PLANT OIL
Pumpkin Seed Oil
Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil
A rich oil pressed from pumpkin seeds, high in linoleic acid, vitamin E and phytosterols, used to leave skin feeling soft and nourished.
Source
Pumpkin seeds
Used for
Dry-feeling skin
How it works
A rich oil from pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin seed oil is pressed from the seeds of Cucurbita pepo. The best-known type comes from the Styrian pumpkin of Austria, whose hull-less seeds give a deep green oil.
Analyses of cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil show it is a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, mainly linoleic acid followed by oleic acid, together with vitamin E compounds, phytosterols and phenolic compounds. It is this nourishing fatty-acid profile that pumpkin seed oil brings to a formula.
As an emollient it softens and conditions the skin's surface. It suits face and body oils used daily, morning or night.
Analyses of cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil show it is a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, mainly linoleic acid followed by oleic acid, together with vitamin E compounds, phytosterols and phenolic compounds. It is this nourishing fatty-acid profile that pumpkin seed oil brings to a formula.
As an emollient it softens and conditions the skin's surface. It suits face and body oils used daily, morning or night.
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Pressed from pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita pepo)
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Rich in linoleic acid, vitamin E and phytosterols
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Softens skin and leaves it feeling nourished
Questions
What is pumpkin seed oil?
Pumpkin seed oil is extracted from the seeds of pumpkins, Cucurbita pepo. It contains a large proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, mainly linoleic acid followed by oleic acid, along with vitamin E compounds, phytosterols and phenolic compounds. Its exact composition varies with how the oil is extracted. (Czwartkowski et al., 2026; Hu et al., 2023)
What is Styrian pumpkin seed oil?
It is the oil made from the seeds of the Styrian oil pumpkin, a variety of Cucurbita pepo. It is a young variety in botanical terms: a mutation that arose only in the 19th century gave it dark green seeds with stunted outer hulls. Research on its seeds and oil has looked at their fatty acids, vitamins, phytosterols, minerals and polyphenols. (Fruhwirth & Hermetter, 2007)
What does research on pumpkin seed oil show?
Research has characterised pumpkin seed oil in detail: it is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, led by linoleic acid, and naturally carries vitamin E compounds, phytosterols and phenolic compounds, with its exact composition depending on the extraction method. Its use in skincare builds on this nourishing profile, which suits it to softening, conditioning oils. (Czwartkowski et al., 2026; Hu et al., 2023)
About the plant
Pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo, belongs to the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). It is native to North America, from the south-central and south-eastern United States to north-eastern Mexico, and is now widely cultivated around the world. The same species includes many squashes and marrows. (USDA GRIN Taxonomy)
Pumpkin seed oil is taken from the seeds, and its exact character depends on how the oil is pressed or extracted. (Hu et al., 2023)
Pumpkin seed oil is taken from the seeds, and its exact character depends on how the oil is pressed or extracted. (Hu et al., 2023)
The research
- Czwartkowski K, Nizio E, Marcinkowski D, Kmiecik D, Grygier A, Siger A, Golimowski W. Analysis of Quality Distinctions of Pumpkin Seed Oil (Cucurbita pepo var. oleifera) and Walnut Oil (Juglans regia L.). Molecules, 2026;31(8):1263. PMID: 42075942 (opens in a new tab)
- Fruhwirth GO, Hermetter A. Seeds and oil of the Styrian oil pumpkin: Components and biological activities. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, 2007 (opens in a new tab)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, GRIN-Global Taxonomy: Cucurbita pepo L. (opens in a new tab)
- Hu T, Zhou L, Kong F, Wang S, Hong K, Lei F, He D. Effects of Extraction Strategies on Yield, Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Pumpkin Seed Oil. Foods, 2023;12(18):3351. PMID: 37761059 (opens in a new tab)
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