 Rosehip oil was used by the ancient Egyptians, Mayans and Native Americans due to its perceived healing properties and those benefits are still relevant to our skincare today. Rosehips are packed full of antioxidants, the benefits of which are particularly prominent in our Wild Rose collection and Organic Rosehip Oil.
Massaging a few drops of this antioxidant-rich oil into your skin softens and nurtures it from top to toe.
WHY OUR SKIN LOVES ROSEHIPS?
A familiar ingredient within skincare, rosehip seed oil is an excellent source of vitamins and skin nourishing fatty acids, both of which are important for keeping your skin soft, smooth and supple. Vitamin E is known to calm and hydrate the skin, vitamin A is known to improve skin tone and texture, whilst vitamin C is known to enhance the skin's natural radiance too. The benefits don't end there. Rosehip seed oil is full of essential omegas 3, 6 and 9 which are known to promote the skin's healthy repair and regeneration which could explain the oil's history of use for improving the appearance of scars and generally evening the skin's tone and texture.
WHAT IS A ROSEHIP?
Sometimes referred to as rose haw or rose hep, rosehips are the accessory fruit of the rosa canina rose bush. The berry-like fruits are typically fiery red and orange in colour. They form after the successful pollination of the flowers, commonly known as Dog Roses, and ripen in late summer. These wonder-berries were the inspiration behind the Wild Rose collection, with rosehip seed oil being the key ingredient in our Wild Rose Beauty Balm.
We've always known the power of the rosehip, so we embarked upon our journey towards finding the most sustainable source of these wonder-fruits well into the future, so that we can continue to produce the products, and results, that you love. In our pursuit of sustainable rosehips, we found ourselves in Serbia in 2016, where we've since been working with the local community.
WHERE DO OUR ROSEHIPS COME FROM?
The radiance-boosting rosehips that we use in our products grow wild on the hillsides of rural, northern Serbia, where they're handpicked by the local community surrounding the town of Svrljig, pronounced sver-lig. During harvest time, between September and November, this expanse of earth and greenery becomes a crimson tapestry, bejewelled by a carpet of rosehips. These fruits are a way of life here, whilst not edible straight from the plant, rosehips make delicious teas, jams, jellies and wines that are loved by local communities.
The collectors cut, blow and sieve the rosehips in order to separate the seeds from the shells. The seeds are then cold pressed in distilleries which helps to preserve their antioxidant properties. To ensure a sustainable harvest, year after year, our collectors only collect rosehips that grow above 1m in height on established plants and always leave at least 10% of the fruit on the bush.
GROW WILD
In Svrljig, our partners operate a family run, FairWild™ certified business, who help us wild-harvest our rosehips amongst the 120 different herbs that they collect across Northern Serbia. Around 100 local villagers handpick the rosehips the rosehips during peak harvesting season and for many local families, this work provides invaluable income as most are operating in remote villages where unemployment is extremely high. The rosehips grow in remote valleys, so there's lots to pick, seeing as each fruit only contains between 10-15 seeds.
Not only this, but the collectors benefit from an additional social premium of 10% which acts as a fund to support projects which benefit the staff and their local communities. The staff then vote collectively to decide how to use the additional income.
FEEL GOOD BEAUTY
We source our ingredients in the most respectful way we can, paying due care and attention to the provenance, the community and the earth. This care and commitment continues at our eco-factory in Dorset, England, where our Wild Rose Beauty Balm, a customer favourite and hero of our Wild Rose Collection, is still hand poured surrounded by green fields and wildflowers. We do this so that you can continue to enjoy our products, safe in the knowledge that they've been produced with a genuine commitment to preservation and the upmost care.
|
