Rosehip CO2 extract

Faint: fresh nut, hay, vegetable oil, a hint of tart fruit. Grades including pulp are orange and show more ripe-fruit character. Not a fragrance material.

Rosehip CO2 extract is a fatty oil, has no dedicated standard in the IFRA 51 index and is not named in the allergen list of EU Regulation 2023/1545.

The oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, so it oxidises and turns rancid readily. Producers often add antioxidants such as tocopherols; this is stated on each lot's technical sheet. Store dark, sealed and cool, and use soon after opening.

Rosehips are the false fruits of wild roses. Rosa canina grows wild across Europe, western Asia and North Africa. Chile is a large source of rosehip oil on the international market; there the hips come from wild stands of R. rubiginosa and R. moschata. Hips ripen in autumn in each hemisphere.

Most rosehip oil comes from the seeds. They are small, hard-shelled and low in oil. Supercritical CO2 extraction gives oil with no solvent residue. When the pulp is extracted too, the oil also takes carotenoids and turns deep orange; seed-only oil is pale yellow.

The main components are triglycerides rich in linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids, two polyunsaturated fatty acids. Proportions vary with species, region and year. Figures in the constituent table are indicative ranges from the literature, not a standard.

Rosehip oil is not a fragrance material. It is in the library because it is widely used in skin care and handmade soap. In soap, oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids give a softer bar that turns rancid more easily, so they are usually used in small proportions or added after cook.

A German CO2 producer lists two organic grades: one from seed and one from whole hips. Buyers should distinguish cold-pressed, solvent-extracted and CO2 oils, since colour, odour and stability differ.