Herb of the Week: ROSE HIPS (Rosa Canina)

Rose hips ( Rose Canina)

Rosehips are the fruit of the rose plant, appearing once the flower has bloomed and the petals have fallen off. Rosehips provide one of the best naturally available sources of vitamin C.  This high vitamin c content aids your body in recovering from periods of stress, in which your stores of vitamin C become depleted, and helps the body defend against infections and the development of colds.

Because they contain a variety of antioxidants; carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, leucoanthocyanins and catechins, rose hips are considered to be a good preventative measure in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.

Topically, rosehip seed oil has astringent qualities and has the ability to help regenerate new skin cells. This can be used to treat scars, acne and burns. While it is an astringent, it does not dry out the skin, rather it helps to rehydrate it, keep the skin elastic and nourished. Rosehip seed oil is high in Vitamins A an E along with essential fatty acids.  It can be used directly on the skin or it can be added to other cosmetics. You can find organic rosehip seed oil sold on our shelves at The Herbal Clinic and Dispensary.

How to prepare dried rose hips:

DECOCTION:  scoop 2.5 tsp’s of dried rosehips into a cup of water, bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10 mins.

INFUSION: Use 1 heaping teaspoon of rosehips per cup of boiled water and steep 15 minutes.

BLENDING TIPS:

Find rosehips in our ‘Stress Rest‘ Tea blend, and allow us to blend it for you with any of our wide selection of dried herbs! We love blending it with Nettle leaves as it’s vitamin c content works synergistically with the iron content of nettles, helping your body to absorb more of these incredible nutrients.