from the seeds and fruit of the wild rose plant.

We have not seen a trial of this blend. If you want the ingredient the studies used, look for a single-ingredient rosehip oil. If you prefer a blended oil, which the product page describes as serum-weight, this is that. Either way, patch test first.

When Should You See a Dermatologist?

See one if redness, stinging or new breakouts continue after you stop using the oil, if acne, eczema, rosacea or pigment changes are getting worse, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and unsure about a new product. Rosehip oil is not a substitute for that advice.

This content is for information only and is not medical advice. Individual results may vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put rosehip oil on your face every day?

The face pilot applied three drops a day for five weeks in volunteers with normal skin, and we found no longer facial trial. Our product page says to patch test first; if you notice irritation, stop using it.

Should you use rosehip oil in the morning or at night?

Our product page says the blend works in both morning and night routines and to follow it with SPF in the morning. We found no study comparing the two.

Does rosehip oil contain retinol?

A 2024 review says rosehip seed oil contains trans-retinoic acid, a vitamin A form, but in the papers we read there is no measured amount for a finished oil. We cannot say it works like a retinoid.

Will rosehip oil clog pores?

We found no published human comedogenicity test of rosehip oil. A 2006 study found that finished products containing ingredients on comedogenic lists were not necessarily comedogenic, so try a small area first.

Is Sampson's Rosehip Face Oil pure rosehip oil?

No. It is a blend: Isopropyl Myristate and Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride come before rosehip oil on its ingredient list, followed by jojoba, squalane and hemp seed oil. The studies in this guide tested pure rosehip seed oil.

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