Today is National Watermelon Day.
Not only is it my favorite fruit and the ultimate hot weather treat but watermelon’s also got crazy skin care benefits.
Watermelon is made of 93 percent water to boost hydration and is packed with nutrients including Vitamins A, C and E. Vitamin A is known for its anti-aging properties while Vitamin C is the gold standard for brightening skin and fading dark spots. Vitamin E is an antioxidant powerhouse, which protects skin from pollution and other stressors including unhealthy habits like smoking or eating delicious but not-so-good for us foods. Watermelon also contains malic acid, a chemical exfoliant which provides gentle resurfacing to reveal smooth, glowing skin. The best part of it all? It smells amazing.
Below are some of my favorite watermelon skin care products.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask
This gel mask is packed with gentle exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids, soothing watermelon extract and plumping and hydrating hyaluroic acid. Wear while sleeping to reveal soft, glowing skin in the morning, or use before a big event for a fresh, makeup-ready face.
Sephora Collection After-Sun Mask
According to K-beauty experts, Korean grandmothers used watermelon rind to soothe skin irritations like sunburns for decades. You should wear sunscreen every day BUT sometimes we can’t help it if we’re a little pink. Use this mask after a day in the sun to soothe skin. Pop it in the fridge for about an hour (or more) before use for an extra cooling effect.
Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel
If you know this blog, you know this is one of my hero products with nourishing B Vitamins to aid barrier function that keeps hydration in, as well as pineapple ceramides to improve skin texture and watermelon rind-apple-lentil complex to provide hydration and improve moisture retention for up to 24 hours. It’s a fruit cocktail of nutrients for your skin.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Jelly Sheet Mask
This jelly mask delivers a shot of hydration and vitamins and also soothes tired skin and banishes dullness. Use this mask in your skin care routine as a serum step — or, after toner and before moisturizer — for best results.
Milk Makeup Watermelon Brightening Serum
Aside from hero watermelon extract, this serum’s Swiss garden cress sprout extract will brighten skin and even out skin tone. Matrixyl, a super peptide, is an anti-aging hero that stimulates collagen production and works to repair damage. Added bonus: this serum’s stick formula is TSA-friendly and makes spillage a non-issue, so it’s perfect for travel.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Pink Juice Moisturizer
This moisturizer, made with watermelon extract, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid is perfect for all skin types. If you have oily skin, this is the perfect daytime moisturizer since it’s oil-free, lightweight and contains anti-inflammatory properties to soothe redness and swelling that accompanies breakouts. The formula’s hyaluronic acid allows it to also be used as a hydrating serum, perfect for those with dry skin.
Saturday Skin Quench Intense Hydration Mask
This sheet mask is packed with Vitamin C-rich watermelon extract plus aloe leaf extract and saccharomyces ferment, a vegetable protein extract, to boost skin vitality and hydration. Saturday Skin’s signature ingredient, Cha-7 es complex, supports skin’s natural regeneration process. Use this mask after a long night out to help your complexion bounce back.
Gia Mazur is an award-winning staff writer and beauty obsessive who joined The Times-Tribune’s Lifestyles department in 2015. She’s a product enthusiast who can’t live without an eyelash curler. A proud Virgo, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk is her go-to. Contact: gmazur@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127; @gmazurTT