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Kalahari Melon has moisturizing, regenerating and restructuring properties, thanks to its high content of essential fatty acids (50 to 70% linoleic acid), which are not synthesized by the body. They contribute to the integrity of the cell wall and to the suppleness and beauty of the skin. It plays a role in regulation of hydration and restructuring of the epidermis.
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The botanical name of the Kalahari melon is Citrullus lanatus and its other common names are Tsamma melon and Wild watermelon.
It is the biological ancestor of the watermelon, which is now found all over the world, but which originated in the Kalahari region of Southern Africa. Unlike the common watermelon, whose flesh is sweet and red, the Kalahari melon’s flesh is pale yellow or green, and tastes bitter. A creeping annual herb, the Kalahari melon has hairy stems, forked tendrils and three-lobed hairy leaves. Its flowers are bright yellow.
The fruits vary significantly, from small and round in the wild, to larger and more oblong-shaped under cultivation. The surface is smooth, pale green with irregular bands of mottled darker green radiating from the stalk. The flesh is a pale green or yellow, and contains numerous brown seeds. In its wild form, the fruit is bitter to bland in taste, and largely inedible when fresh.
The seed-meal also has a long history of use as a cosmetic. After grinding, it is chewed and moistened with saliva, and then smeared over the body and rubbed in thoroughly. This is said to impart a healthy reddish color, and blemish-free complexion, to the skin.
The primary area of interest for the Kalahari melon lies in the properties of its seeds.
It is rich in fat, protein and carbohydrate; they are an excellent source of energy, whilst also containing various useful nutrients. The absence of hydrocyanic acid also renders them an excellent livestock feed.
The oil content of the seeds is also high, and the oil itself contains glycosides of palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids.
Currently, Kalahari melon seed oil is sold to a number of prominent cosmetics companies in Europe for incorporation into skin-care formulations due to the moisturizing, regenerating and restructuring properties, and contributes to the integrity of the cell wall and to the suppleness and beauty of the skin. It plays a role in regulation of hydration and restructuring of the epidermis.
For all of these reasons it is clear to see why adding this to any face or body cream will improve the effectiveness of any such beauty cream.
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