Ingredient Spotlight: Pumpkin Seed Oil + DIY SERUM

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Cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil is an incredible tool that should be in your DIY skincare arsenol. Full of essential fatty acids, high in anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin rich and great at fighting age causing free radicals, pumpkin seed oil is a great addition to skincare products and should be part of your skincare routine. Whether you have dry skin or oily skin, pumpkin oil can tackle both. Read on to find pumpkin seed oil skin benefits and get my recipe for an anti aging pumpkin seed serum!

Here we go again-another post about pumpkins.  With fall well underway, you are inundated with recipes and recommendations all centered around pumpkins, am I right?!  In fact, even I-who has sworn off high acid coffee, found myself in line at Starbucks last week ordering a pumpkin spice latte! And I can not resist my pumpkin candles. Insert 12 eye roll emojis.  Tis the season.  Anyway, if you haven’t had enough pumpkin talk I have a pumpkin recipe round up and read on to learn more about how pumpkin seed oil can greatly enhance the health of your skin. Plus, I’ve included my new fave skin care product-a DIY pumpkin seed oil serum!

What is Pumpkin Seed Oil:

Pumpkin seed oil comes from raw or roasted pumpkin seeds. It is also known as pepita oil. After pumpkins are harvested, the seeds are cleaned and dried. The seeds of a pumpkin are then peeled and cold pressed to extract the dark green oil.

Pumpkin seed oil is a lightweight oil that absorbs quickly into the deeper levels of the skin. It has a bit of a nutty scent as well as a nutty flavor.

Pumpkin seed oil is full of nutrition for the skin.  Pumpkin seed oil skin benefits are vast. It has a high vitamin content which includes, vitamin E, zinc, omega 3s & 6s, selenium, vitamin A and vitamin C all of which are extremely beneficial for the skin.  

Pumpkin seed oil is an extremely versatile oil meaning that it is beneficial for all skin types, including sensitive skin as well as acne prone skin! It is high in linoleic acid which has been shown to be deficient in acne-prone skin. 

Pumpkin seed has high amounts of zinc which is a necessary cofactor for the production of collagen. Collagen production is essential for reducing the appearance of wrinkles and improving skin elasticity. 

A unique component of pumpkin seed oil is that it also includes riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3). These vitamins are essential for healthy skin. Vitamin B3 is a powerful ingredient for improving the overall look of your skin. It softens and smooths skin tone and stimulates cell turnover which leads to younger looking skin. 

Related Post: DIY Pumpkin Mask

Pumpkin Seed Oil Skin Benefits:

Pumpkin Seed Oil’s benefits are vast. Due to it’s nutritive value, pumpkin seed oil is a good choice to add into your diy skin care products. 

• Pumpkin Seed Oil is high in antioxidants which help fight the signs of aging.
• Rich in selenium and zinc, this plant based oil is great for fighting acne and balancing oily skin!
• Having a high concentration of zinc, this oil helps maintain collagen levels and encourages new cell formation.
• Pumpkin oil contains vitamin A which stimulates skin renewal and keeps the skin firm.
• Contains omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids which deliver mega hydration!
• Pumpkin oil can soothe inflammation, improving puffiness and redness in the skin. 
• Vitamin E reduces the appearance of scarring and improves skin texture.
• Increased circulation is a great benefit of applying this oil to the skin regularly.
• Pumpkin seeds contain a good amount of selenium which provides UV protection.
• Skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis are soothed when applied topically. 
• Pumpkin seed oil improves oxygen levels which leads to accelerated healing.
• Pumpkins are high in potassium which help regulate the amount of water in the skin cells which in turn helps with skin hydration.

Related Post: DIY Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm

Pumpkin Seed Serum Ingredients:

• Sea Buckthorn oil is the ultimate anti aging oil.  It is not an essential oil but because it is so potent and very orange in color, I use it sparingly in my DIYs.  It’s also a higher priced ingredient.  Sea Buckthorn Oil contains 60 free radical fighting antioxidants!!  Hello-major anti aging benefits!!  Like carrot seed, it also combats sun damage and provides SPF.  I also love that it helps to regenerate skin cells encouraging dead skin to slough away.  
• Jojoba oil is a great oil for all skin types, including oily and acne prone skin. In fact, it is said that it is the closest to the skin’s natural sebum. It is a great choice for overall skin health. 
• Lavender Essential Oil– I add lavender to everything because it literally does everything.  It kills bacteria, accelerates healing and smells amazing!  It’s also great for reducing redness and calming sensitive skin.
• Frankincense Essential Oil- I believe Frankincense literally has magical powers.  The biggest skin boosting benefit is tightening.  Frankincense is also anti cancer and can be so beneficial with skin cancers and healing.  
• Geranium Essential Oil-Such a good essential oil for the skin.  It is great for encouraging cell turnover, revving up circulation, tightening pores, reducing puffiness and accelerating healing.  The best skin benefit of geranium is that it balances the skin.  Balance is the key to healthy, smooth skin.  
• Carrot Seed Essential Oil-Carrot Seed Oil is great for beautifying the skin.  First off, it provides sun protection and helps reverse sun damage.  It also is high in vitamin C which encourages collagen production!  I also love adding carrot seed oil because it helps reduce puffiness as well as rev up circulation.  

DIY Face Serum w/ Pumpkin Seed Oil:

• 1 TBSP. Pumpkin Seed Oil (find it HERE)
• 1/2 TBSP. Jojoba Oil (find it HERE)
• 1 TSP. Sea Buckthorn Oil (find it HERE)
• 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil (find it HERE)
• 4 drops Frankincense Essential Oil (find it HERE)
• 3 drops Geranium Essential Oil (find it HERE)
• 2 drops Carrot Seed Oil (find it HERE)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a 1 oz glass serum bottle (find it HERE).  I find a small funnel helps-find one HERE.
2. Apply to the skin each night after cleansing and toning.
3. Allow serum to penetrate the skin for at least 10 minutes before applying other products.
4. Follow up with your usual night cream if needed.  However, this serum can replace your moisturizer.

​Recipe Notes:

• A preservative is not needed because this is an oil based serum. However, the shelf life of pumpkin seed oil is delicate. Your bottle of pumpkin seed oil and your serum should be stored in a dry, cool place and not exposed to direct sunlight. I would store your bottle of oil in the fridge, but unless you have a skincare fridge, it is not necessary to store your 1 ounce serum in a fridge unless you want to.

Serum Ingredient Alternatives:

I love jojoba oil for all skin types so that’s why I chose it for this DIY but you could add any carrier oil you like.  Sweet Almond Oil is great for dryer skin types. Apricot Kernal Oil, Rosehip Seed Oil and Grapeseed Oil are all great alternatives too!

My essential oil blend is all optional. I chose a potent blend for building firmness of the skin but you can use the essential oils you have on hand or omit them all together. 

Honestly, as you’ve read, pumpkin seed oil is so wonderful on it’s own that you can use it straight from the bottle and add nothing. It has such powerful antioxidant properties and is so full of skin loving vitamins that it’s power against premature aging and balancing the skin is so strong that it can stand alone. 

Where to Find the Best Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil:

The best source for a high quality Pumpkin Seed Oil is Mountain Rose Herbs. Plus, it is an affordable oil at $13 for 8 ounces! 

I also stand by their essential oils and their sea buckthorn oil is the best quality I’ve ever found. I will warn you their ship times are very slow (about 1-2 weeks) but they are worth the wait. 

Pumpkin seed oil is a fantastic oil for skin rejuvenation. Not only can you use it on your face, it is an excellent oil to heal and repair dry hair. It makes a great body oil or massage oil. You can also use it as a cooking oil and is a popular ingredient in healthy salad dressings! You get a lot of bang for your buck from one bottle!

Happy fall and feel free to pass on any other great pumpkin posts and recipes in the comments below!!

xx, Jenni

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