Watermelon in Skincare: Here’s What This Refreshing Fruit Can Do for Your Skin

Watermelon offers a range of potential skincare benefits. On beauty ingredient lists, it may appear under its scientific name, Citrullus lanatus, typically followed by “fruit extract” or “seed oil,” depending on the formulation. “Skincare products that contain watermelon extracts or seed oil are formulated to provide stable and standardized concentrations of beneficial compounds, ensuring consistent and reliable results,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michelle Henry tells Byrdie.

Below, we break down the skincare benefits of watermelon and what the ingredient can do for your skin.

Containing vitamins A and C, watermelon may help brighten the skin and support cell renewal, making it a potentially beneficial ingredient for dull or stressed skin. It is also rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that can help defend the skin against oxidative stress caused by UV exposure and other environmental aggressors. While watermelon may be a summer staple, its hydrating properties can also benefit skin exposed to cold, dry conditions.

Thanks to its antioxidant content, watermelon in skincare may help neutralize free radicals and minimize visible signs of premature aging associated with oxidative stress. Its vitamin C content can also support collagen production, helping maintain skin firmness and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Watermelon-derived ingredients may also help support skin hydration, which is key to maintaining a plump, supple, and healthy-looking complexion. In well-formulated skincare, they can replenish moisture and ease dryness and roughness, leaving skin feeling soft and smooth.

Watermelon seed oil, in particular, contains essential fatty acids such as linoleic and arachidic acids, which can help support the skin barrier and lock in moisture. Its emollient properties may also help soothe and soften the skin.

Watermelon also contains compounds such as citrulline and lycopene, which are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In skincare, watermelon-derived ingredients may help soothe irritation and calm the appearance of redness, making them potentially beneficial for stressed or sensitive skin. Their soothing properties may also complement skincare routines for those prone to blemishes or inflammation.

Watermelon also contains naturally occurring fruit acids, including malic acid, a mild alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that can help gently exfoliate the skin by removing dead skin cells. This can support cell renewal and leave the complexion looking smoother and more radiant.

As a skincare ingredient, watermelon is generally considered gentle and suitable for a range of skin types. However, as with any skincare ingredient, individual reactions can vary. People allergic to watermelon should avoid products containing its derivatives, and anyone who experiences irritation should stop using it.

No conversation on watermelon in beauty would be complete without the mention of Glow Recipe, a K-beauty brand built from the founders’ childhood memories of their grandmothers rubbing watermelon rinds on their skin to soothe them from summer irritation.

The Watermelon Niacinamide Dew Drops Serum is one of its innovations, clinically proven to gently hydrate, brighten, and improve the texture of the skin. With a gel texture, it can also grip makeup as a primer or be mixed with foundation, blush, or bronzer for a boost of glow. It was tested by ophthalmologists, too, so you can certainly apply it on the undereyes to prevent concealer creases.

Retinol, a vitamin A derivative, is well-loved in skincare for effectively boosting collagen production and addresses multiple skin issues at once, such as acne, hyperpigmentation, oil production, and more.

The Paula’s Choice Intensive Repair Cream with Retinol has a low-strength retinol concentration that delivers benefits to improve the skin’s texture, smoothness, and hydration. The retinol is blended with peptides and antioxidants—like watermelon fruit extract—to promote a firm and youthful complexion.

The Heimish Watermelon Moisture Soothing Gel Cream was designed to soothe skin suffering from heat, redness, or irritation. It has a cooling effect that refreshes the skin, and is gentle enough to be used day and night. With watermelon fruit extract at its core, it penetrates the skin deeply to deliver moisture and comfort.

Your tresses can benefit from the wonders of watermelon, too, and the Fresh Hairlab Watermelon Double Boost Serum Conditioner Treatment is proof. It was especially formulated with TheraSmooth Complex, which detangles the hair without a sticky feeling. Assisting the watermelon in nourishing and protecting hair fibers are collagen serum actives, further helping with damage control.

F-beauty brand Pina Beauty infuses watermelon into their entire line of soaps. The Glow Soap, in particular, helps control acne on both the face and the body. It combines the hydrating, brightening, and soothing properties of the fruit with other skin-balancing actives, such as salicylic acid to help unclog pores and smooth texture, and niacinamide to improve redness and control excess oil.

Fenty Skin utilizes watermelon seed oil in the Butta Drop Hydrating Body Milk to boost elasticity and nourish the moisture barrier. The rich yet lightweight body hydrator plumps and revives thirsty skin,  and keeps it hydrated all day. The body milk effortlessly sinks into the skin, and leaves it with an unmissable satin finish.

The lips need exfoliation, too. The Watermelon Sugar Lip Scrub by Lush uses natural sugar to remove dry and flaky dead skin, revealing a soft and smooth pout. Its primary fresh ingredient is watermelon seed oil provides deep hydration while protecting the delicate skin barrier on the lips.

Designed to hydrate and replenish the lips, the Mario Badescu Watermelon and Basil Lip Mask is infused with watermelon, basil, and papaya oil. The jelly-textured treatment melts effortlessly and nourishes the lips to make them softer, smoother, and more supple.

Who doesn’t love a multi-tasking product? The Tarte Maracuja Juicy Multi-Stick adds a pop of color on the lips and cheeks for a healthier and more youthful appearance. It’s also equipped with skin-loving ingredients—including watermelon fruit extract—to improve the skin from the inside out.

The Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray claims to lock the makeup in place for up to 16 hours, but it won’t let it sit there uncomfortable. It combines the hydrating and plumping properties of hyaluronic acid and watermelon extract to keep the skin fresh, luminous, and moisturized.