The oil extracted from pumpkin seeds is an oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids appreciated, as well as in the kitchen, for its cosmetic properties .
Let's find out how to use pumpkin seed oil for the beauty of skin and hair .
Use of pumpkin seed oil in cosmetics
If you bought pumpkin seed oil to dress your salads and enrich vegetable soups, you can take advantage of the cosmetic properties of this oil and experience its use for beauty .
> For an anti-aging mask
Mix with a spoonful of kaolin (white clay), a teaspoon of pumpkin seed oil and 2 tablespoons of water.
Mix well and apply the mask over the entire face excluding the eye area. Leave on for ten minutes, then rinse with warm water and apply your usual moisturizer.
> To combat hair loss
Add a teaspoon of pumpkin seed oil to the scalp for five minutes. Wash your hair thoroughly with shampoo to remove oil residues. Repeat two or three times a week.
> To make body skin elastic
Mix 20 grams of pumpkin seed oil with 30 grams of sweet almond oil and add 30 drops of geranium essential oil . Use the oil to perform massages every day, preferably in the evening.
> To soothe the skin from sunburn or irritation
Add two drops of lavender essential oil to a tablespoon of pumpkin seed oil and gently massage the oil on the areas to be treated.
> To make a matting cream for oily skin
The most expert can formulate an emulsion in which to insert 2% pumpkin seed oil in the cold phase.
Cosmetic properties of pumpkin seed oil
Pumpkin seed oil is extracted from pumpkin seeds, the Cucurbita maxima fruit : this oil contains a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, including oleic acid and linoleic acid, curcubitine, vitamin E and minerals, including sodium and zinc.
The high content of amino acids and minerals present in pumpkin seeds guarantees a healthy skin and skin annexes, therefore, besides being used for food purposes, pumpkin seed oil can be used in cosmetics for its properties.
In particular, pumpkin seed oil is used as a massage oil to keep the skin of the face and body young and supple : the elasticizing effect of pumpkin oil on the tissues is probably due to its mineral, zinc content important for the good functioning of fibroblasts (the cells of the dermis responsible for the production of collagen and elastin).
Pumpkin seed oil can be applied pure to the skin or mixed with other vegetable oils and, thanks to its soothing action, its use is also useful for treating sunburned skin or to calm irritation caused by insect bites .
Used in face masks, pumpkin seed oil improves the appearance of the skin, softens the skin, reduces wrinkles and improves the tone and elasticity of the tissues.
Inserted in low percentages in face creams, pumpkin seed oil seems to have an opaque action : it is therefore an oil suitable for oily and mixed skin, to reduce the clarity of the skin given by excess sebum without interfering with the composition of the natural skin barrier.
In higher percentages, pumpkin seed oil in creams is also excellent for dry and rough skin, as well as for wrinkles.
Cucurbitin and sterols contained in pumpkin seed oil are involved in the inhibition of an enzyme (5 alpha reductase) and, consequently, in the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone: this action is useful for combating hair loss .
It is possible to buy cold-extracted pumpkin seed oil in health food stores and shops selling organic products and its price is around 10 euros for 250 milliliters.
Pumpkin in a nutshell
The pumpkin is the fruit of an annual herbaceous plant of the Cucubitacee family, the Cucurbita maxima . The pumpkin plant is native to Central America and has spread to all temperate and tropical areas.
The pumpkin is characterized by a creeping stem and large leaves covered with stiff hairs; the flowers of the pumpkin are yellow and large and the fruit, which we all know for use in the kitchen, contains numerous seeds. Pumpkin seeds extract an oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids, cucurbitin (an amino acid), sterols and their glucosides, vitamin E and minerals including selenium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and copper.
The oil extracted from pumpkin seeds, as well as pumpkin and seeds, is used mainly in nutrition but, as we have seen, it also has interesting cosmetic properties for skin and hair.
