Autumn beauty tips: what pumpkin can do for your skin

2023-05-22 cathy molenaar

Beauty tips voor de herfst: wat pompoen voor je huid kan doen

Dry skin due to cold weather

October truly is pumpkin month! Halloween, and at the greengrocer's, you see them in all shapes and sizes. Not only are they tasty and very healthy to eat, but did you know they can also really boost your skin?

Now that the heaters are turning on (a few degrees lower, probably), the weather is suddenly much colder, and we're spending less time outdoors, you might notice that your skin reacts differently: perhaps a bit redder in the cold, drier after a day of working from home, and maybe even a bit blotchy. This is actually a very normal reaction of the skin to changing external conditions. Your skin reacts to this and indicates what it needs: gentle care that counteracts dryness and protects it from external influences.

Dry skin in autumn

Your skin is a living, natural organ, so it's actually very logical that it moves with the Dutch seasons. If you look at nature, the season also gives your body what you need in that season, isn't that beautiful?

Pumpkin for your skin

Pumpkin is an ancient remedy and care product. The oldest pumpkin seeds probably come from Mexico. Throughout history, there are many stories about the use of pumpkin for skin healing in Ayurvedic medicine and Chinese medicine. It was widely used as a pain reliever and to combat infections, as pumpkin naturally contains antibacterial components.

Vitamins in pumpkin

Pumpkin seed oil is used in many cosmetic products. It is a vegetable oil full of skin-nourishing ingredients, such as:

Beta-carotene – a precursor to vitamin A, for firm skin
Vitamin B2 & B3 – softens the skin and improves skin tone
Potassium – helps retain moisture in the skin
Magnesium – an essential mineral for healthy skin
Zinc, which helps with cell renewal and the production of the skin's own collagen
Omegas 3, 6 and 9. These 3 essential fatty acids are important for a healthy skin barrier and soft skin with a healthy complexion.

Pumpkin seeds for your skin

Pumpkin seed oil is made from the seeds of the pumpkin, where the pumpkin's DNA resides. 3 kilograms of pumpkin seeds are needed to obtain 1 liter of oil. Once the pumpkins are harvested, the seeds are removed and cleaned. After drying, they are cold-pressed.

Preventing dry skin

To give your skin an extra boost during the cold months, you can use the Food for Skin Pumpkin Serum. It consists of over 50% pumpkin seed oil. This rich pumpkin seed oil:

Restores dry and blotchy skin
Which softens the appearance of lines
Prevents cracks in the skin (also stretch marks)
Helps against inflammation
Helps renew the skin

The serum is supplemented with other wonderful natural oils such as:

Cucumber seed extract - works to regulate moisture
Chia seed oil - has a soothing effect
Broccoli seed oil - is protective
Candeia tree extract - has healing properties
Sea buckthorn oil - is protective
Sunflower oil - as a carrier oil
Rosemary extract - antioxidant and preservative
Q10 - for full, firm, and smooth skin

The Pumpkin Serum contains no synthetic substances, no perfume, no alcohol, and deliberately no essential oils, so it can be used around the eyes without problems. The serum is dark orange and absorbs quickly into the skin. The scent is 100% natural and smells nutty. All in all, a beautiful serum with only wonderful natural ingredients!

In addition to fine skincare and a powerful serum, we have some more great tips to keep your skin strong after summer. You can read them here.

"BinnensteBuiten" pumpkin seeds

At Food for Skin, we go beyond just clean products. We try to source as many ingredients as possible from residual streams. And if that doesn't exist, we go looking for it ourselves! For example, we are currently working on a subsidy project to make pumpkin seed oil from Dutch pumpkins. "BinnensteBuiten" (Inside Out, a Dutch TV program) paid attention to this process. Angela and Cathy Ursem – circular beauty entrepreneurs – were interviewed by Marieke Eyskoot. Want to watch it again? You can do so here!

Frequently asked questions about pumpkin seeds

What do pumpkin seeds do to your body?

Pumpkin seeds are packed with nutrients, but for skincare, we are primarily interested in the oil pressed from the seeds. Pumpkin seed oil contains, among other things, unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. On the skin, this oil helps to nourish the skin, keep it supple, and support the skin barrier.

Are pumpkin seeds really that healthy?

Pumpkin seeds naturally contain, among other things, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, zinc, and other antioxidants. The oil from the seeds also contains valuable fatty acids and antioxidants. That's why we use pumpkin seed oil as the main ingredient in our Pumpkin Serum, specially for skin care.

Can you prevent premature aging with pumpkin seed oil?

No, pumpkin seed oil cannot prevent skin aging. However, the oil does contain antioxidants, including vitamin E, which help protect the skin from free radicals. Additionally, the fatty acids in pumpkin seed oil help support the skin barrier and keep the skin supple and nourished. So, not a miracle cure, but a valuable ingredient for your skin.

What is pumpkin seed oil good for?

Pumpkin seed oil is particularly suitable for nourishing the skin and supporting the skin barrier. The oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and contains antioxidants such as vitamin E. Our Pumpkin Serum consists of more than 50% pumpkin seed oil and was developed for impure, dull or combination skin.

What are the disadvantages of pumpkin seeds?

For the skin, pumpkin seed oil has few general disadvantages, but as with any cosmetic ingredient, your skin may react to it individually. An advantage of pumpkin seeds is precisely that they can be pressed into a nourishing vegetable oil. In the Pumpkin Serum, we combine pumpkin seed oil with other vegetable oils to nourish the skin without an unnecessarily complicated routine.

Cathy Molenaar, co-founder Food for Skin

About the author

Written by Cathy, co-founder of Food for Skin.

I worked as a skin specialist with my own salon for 30 years. At Food for Skin, I write about ingredients and skincare, aiming to provide a nuanced and complete picture. My focus is on explaining what does and doesn't work, so you can make informed choices based on good information.