Garden of Wisdom Watermelon seed oil

This is a review of the original Watermelon Seed Oil, not the new raw, unrefined version.

I have very oily skin and scalp. I have battled with this since being a teenager. Most products for oily skin would either dry my face and make it parched looking or cause a breakout, and usually I would see an overproduction of oil causing a vicious cycle. This oil decreased my sebum production after using it consistently for only a few weeks. I also used the Neutrogena Light Acne Mask at the same time, and have used it periodically since then. I think this has contributed to the decreased oiliness. But, I have not had oily skin since I used this oil. I have acneic, easily clogged, and sensitive skin and I had zero problems with this oil. It is not emollient like many other oils, so if your skin is normal to dry or dehydrated, you will probably not benefit from it. If you have combination skin, an oily T zone, you can probably spot treat the oily areas with this oil though.

For what many high end skin care products cost, this one is much more cost effective and does not cause problems with added chemicals, fragrances, 'cones, etc. This oil readily absorbs, lacks a luscious fruity scent since the oil is derived from the seeds, and can be mixed with other oils/plays well with other skin care products.

This is information provided by GoW on the oil:

Watermelon seed oil has been used for thousands of years, and for good reason. It is extremely rich in omega 6 and omega 9 essential fatty acids, making it a very nutritive oil. Watermelon seed oil is also very healing and can help to repair damaged and irritated skin. This oil is great for oily skin, as it tends to be slightly drying.

Properties

- used since Egyptian times
- very healing
- emollient
- great for oily skin

Botanical Name: Citrullus vulgaris

Origin: Europe

Extraction Method: Cold Pressed/Un-Refined

Color: Yellow

Derived From: The seed

Contains: Noted for its rich omegas 6 and 9 essential fatty acids

Base Oil: Can be used up to 100% strength

Shelf Life: 2 years

Fatty Acid Composition

Palmitic Acid C16:0 8-12%
Palmitoleic Acid (Omega-7) C16:1 1% Max
Stearic Acid C18:0 1.5-5.0%
Oleic Acid C18:1 21-30%
Linoleic Acid (Omega-6) C18:2 55-65%
alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega-3) C18:3 1% Max

oily combo acne prone, possible facial psoriasis. Many oils can break me out but this one is great. Super lightweight and does not break me out but adds a small amount of moisture. Been using during the day mixed in with a light moisturizer from ulta called the radiant brightening serum. Will update but have been using for at least 5 or 6 months now and love it.

Editing to add: I only trust Garden of Wisdom for my oils! It's important to me to know where exactly my oils are being sourced from. Large commercial companies will not have 1 on 1 support like GoW will offer. They ship super fast so I don't mind having to order online... I've yet to have a bad experience with them.

My skintype: oily/acne-prone/rosacea-prone/ugly/nc10.

Oils that break me out: coconut, olive, rosehip seed, tomato seed, aloe vera, argan, peach kernel, apricot kernel, vitamin e...........................basically all of the plant-based oils.

Watermelon seed oil turned out to be one of the very, very few that don't break me out like a volcano. This is exactly why I'd rec trying ALL of them before ruling oils out altogether. I have tried 20+ from Garden of Wisdom. Organic jojoba (which is actually a wax ester...) works great for me. Mineral oil plays okay-ish, but I prefer it for cleansing oil. I am currently testing Hemp (and so far, so good). As you can see - it pays off to experiment. I'm glad I didn't give up. Also just a word of advice: sometimes oils will seem very similar in terms of composition and consistency but your skin can react very differently to each.

About watermelon seed oil specifically... it's a very light oil and listed as slightly astringent. I do get *some* moisture from it. Putting vaseline over it actually seems to "boost" it and keeps my retinoid flakes at bay! My make up looks a lot better after a night of using this. Even though I'm oily and acne prone I still need a moisturizer. Otherwise I could fry my skin's protective barrier. Using an oil like this keeps my skin a lot calmer. I do not get any clogged pores from using this whatsoever.

I tend to slather my skincare (and haircare...and make up..) on. So I'm going through this at a rate of 1 oz per month. It's about $10 a month which puts it at $120 a year. That is a lot for just an oil but I find the results totally worth it.

I will have to update on the hemp oil but as far as watermelon seed oil goes... I'm sold.

I never understood what people meant when they would say an oil was calming to their skin.. until I tried Watermelon Seed.

I'd found other oils that don't break me out or add to irritation problems, which is great of course (well, two to be exact lol - squalane and red raspberry seed - after testing at least 10 from GoW's sample packs as well as more expensive oils from other stores and etailers), but until now hadn't found one that I considered to be calming too, and that had potential to be "the one".
I was straying from my squalane because even 1 drop was feeling a little heavy in the summer heat this year, and red raspberry is about as moisturizing as watermelon seed, but was leaving me with a very oily looking sheen that I didn't care for during the day.

Anyway, today I'm at my 10 day mark of full face testing (after half-face patch testing for almost a week as well). My skin has been loving this - and the results are clearly visible.
It's also coincidental that BarbiH (review below) and I began testing this around the same time lol - we have similar skin types. When I saw she created a category for it, I had to chime in with my thoughts!
I tried watermelon seed once before, many months ago, but my skin wasn't in a good state at the time (still recovering from a breakout caused by a different oil - it was a nightmare) so it didn't get a fair shot until now. I'm thankful I worked up the guts to try this again. I'll update my review if things take a turn for the worse, but at this point I don't see that happening.

My skin: fair, combo, easily dehydrated, SD, clog-prone, reactive (hives, eczema/dermatitis flares that occur with often times no rhyme or reason) *sigh*.
My general routine with this is, in the palm of my hand I mix 1-2 drops of watermelon seed oil (1 drop in the A.M., 2 drops P.M.), 1 pump of PSF Berry Beneficial aox serum (a hyaluronic acid serum), and several drops of Estee Lauder Micro Essence (a hydrating toner), then pat pat pat this mixture all over my face. (Several nights a week I also rotate using a vitamin c serum, bha, or aha under my mixture) - Since my skin is very often dehydrated (lacking water, not necessarily lacking oil), mixing watermelon seed with these lightweight serum-like products before applying has been working like a charm. This oil sinks in very nicely after a few minutes and doesn't leave me with the oil slick look.

This oil is very light and a tad on the astringent side (definitely no where near as astringent as grapeseed or jojoba were on me) but it's not going to provide a ton of moisture either - Probably best for normal, combination, and oily skin types (from my experience at least - YMMV).

Garden of Wisdom doesn't have the fatty acid percentages listed on their website yet, but according to Google it's:
Palmitic acid(C16:0) 11.0
stearic acid(C18:0) 10.0
Oleic acid(C18:1) 15.0
Linoleic acid(C18:2) 63.0
So I'd imagine GoW's watermelon seed oil would be very similar to this..(?)

Regardless, it's becoming a staple for my hateful skin. Thanks GoW!

Watermelon seed oil has been in use for thousands of years, since Egyptian times but I had never heard of it before MUA. It's only been recently that it finally made it on my radar and my curiosity got the best of me. Besides, priced at $18 for a very stable oil (shelf life is 2 yrs) seemed more than reasonable. The main reason it piqued my interest was when I read that it helps to control and remove sebum; and sebum is the bane of every SD-prone's skin health. Argan oil has proved to be quite helpful in that regard but now that the hot humid weather is here in the SouthEast, argan seems a bit too rich.

Watermelon seeds are high in niacinamide (B3) which I've never been successful using my on skin. But in this form, it seems fine. It also rich in magnesium, zinc and O-6/O-9 fatty acids. The oil is supposedly anti-aging as it works to reduce redness, fine lines and wrinkles. I can attest that it seems to be hydrating without being greasy.

Time will tell but thumbs up so far.