Watermelon Seed Oil (Refined)™ is a 100% refined fixed vegetable oil obtained from the seeds of Citrullus lanatus. It is used as a lightweight emollient, carrier oil, and lipid-phase sensory modifier for skin care, body care, hair care, lip care, cleansing oils, balms, and anhydrous oil serums.

Its triglyceride fatty-acid profile is expected to be rich in unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid, with oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids. This profile gives formulas a smooth, light, non-heavy after-feel while helping dry-feeling skin and hair feel softer and more comfortable.

Product Highlights

• Refined natural vegetable oil with a light emollient feel
• Good carrier oil for facial oils, body oils, oil serums, balms, and lip care
• Improves glide and reduces drag from waxes, butters, powders, and high-solid systems
• Useful in cleansing oils and balms as part of the oil base for makeup, sunscreen, sebum, and oil-soluble soil removal
• Supports softness, shine, and dry-feel reduction in hair oils, conditioners, masks, and leave-on serums

Formulation Guidance

Watermelon Seed Oil (Refined) is a strong choice when the formula needs natural-origin oil-phase emolliency without a heavy, waxy, or overly occlusive feel. It can improve glide in creams and lotions and serve as a carrier for oil-soluble cosmetic ingredients such as tocopherol, lipid-soluble botanical extracts, fragrance components, colorants, and compatible oil-soluble actives.

Because it contains a meaningful unsaturated-oil fraction, formulas should be protected from oxidation with good antioxidant support, low air exposure, and suitable packaging. Confirm odor, color, and peroxide-value change during stability testing.

Application Guide

• Creams and lotions: light emollient and glide improver; add to the oil phase and adjust emulsifier load when the oil phase is high.
• Facial oils and body oils: primary or secondary carrier oil; blend with esters or more oxidation-stable oils to tune absorption and stability.
• Balms and sticks: softening oil and pay-off modifier; high levels can soften wax systems, so test heat stability and sweating.
• Cleansing oils and balms: oil base for sebum, sunscreen, and makeup removal; use with suitable oil-soluble emulsifiers and verify rinse feel.
• Hair oils and conditioners: improves softness, shine, and dry-feel; use lower levels for fine hair and check build-up.

How to Mix

• Add to the oil phase of emulsions or blend directly into anhydrous oil systems.
• For anhydrous products, prefer room-temperature to mild-warm blending.
• In emulsions, short exposure to normal oil-phase processing temperatures is acceptable, but avoid prolonged heating above 75 °C.
• For formulas with high levels of unsaturated oils, add an antioxidant such as tocopherol or mixed tocopherols and minimize air, light, and metal contamination.
• Do not add directly to water-only gels or aqueous toners unless a suitable emulsifier, solubilizer, or pre-emulsified system is used.

Use Level

Recommended use range: 1-100%. Typical starting levels: 1-10% in creams and lotions, 5-100% in facial/body oils, 5-40% in balms and sticks, 10-80% in cleansing oils/balms, and 1-10% in conditioners or hair masks. Adjust by sensory target, oil-phase capacity, and finished-product stability.

Product Characteristics

Appearance: pale yellow to yellow refined liquid vegetable oil with mild characteristic odor.

Solubility: insoluble in water. Miscible with vegetable oils, esters, hydrocarbons, many lipophilic emollients, and suitable oil-soluble antioxidants. Dispersible in emulsions only with an appropriate emulsifier system.

Storage: store tightly closed, away from heat, air, and direct sunlight. Monitor oxidation by odor, color, and peroxide-value change during stability testing.