A child’s hypothesis:

Eating watermelon with seeds intact causes a baby bump because an actual watermelon grows inside of a belly. 

This misguided theory lead me to be the most meticulous watermelon seed-remover throughout elementary school. Through years of enjoying it sliced, diced, or blended into refreshing drinks on hot summer days, I not only understood that watermelon does not cause one to become pregnant, but rather is beneficial to skin beauty- whether eating it or applying it as a beauty product.

Scientific Classification of Watermelon = Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus.

Watermelon is both internally and externally hydrating because they are mostly (92%) H-2-the-O (H2O = two hydrogen atoms + one oxygen atom = water). This refreshing fruit also contains components that support anti-aging, fat reduction, and UV protection. 

Anti-agers = Vitamin A + vitamin C + Lycopene

Vitamin A - retinoids (think Retin-A)

Vitamin C - collagen booster (think Botox)

Lycopene - free-radical fighter (think Sunscreen)

Fat reducers = citrulline (in the rind)

Citrulline - an amino acid that inhibits the buildup of too many fat cells and can be used to synthesize gold nanoparticles

How do we take advantage of its full range of benefits? 

Put it on your face.

Glow Recipe’s octuply sold-out Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask = exfoliating + hydrating. 

Smoothing on the pink gel-like mask during slumbering hours provides radiance, softness, and perfected pores, but it does not overly dry out skin, rub off, or wreck pillows. To boot, Glow Recipe uses watermelon extract, which emits its distinguishable summer fruit aroma when the jar is popped open despite languishing in the midst of winter’s seasonally ruthless temps. Seems pretty ideal, but dropping $45 on a mask that can be acquired at the local grocer for about $3 may have a savvy shopper asking 1. Which of watermelon’s beneficial ingredients does the extract include and 2. Is it worth the hard-earned money, honey? 

Obtaining the ultimate beautifying results from any health, beauty, and cosmetic product relies not only on specific ingredients, but also their concentration. Although they do not provide percentages of each component in their best-selling mask and their concoction is not entirely watermelon, Glow Recipe developed a product that is based on the cumulative and putatively concerted benefits of watermelon plus other hydrators and exfoliators which work as a team to address aging, oiliness, dryness, and build-up. Furthermore, the concentration of active ingredients, like lycopene and Vitamin A, in Glow Recipe’s watermelon extract is key because “superstar” elements in fruit often require the presence of others to function or provide a synergistic effort. Players like seaweed, pomegranate, licorice, cabbage, and sweet potato have the potential to cooperatively resolve various skin issues.

Hydrators: Water and Sodium Hyaluronate are the first two ingredients because they help skin retain water and plump it up. The sodium hyaluronate also imparts the mask’s gel-like consistency. 

Clever beauty homies ponder: If watermelon is over 90% water, then why not use only that?

$cientist’s answer: The high sugar content in watermelon makes it too sticky and its short shelf life renders the fruit imprudent for a year’s worth of product. 

Exfoliators: glycolic acid, lactic acid, extracts of pumpkin and banana

Glycolic and lactic acid are included in an array of skin clarifying products and dermatologist services due to their ability to slough off top layers of the dermis. Pumpkin and banana pulp, which provide clarifying benefits, have been traditionally used in South Asian beauty science for skin-type-dependent exfoliation.

Extras: The “sea grape”, scientifically classified as “Caulerpa lentillifera”, is the fourth ingredient in this beloved mask and is a green algae that can kill breast cancer cells (tested on the MCF-7 cell line in lab). This differs from the brown algae that La Mer uses, which contains a lot of iodine and addresses sun-damaged skin. The actions of C. lentillifera on skin conditions need yet to be defined in formal studies.

Watermelon hydrates and moisturizes the skin whether applying the juice or simply eating the fruit. Glow Recipe draws from time-honored philosophies of Korean beauty formulations to address exacerbated skin conditions, but the old-school South Asian system of Ayurveda also boasts watermelon for epidermal health. Ayurvedic doctrine suggests that watermelon juice, defined as a cooler, be rubbed on skin to tighten pores and mixed with several ingredients to enhance the complexion. If you’re scheduling a DYI weekend treat based on this, then take note that watermelon’s stickiness renders it unfriendly to your pillow. Apply the juice as a mask on clean skin for 30 minutes during waking hours, but don’t presume that eating massive amounts will leave you glowing because there’s more to this formula than a jar with extract.

Heads-Up Sugar, Sugar

The realization of benefits is more complex if eating and drinking habits negate the good stuff of watermelon’s offerings. In line with any thorough $cientist, I’ve been testing the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask for a year by using it overnight 1-2 times per week. Overall, aside from increased dryness during winter, soft and exfoliated skin was a common result on my normal, freckled skin. I woke up with a dramatically transformed face after the first use, which was during spring when my skin was not vying for a role in the Aswan Diaries. Unfortunately, during snowstorm months, I was left with scar-inducing isolated dry patches that had me desperately seeking the merciful delivery of a moisturizer from Sitala. In comparison, during a year of living without refined sugar, my skin glowed without the need of beauty products. To experience the full benefits of masks like this Glow Recipe concoction, consuming natural sugars in foodstuffs, like watermelon, while on a clean diet may prove more effective for skin care than the copious intake of refined sugar, like cookies and alcohol.

Everyone differs in skin composition, lifestyle, and health, which means the results of Glow Recipe’s Sleeping Mask will vary. You can drop part of your well-deserved, but still 20% lower than males, paycheck on this while it is in stock, or you can apply watermelon juice straight-up from the picnic to your face, eat healthfully, and live clean. Your informed choice always matters.

Research Homies

Patra JK and Baek KH. (2015) Novel green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using Citrullus lanatus rind and investigation of proteasome inhibitory activity, antibacterial, and antioxidant potential. Int. J of Nanomed, 10: 7253-7264. 

Reiko MAEDA, et al. (2012) Induction of Apoptosis in MCF-7 Cells by β-1,3-Xylooligosaccharides Prepared from Caulerpa lentillifera. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 76 (5): 1032-1034. 

*This is not a paid endorsement or advertisement for any brand shown. Article edited to update images (2021).