Many people have asked me if rosehip oil is a good vitamin A alternative to retinol for repairing aged skin.
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with retinoids unless you have a specific condition such as pregnancy, eczema, rosacea, allergy, or experience severe intolerance to retinol. Retinoids work! In fact, only retinoic acid has a biological effect on the skin and there's plenty of peer reviewed dermatological journals confirmed by in-vivo (performed on living people) studies such as this:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6791161/
and this:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699641/.
I am all for "clean" beauty products but as an aesthetician, my focus is on results-oriented treatments and products formulated to safely transform the skin. Indeed, rosehip oil contains a tiny (parts per million) of natural retinoic acid (tretinoin), a retinoid famously known in the skin care world for its anti-aging, anti-pigmentation, anti-acne benefits. However, when you're looking for "active" vitamin A content in a product made with rosehip oil, you would first need to estimate its percentage according to its full ingredients list. So let's do a little math...
Pure rosehip oil contains about 0.357 mg of tretinoin PER liter of oil, which translates to 0.00003923% tretinoin. Keep in mind its potency also depends on if the oil is refined or cold-pressed. Let's use this "Retinoic Face Oil" as an example. Going by the ingredient list on their bottle, we can safely estimate 37% rosehip oil, which indicates the product contains approximately 0.0000145% tretinoin, in other words almost nothing! Prescription tretinoin is usually 0.025% to 0.05% or higher. That being said, the amount of retinoic acid in rosehip oil is not significant enough to scratch the surface of skin rejuvenation. Other than being formulated with nourishing rosehip oil and smelling good due to being scented with essential oils (potential irritants and endocrine disruptors, especially if the skin barrier is compromised with any inflammatory skin condition such as acne, rosacea, eczema, or psoriasis), I'd proceed with a high level of skepticism in regard to the retinoic acid claim. Please beware of marketing jargon used by many cosmetic brands misinterpreting the term "retinoic" or "clean" retinol in the name of their retinol-free products.
The biggest concern with retinol is its tetragenic compound. If you're pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, I recommend opting for products with other active ingredients, such as vitamin C, instead of topical vitamin A. Try Beleza by Z Tallow Skin Tint 4-in-1 Serum for a multifunctional approach that will still nourish and enhance your skin during pregnancy. In addition, consider incorporating organ meats into your diet since beef liver is the most bioalvailable source of vitamin A.
Otherwise, if you've been on the lookout for an effective vitamin A product, look no further and try Beleza by Z Advanced Night Repair Bio Lipids Serum. This high-performance vitamin A elixir is mostly powered by hydroxypinacolone retinoate (HPR), an ester of all-trans retinoic acid (bioalvailable vitamin A) which works in conjunction with tallow, astaxanthin, vitamin C, and ferulic, minus the dryness, itching, and sun sensitivity commonly experienced with standard retinol products.
2 comments
Hi Kenya,
Thank you for your comment. The molecular structure of pure oil (without penetration enhancers) is too large to be absorbed by the skin, especially the scalp, which is thicker in comparison to the skin of the face. My advice for hair growth is to incorporate organ meats like beef liver into your diet. Beef liver is the most bioavailable source of vitamin A, meaning it’s immediately usable by the body without requiring metabolic conversion. This high concentration of vitamin A supports cell regeneration, helping to maintain a healthy scalp environment and stimulate hair follicles. Along with bioavailable biotin, B vitamins, iron, and zinc, beef liver contains a full amino acid profile (the building blocks of protein) necessary for hair growth from within, making it a superior choice for promoting strong, beautiful hair!
I have Lupus and a few years ago in 2019 my hair started to fall out. I immediately started working on some sort of Solution to apply to my scalp. I was surprised to find out that Biotin could not be absorbed topically for the results I wanted to achieve so I started mixing oils. Coconut, Vitamin E, Tea Tree, Olive Oil and Vitamin A to start with. I also mixed in Castor oil but it was obviously too heavy to mix w/ the others & I started to add Castor oil to my scalp on alternate days. I know my formula (ingredients) is a bit redundant but that’s why I’m still researching. Is there a topical retinoid that can be applied to the scalp? Would it be more prudent to scrap one of these above oils for Rose hip oil or should I stick with Vitamin oil and if so where does one find Vitamin A Oil that doesn’t have sugars or flavors? It’s been quite a chore for me. I’ve even bought the gel caps and squeezed out the liquid capsule by capsule to only end up with maybe 1/4 cup oil from 200 plus capsules. Could I use a fish oil alternative (though the smell would then be an issue)? I also don’t want to induce Vitamin A toxicity by combining the same Vitamin A laden ingredients together. Any thoughts on this matter? Tho my hair has grown back a bit thicker than before and I’ve seemed to suffer no I’ll affects , I’d like to help my Mother grow hers back too. Have you any knowledge to share regarding Vitamin A and hair regrowth?
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