If you're a fan of superfoods and natural home remedies then you're probably well aware that pumpkin seed oil can provide benefits to the heart, brain, immune system, and digestive system... However, you may not be aware of what this miraculous oil can do for your skin!
If you're skeptical about putting oil on your face at all because you're afraid it will cause your skin to go all greasy, allow me to dissuade your fears. Pumpkin seed oil is a lightweight oil that contains essential fatty acids (EFA's) that regulate and balance moisture in the skin, preventing dryness but discouraging it from crossing that line into the greasy territory. Pumpkin seed oil specifically has a low comedogenic rating which means it's not the type of oil that will clog pores. In fact, your face has a natural layer of fatty lipids essential to its health, and dermatologists recommend against disrupting this lipid layer with frequent face washing because it can actually cause breakouts by encouraging the production of pore-clogging sebum. (1)
For that reason, it's a good idea to keep the face hydrated naturally to avoid an uncontrolled sebum cycle, and because of its high EFA content and plethora of skin rejuvenating vitamins and minerals, pumpkin seed oil is the obvious choice for the job.
⬆ Here's some before and after photos of a clinical trial for pumpkin seed oil's effect on acne; this was after just 2 months of pumpkin seed oil treatment. ⬆
On top of its ability to balance and moisturize, the anti-inflammatory properties of pumpkin seed oil can help decrease the redness caused by acne. It also has wound-healing capabilities which lend a hand in repairing lesions. (2) Studies have found drastic reductions in overall acne lesion counts when using pumpkin seed oil over a prolonged period of 1-2 months, as seen above. (3)
Meanwhile vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc content help to prevent free radicals and encourage the production of collagen which increases elasticity and firmness, leaving a youthful and buoyant look and feel to the skin. (4)
Now then, let's address how you can incorporate it into your skincare regime.
How to use:
Internal supplementation is one method of obtaining the benefits discussed above. Taking a tablespoon a day will supply the body with all the nutritional benefits needed to support the skin from the inside out, but the best option is to apply directly to the skin and face. For this, we recommend the oil cleansing method.
Oil Cleansing Method:
The basic working principle of this method is that we're applying oil to the face to purge the dead skin cells and excess sebum from the pores and then removing them without disrupting the natural lipid layer of the skin as detergent-based cleansers are known to do. This is a very clever way to cleanse the face because, as discussed above, removing the natural lipid layer can leave your skin dry and vulnerable.
Step 1:
Steam your face with a warm, damp towel for about a minute to open up your
pores (you can also skip this step and go straight to step 2 if you've just gotten
out of a warm shower).
Step 2:
Apply 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin seed oil to your face and massage for 2-3
minutes. (It's going to feel oily but hang in there!)
Step 3:
Thoroughly remove the oil with a warm, damp towel.
Step 4:
Once all the oil has been removed, apply a few drops of fresh oil to
your face and massage for 1 minute
The last step may be skipped if you already have oily-prone skin, or you can try it for a week and see how your skin reacts. The skin should feel soft and supple after you're done with a treatment. For best results try and do this once a day or at least several times a week.
Thanks for reading! We hope you found it enjoyable and informative :)
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Take care, and plant good seeds! :)
*Disclaimer.* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are based on publicly available studies.