SUPER INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT - CUCUMBER OIL

CUCUMBER OIL? Come on, everyone knows that Cucumbers are 95% water...

True, Cucumbers are 95% water but what about the other 5%?

It turns out that not only are cucumbers healthy & refreshingly delicious (Cucumber Salad, Cucumber Martinis etc...) but they contain some super-powerful skin ingredients ... in the other 5%.

Here are some of the phytochemicals (plant chemicals) which are responsible for the humble Cuke's super-powers: 

Cucurbitacin A,B,C,D, Cucumerin A, B, Vitexin & Isovitexin, Orientin & Isoorientin. 

Cucumber Seed Oil has a super-high concentration of these phytochemicals, is also high in oleic acid & linoleic acid, & is loaded with Vitamin E.  It also is a ready source of Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium, Silicon and many other minerals.

So what can all of those long-named components do for you?

A lot! Cucumber Seed Oil is nutrient-rich to repair skin damage, anti-oxidant to prevent & fight signs of aging, anti-inflammatory to soothe irritation, reduce redness and puffiness and much more.  All while being non-comedogenic.

This is why we love it at QED!

Cucumber Oil's soothing, de-puffing and anti-wrinkle actions are central to the function of the WRINKLE REWIND EYE CREAM & the ULTRA-SENSITIVE EYE BALM.  And delicate cucumber is clearly the aroma of these un-fragranced products.  

ULTRA-SENSITIVE EYE BALM has a whopping 45% Cucumber Seed Oil, which is why that product is an insanely good eye treatment, for all skin types.

Cucumber Oil is also there for it's super-powers in both THE BODY CLEANSER & THE HAND WASH.  Foaming washes will strip skin of it's natural oils, which is a disaster for sensitive skin.  Our washes are low-foaming but with the Cucumber Oil present (amongst other protective ingredients), they are formulated to protect and soothe, whilst gently cleansing.

Cucumber Seed Oil Benefits

By the way, how do you get Cucumber Oil out of a Cuke?

It turns out that we tend to throw out a lot of the cucumberry goodness, as the Cucumber Oil is hiding away in the seeds.  To make the oil, they take kilos & kilos of the cucumber seeds from premium cukes, wash, dry and then cold-press them, to get a tiny trickle of the most delicate smelling, light-golden oil.

And one of my favourite things to do with a cucumber, is make it into a simple drinkie... (saving a few slices for my eye area of course)

Cucumber Drinkie recipes

Virtuous Cucumber

Add thin slices of fresh cucumber to sparkling water, with a little lime and fresh herbs. Stir, drink, repeat. Aaaah.

Gin Gincumber (not so-virtuous, but oh-so-delicious)

As above but replace sparkling water with Ginger Beer and Gin to taste. Stir, drink, repeat. Super-Aaaaah.

What are your favourite Cucumber Recipes?