As pumpkin season approaches, turning those carving leftovers into oil could be a game-changer for your skin and hair health.
With Halloween on the horizon, families across the UK are picking out pumpkins to sculpt – but think twice before you bin the seeds, innards, or skin.
Skincare guru Bella von Nesselrode with Ripe Hair & Beauty shares her secret: repurposed pumpkin bits can work wonders.
She divulged the recipes for some clinically backed treatments using the cast-offs to tackle eczema, hair thinning, and other skin woes.
Bella explains: “Pumpkin extract is great in skincare, as it contains many components that can have beneficial effects on the skin.
“It is high in vitamins A, C, and E, and contains flavonoids and carotenoids, which have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-histaminic and antimicrobial effects.”
She heralds pumpkin seed oil for its healing prowess – aiding skin repair, soothing chronic hand eczema, and potentially staving off hair loss, as evidenced by research advocating scalp massages. Yet, there’s a catch.
Bella points out: “Pumpkin spice doesn’t actually include pumpkin. So, sadly, drinking that pumpkin spice latte won’t have the same impact!”
However, this potent oil can be made in the comfort of your home with just your Halloween scraps.
Bella shared the recipe, stating that you’ll need to gather all the seeds from your Halloween pumpkins and blend them into a paste. This paste should then be placed in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Once the paste begins to release oil, squeeze it through a muslin cloth to strain the mixture and collect the oil in a clean container.
While it’s safe to use undiluted, Bella suggested adding a few drops of the oil to your regular moisturiser or face oil along with some Vitamin E oil to preserve the mixture.
