Ingredient Spotlight: Watermelon Seed Oil

Watermelon seed oil

Have you been enjoying watermelon as much as I have this summer? If you need a little inspiration, this post gives you every reason to eat more watermelon (lycopene, potassium and more!). The benefits of watermelon don’t stop there. Cold-pressed watermelon seed oil is one of the best ingredients you can add to your summer routine, and it’s prominently featured in some of my favorite skincare products. The watermelon seed oil used in cosmetics doesn’t actually come from the common summer fruit we all know and love. It comes from its biological ancestor—the wild watermelons found in the Kalahari Desert of Africa—and it’s sometimes referred to as Ootanga or Kalahari oil. Locally, the melons are known as tsamma and the seeds are generally grown and harvested by women who are indigenous to the Kalahari Desert and its harsh climate. The seeds provide a source of income to the region.

Watermelon seed oil is one of the most skin-friendly and active botanical oils around. It’s a great choice for oily and congested skin but can benefit all skin types, including dry, acne-prone or maturing skin. Light and easily absorbed, watermelon seed oil is rich in oleic and linoleic acids, so it helps balance oil production while restoring elasticity to skin. The high content of essential fatty acids, and linoleic acid in particular, helps dissolve oil buildup in the pores. Watermelon seed oil actually helps detox your skin and eliminate the sebum, grease and other junk that builds up over time and leads to problems like acne. Watermelon seed oil allows skin to breathe, too, which also aids the skin’s natural detoxification process. The melons also have high antioxidant activity, which helps them survive in the harsh desert climate where they grow. These antioxidants will help protect your skin, too! You can keep your complexion clear, radiant and protected all summer long with watermelon seed oil.

Want to add watermelon seed oil to your routine? Start with one of these products…

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About Susannah Compton

Susannah Compton is the founder and formulator behind Florescent, a line of 100% botanical perfumes she blends in small batches from organic and wild crafted aromatics. Plant-based skincare and cosmetics are a way of life for Susannah, who writes about clean beauty and the benefits of botanical ingredients for No More Dirty Looks, Thoughtfully Magazine and Integrity Botanicals. Florescent, however, is Susannah’s personal expression of healthy beauty. Susannah has been working with botanical aromatics for years, blending first for therapeutic purposes before delving into the art of perfumery. Having rarely experienced the depth and complexity of true botanicals in conventional perfume, she learned the art of blending and created what her heart desired — a scent that would move her the way perfume should. In search of those elevating, ethereal bouquets of scent, Susannah honed her skills behind the perfume bench. She launched Florescent in the spring of 2015 to share the lush experience and pleasing ritual of real perfume.