There's a new babe on the block, and she's called "watermelon seed oil." Yes, today at Glow & Green, I want to talk about this new oil. After writing Carrier Oil 101, I decided it's time to introduce these great functional ingredients via blog posts one by one. Today, I present you with watermelon seed oil.
If you're on the hunt for a new wonder ingredient for your DIY beauty recipes or to use as a product on its own, then give this oil a whirl. I genuinely love to use this ingredient in my cleansing oil, facial elixir, balms, and body butter. Watermelon seed oil is known as Africa's best beauty secret. There are plenty of good reasons for it. So let's find out more about this.
What is watermelon seed oil?
Watermelon seed oil is derived through a pressing method and comes from the seeds of the Citrullus lanatus (watermelon). It is particularly common in West Africa. Sometimes it's called ootanga oil or Kalahari oil. Watermelons probably originated almost 5,000 years ago in the Kalahari Desert of Africa, where botanists have found its wild ancestors still growing. Watermelons migrated north through Egypt during Roman times. Traditionally, the seeds are taken out of their seed casing and dried in the sun. Once the seeds dry, they are pressed to extract the oil(reference: here).
Like every oil, watermelon seed oil also contains many fatty acids, especially omega-6 fatty acids. This oil is a prominent source of linoleic acid. This type of acid is also known as vitamin F. Linoleic acid in the oil will help the skin build up its lipid barrier and stay hydrated, and will protect it from free radicals. Due to the high level of linoleic acid, the oil is also absorbed into the skin fairly quickly.
(Rule of thumb: In general, look at the oleic acid and linoleic acid balance in any oil. If the linoleic acid content is higher, than it won't give you that greasy feeling)
This oil has many benefits, and I can't wait to share them with you all.
Benefits
Watermelon seed oil acts as an anti-aging agent. This oil helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and blemishes. It also helps cure eczema, psoriasis, and other skin issues. This anti-inflammatory quality helps reduce inflammation on the scalp as well.
In general, watermelon seed oil provides excellent benefits to your skin and hair. In the future, I will show you various easy DIY natural recipes using watermelon seed oil. However, there are many watermelon seed oil products available on the market. Some brands use this oil as an active ingredient in their formulations.
I am a big fan of a few products that contain watermelon oil. If you would like to save some money, buy cold-pressed, unrefined watermelon seed oil in small quantities. It is the purest form of the oil. I recommend applying it to the face if you are dealing with acne-prone skin. I have shared a few products in this blog post (see below), but I would love to hear more from you if you are using any watermelon seed oil-based products!
Here are my favorite brands that carry watermelon seed oil:
https://www.sheaterraorganics.com/100-Pure-Kalahari-Melon-Oil-Cold-Pressed-Community-Grown_p_51.html