I think rosehip oil is about to become the next big thing in commercialized natural skincare, making the leap to Sephora shelves a la argan oil (USA / Canada) & Josie Maran. It’s starting to pop up on my non-natural/DIY beauty Pinterest feeds, accompanied by photographs of supermodels, glowing bottles with beautiful labels, and gushing reviews.
And why shouldn’t it make it big? Rosehip oil really is fantastic. High in vitamins A & E,Ā it’s great for encouraging healing and regeneration. It promotes collagen and elastin levels, and can be used to treat everything from sunburns to wrinkles. And, best of all for those who don’t enjoy the feeling of oil on their skin, rosehip oil is a “drying” oil, meaning it absorbs in a flash, leaving your skin hydrated and dewy, but not at all oily.
I wanted to bring rosehip oil into my daily routine, and I decided to bring another oil along for the ride. That oil is tamanu oilāa cloudy, brown oil from Madagascar. Tamanu is praised as a fantastic healing oil, for everything from bug bites and infections to acne and diaper rash. Because it’s solid at room temperature a pairing with a liquid oil was necessary for easy application, and rosehip oil sounded like a perfect partner.
tamanu oil in a hot water bath for a few minutes to liquify.” width=”500″ height=”332″ /> You’ll want to place your bottle of tamanu oil in a hot water bath for a few minutes to liquify.
I gave the resulting oil blend a small boost with two essential oilsāfrankincense and helichrysum. Frankincense has been prized for centuries for its healing and rejuvenating properties, and helichrysum is a favourite of mine for all my healing needs.
The resulting oil blend is lovely. I’ll spread it all over my face, or just use it as a spot treatment for areas that need a healing boost (zits, if we’re being frank). It absorbs quickly and has a mild, woodsy/nutty scent that dissipates quickly. It helps speed along healing really well when applied before bedtime (it made quick work of some, err, booboos on my chin that usually hang around for ages), and I’m thrilled to have it as part of my medicine/beauty cabinet.
Rosehip & Tamanu Healing Facial Serum
10mL | 0.33 fl oz rosehip oil
5mL | 0.16 fl oz tamanu oil1 drop frankincense essential oil
1 drop helichrysum essential oil1 (15mL/half ounce) glass bottle with a dropper top
Measure the oils out into the bottle. Top with the essential oils. Cap & shake to combine.
To use, massage a few drops into the skin, or use as a spot treatment.
If I’d known I would have brought a load of the Tamanu back with me when I was in Madagascar … Spent a wonderful 3 months there … š
Ooooh, lucky you! I was just able to bring back some coconut oil and cocoa butter from Costa Rica, where they’re produced, and that was very exciting for me š Did you see tamanu oil for sale quite commonly there?
Hey again Marie ….
My Madagascar trip was a loooong time ago … š So no I don’t remember ANY oils lol And I was working in slum areas as I was a missionary there š
Ah well, fair enough. I think I need to add Madagascar to my list of places to visit… that list is getting very long!
I’d like to try helichrysum EO, but it’s so dang expensive. But I can buy Helichrysum Italicum dried flowers at a reasonable price. Do you know if an oil infusion of the flowers would have any similar qualities to the EO, or would that just be a waste of time and effort?
Nonetheless, I intend to purchase some rosehip oil soon – it sounds so nice! (On a similar note, I’ve also been contemplating doing an infusion of dried rosehips in oil…)
If you can infuse the helichrysum flowers right into the rosehip & tamamnu oils that’d probably work, but your easiest sub is to just replace the helichrysum EO with a few drops of lavender EO, which also has great healing properties š
Let me know how the rosehip infused oil goes, it sounds like a fun experiment!
How is the scent of your little potion? I am a huge fan of both rosehip seed oil and tamanu oil but find that the tamanu oil has a very strong smell. As healing as it is, I have a hard time getting my kids to agree to using it when they have “booboos”:)
I find it smells nutty, and almost a bit spicy/musty from the frankincense. This tamanu smells less nutty than my last batch, which smelled sort of like walnut ice cream (which was rather lovely). The scent does dissipate quite quickly, though, and it’s never really bothered me. If you’re worried about it you could try tipping the batch more to the rosehip side, as the rosehip oil doesn’t really have a scent. Thanks for reading!
Hello! Is rosehip oil and rosehip seed oil the same thing? Thanks very much! =)
Yes they are š
Thanks! š
No worriesālet me know if you try it š
I will. š
š
I’ve been hunting through your recipes today. Such fun
So glad I stumbled on this as my skin loves Rosehip oil as Argan oil is just to heavy for my combination skin.
This recipe is too of my ‘make’ list . Thank you
Enjoy & happy making!
sounds lovely !
any suggestion as to how to replace tamanu oil if I couldn’t find it ?
Sylvie, from France
From my research some good alternatives could be neem oil (though it’s rather, err, fragrant), seabuckthorn oil, and pumpkin oil. Otherwise, you can just use all rosehip oil š
thanks ! Now I just need to translate all this in French and try and find all these lovely ingredients ! :o)
Sylvie
Hi Sylvie,
If you’re living in France, you can find Tamanu oil (calophylle inophyle) at Aroma-zone in Paris. They also have a Website if you’re not able to go to the store.
Thanks so much, Tanya!
Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
Hi Marie,
Funny I just put together a similar concoction for my acne scars that I’ve been using for a few weeks. I plan to use it nightly for 3 months to see how much they actually do fade…. I used rosehip, apricot kernel, tamanu, helichrysum EO, calendula EO, and carrot seed EO. Yes, the scent is quite earthly! I added some litsea cubeba to brighten it up a bit. It’s growing on me now š
Thanks for all your great posts. You have helped lead me to my diy natural creations and I’m hooked! I thoroughly enjoy the blog!
Thanks again!
~Annie from IL, USA
Great minds think alike, eh? How has your blend worked so far? Thanks so much for reading & DIYing with me š
I recently discovered Tamanu oil (among others) at our local Vitamin Cottage and was contemplating which oil to try next. I started using Argan oil on my face a couple months ago and have been loving it (although this morning I noticed that my face was a little drier than normal – I live in Colorado where it’s very dry!). A few weeks ago at work, I was talking with a customer and she stopped in the middle of the conversation to complement my skin. I’m 44 and have been using Oil of Olay for the last 10 years and I used other higher end facial products before that until I couldn’t afford it. How does the Tamanu oil compare to Argan oil? I came across your blog entry about it after I got the notification about this one and I’m pretty curious!
I agree with a previous commenter about Helicrysum oil being very expensive. It’ll be something that I add to my shelves at some point but is there another oil that you would recommend in its place at all?
Hi Sally! I’m glad to hear you’re hooked on argan oil as wellāit’s my go-to for my face all the time. I can’t imagine anything ever replacing it. I find tamanu oil to be a bit heavier than argan oil and more fragrant (and more expensive). I’ve tried it in a blend of oils that I used for a month or so (abstaining from argan oil at the time) and I still went back to argan oil for daily use. So, yeah, I’d stick with the argan oil for daily use, and save the tamanu for things that need a healing boost (zits, bug bites, cuts, etc.).
As for the helichrysum, I’d replace it with a few drops of lavender EO š
I had a coworker ask me tonight what I’m doing with my skin because it looks so much clearer. I haven’t had bad skin but argan oil is the only change I’ve made. I’m a believer!
Score! I love it when simple, natural changes yield such awesome results š
Hello! Ever since I started using the argan oil I have never stopped! No breakouts, which is what I had worried about. So a big thank you for that! How long does this last once the oils are mixed? Indefinitely? Would it matter that they were mixed? Or would they last just as long mixed or not? Thanks!
Awesome! I love stories like this, especially when they’re about argan oil since it is my true love in the natural beauty department š
Both tamanu and rosehip oils have shelf lives of about a year, so you should be good for at least that long unless one of them is already turning rancid (you’ll know by the scent). That said, I’ve never had something made entirely from oils go rancid on me š
Thanks Marie. This is on my “to do” list for this weekend now. Girl, you’re keeping me pretty busy! (It’s a wonderful thing!)
Enjoy your DIY day & let me know how you like the oil blend š Have fun!
I also make my own facial serum out of rose hip oil & love it! Only I use carrot seed oil and argan (my favorite) along with some frankincense essential oil. Firm believer that my daily regiment keeps me young. Have to look up your oils too and try them out.
Ooh, argan & carrot seed are two of my faves for mature skin as well š Great minds think alike, eh? š
So this is a delightful little serum…
but my tamanu oil smells like curry after a few hours! to me it smells like echinecea tea at first, and then an old curry. funny, but slightly embarrassing at work.
so it has become a night treat (my husband says he dreams of curry).
How funny! I have found that different tamanus smell different… my last one smelled like maple pecan ice cream, but this bottle smells almost dusty, if that makes any sense š But hey, I’m glad it works well for you at nightāI tend to apply it at night as well since I usually just dot it on spots, and I find I’ll have an oddly shiny chin if I go out straight away š
I just got my order from NDA and I was excited to try this recipe but I realized I ordered Rosehip – Extra virgin Carrier oil… Is this the same thing?
It’s exactly the same thing š Have fun & enjoy the serum!
Cant find tamanu oil or helichrysum eo anywhere…any more common replacements to suggest?
New Directions Aromatics sells both, and Saffire Blue has the tamanu (links in the big box above). As for substitutions, I’d recommend reading my articles on carrier oil and essential oil substitutions. Emu oil would probably be a good swap for the tamanu oil, but it’s not going to be any easier to find. I’d just recommend going onlineāthe internet has everything š
Thrilled to find your blog as I am just trying to go natural and make my own skin care products. Now that I have invested in rosehip seed oil, tamanu,kukui, marula, and several more oils, etc., I see that I missed the previous argan craze. Which one do you prefer, argan or rosehip for daily use?? Thank you for your most informative, common sense blog!
Hi Jo! I’m so thrilled you’ve found my blog š
I definitely prefer argan for daily use. It’s so dry here that I appreciate the fact that it doesn’t feel dry in an instant on my skin, and honestly, I’ve been using it for years and nothing has been able to woo me away from it for long š
Thanks for reading & DIYing with me!
Hey Marie! I made this a while ago and have used a couple times, I think it’s the culprit of my pretty clear complexion lately. Usually I get at least a couple zits which is awesome considering what my skin used to be like befor ditching chemicals. But. This. Stuff. Is. Golden. I get bumps on eyebrows a lot from tweeting stubborn tiny hairs wrong, I can’t stand feeling em grow in and tweeze too early sometimes. Usually it takes a week at best to clear up! Even with some oils. But I tried this last night after having some scabbing for about a week. It had cleared it almost right up!! Luckily I have found better tweezers and patience lol, so I get them rarely now, but this is gonna be a staple now! Great for face and those bumps!! Oh, and it healed a shaving nick in just hours, on the inside of the knee. We all know how hard those are to heal unless you’re bedridden lol.
If you haven’t made this yet, I highly recommend it. Cnt wIt to find more uses!!
I’m so thrilled you’re loving this serum, Colie!
Hi,
This is such a great blog! I was wondering…can you add the serum to a homemade salve or cream?
Thanks,
Myrna
Hi Myrna! Thanks for reading š You can add this serum to other things, but remember that you will be diluting it (quite a lot in the case of a lotion) so it will not be anywhere close to as strong.
Thank you!
š
Saffire inc and mountain rose also the rose hip oil is not available
could you please let me know where else to buy this oil?
And thank you for this beautiful recipe
Try New Directions Aromaticsālink above the comments in the big box š
Hi and thank you for all your recipes/instructionals. I know this post is not the most recent so if you are able to reply I will be very appreciative.
I am curious about you small quantity of EO’s in this serum. Is this because the carriers are potent by themselves?
I have a tendency to over-indulge on my EO usage, sometimes to the point that I worry about over saturation to the point that my recipes will before unhealthy.
Can I use more EO drools for this recipe? Or is this not necessary. Also, in general for some recipes I,.e. For my beard oil which I want to be very fragrant and long lasting I have constructed a 9 oil harmony with about 50 drops for 20 ml of carrier oils. Is this Bad?
Thanks!
Hi Matthew! The powerhouses of this recipe are the two carrier oils, and the essential oils are just an added bonus š You could add more EO (up to about 2ā3%) if you want to, but there’s really no need to.
50 drops to 20mL of oil is a dilution of about an 11% dilution, which is generally said to be too high, but there are exceptions for everything. Tiger balm and perfume, for instance, are about 50% essential oils. If you don’t find it to be irritating, and the EOs in it don’t have a high risk of sensitization, you should be ok.
Hello! I am so excited to try this! Do you think I could also add geranium essential oil??
Definitely š
This is awesome. I’ve been researching rosehip oil for my own skin. I would like to try this recipe.
Question though (and forgive me if I’m wrong here): you said 10 mL of the rosehip, then 5 mL of the tamanu. Wouldn’t that be about 2’ish and 1’ish teaspoons, respectively? Or do I have something wrong here? Ideally, I’d like to make more than that (if I’m right).
But please advise.
Yup, that’s right š I would recommend sticking to the smaller batch for your first go, though, so you know if you like it before scaling it up.
I don’t have Helichrysum and want to substitute is for another EO. What EO doe you recommend for Helichrysum
Your easiest sub is to just replace the helichrysum EO with a few drops of lavender EO, which also has great healing properties š
Hi Marie,
You mention above (albeit a couple years ago), that rosehip oil doesn’t really have a scent. I’ve found that my preferred brand of cold-pressed, organic rosehip oil has a fairly noticeable, pleasant tea (rosehip tea?) aroma. It is a deep orange colour. Am I smelling something that shouldn’t be there? Thanks!
Hey Anne! I’m sure you aren’tāas with all natural products there’s lots of room for variation between sources and batches š As long as it doesn’t smell rancid and your supplier is reputable, I’m sure it’s fine!
I’ve been reading about Vitamin C facial serums and was wondering if maybe this serum could be transformed into such thing. And if so, how would one go about doing such a thing? I already use rosehip seed oil nightly.
Hey Ani! Vitamin C is water soluble, so that would be your first hurdle as this is a 100% oil based formula. Vitamin C serums are much harder to make than one might guess as vitamin C is not very stable and not easily absorbed into the skināhere is an excellent recipe that is indicative of the level of work required to make a proper, effective vit C serum. Hope that helps!
Hi, Marie: The best ingredient to rid spots/acne is to rub the area with the inside of a ripe banana peel. Wash your face, then lightly dab the area several times a day. IT WORKS!!! If only I knew this when I was in my teens!
Weird, but I’m game to try next time I have a banana!
I stumbled upon your link. I underwent a knee joint replacement surgery a couple of months ago and one friend of mine recommended Tamanu oil to smooth the scar and another recommended RoseHip seed oil. I was hesitant to combine them but it appears from you experience mixing them has no negative chemical reaction. In any case since there have been no postings since 2014 I thought I would breathe new life into the link. ! Peter
Hey Peter! Good luck on the healing š You can mix any carrier oils together safely, it’s just a matter of whether or not you like the final product! You could mix lots of neem oil in to other carrier oils safely, but I think most would find the smell to be very off-putting haha š Thanks for reading and happy making!
Marie, I’ve read though your post and comments but don’t see any answer. My question is, you stated that Tamanu oil is brown and solid at room temperature but I have a bottle that is a green liquid. It says it’s 100% Tamanu. Have I been ripped off?
Hey Susan! I’ve since bought bottles that a sort of green-ish brown, so as long as it smells nutty and you got it from a reputable supplier, you’re probably a-ok. If you live somewhere a bit warmer than I do it won’t be solid as its melting point is right around room temperature, and some variation in the green-brown spectrum is to be expected as its a natural product š
Thanks Marie. I’ve since checked around and have found that when liquid it could be anywhere from a dark green to brown. I do live in a warm climate ( Georgia, USA) and I doubt it will ever go solid! I did make the above recipe but added 4 drops of each EO trying to mask the scent a bit but it’s still strong. I found that during the day if I want to cover the shine, I use a translucent powder which also helps mask the scent. I don’t normally wear face makeup but I need to powder to reduce the shine.im on my second day so I will let you know! Thanks again!
Lucky youāenjoy that warmth! We’ve got a heat warning now with highs of 33Ā°C (91Ā°F)āI suspect anyone from anywhere truly hot finds that rather amusing, haha.
To reduce the shine of the serum you can also add some silica microspheres directly to it š
Hi Marie! Just found your posting doing my rounds of research for getting rid of acne scars and dark spots. Do you think it’s find to not combine the tamura oil and rosehip oil? If so, what’s the best way to apply them? Tamura first, followed by rosehip? Should I wait for some time before applying the second oil? Would be greatly appreciated to hear from you.
There’s really no right or wrong way to do thisāput ’em on your skin. There’s nothing in here like an AHA or a BHA where waiting is advised. But… why not mix them? They will be mixed on your skin anyways š
Hello,tamanu oil useful for acne scar or not pls tell me
It certainly has the potential to be, but as with all things skin care, your mileage may vary.
Hi Marie. Can I use this around the eye area? Thanks.
You can, though I’d leave out the EOs š
Hi Marie, 48 here and just starting to get into skincare and am an avid follower of your youtube vids. Ok my question would be could I sub the Tamanu oil for Argan oil and if so is it the same quantity. Thank you Barbara xx
Yes and yes! Happy making š
Marie, I blended 10 % argan oil and 5 % tamanu to see how tamanu oils works. I’ve used several oils in skincare, with great results, but nothing has ever worked so quickly before. I’m suprised since I don’t really believe in “skincare miracles”.
I tried this in a small bruise for myself last night and this blue mark has allmost healed. Only about 25 % left. š It also lifted my boyfriend’s skin instantly working like an astringent and healed his sunburned skin. It was a cooling sensation also. Skin remains brighter in applied area.
I don’t know how it works for acne/scars, or how it works in long term…but so far it works very quickly for these things. I even prefer it over ozonated olive oil or neem oil. Tamanu blend absorbs quite quickly and scent is much nicer. Small roll on bottle works fine.
We only applied it on the left side. We allready use argan and did not use any eo’s. I’ll send you a picture. Thank you very much for sharing this formula!
Howdy Johanna!
Have you taken a looksee at this link? Or this one about Marie’s favourite face oils? When I first got my hands on tamanu oil, mine was blue! And that was so cool! So be sure to check out “why do we use it in recipes” section! I agree with you on the scent, it is a much more pleasing scent than neem! Happy making!
Hi Barb, Thank you for your answer. Seriously intresting information – I read those earlier. My tamanu is blue’ish green – love the color. ā¤ļø I’ve continued useing it regularly for many skin conditions – it works.
I typically add some (at low %) to many “purifying mint”/anti acne formulas and it blends nicely with other herbal/green healing boosting oils. It still seems to clarify skin tone instantly, esspecially when “massaged” to skin in mini facial like cosmetic quasha.
I’ve also found more inspiration about how to use it and how to formulate for “problem skin” from Skinchakra.
Hey! thank you so much for sharing, could it be the other way around 10ml tamanu and 15 rosehip? I have tamanu and raspberry seed oil but I was wondering if I can use tamanu mainly, thank you!
Definitely š Happy making!
Hi love this!! Ive been making a face oil with argan, marula, rosehip, and sea buckthorne, and helichrysum and neroli…. its amazing! i like the idea of this one as a touch up… what do you think about adding a touch of sea buckthorne in this too?
Thank you for your time, this whole website is amazing!!