PLANET DIARIES: The Discovery of Kalahari Melon Seed Oil

A Tale of Endurance

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our world as we know it, disrupting ecosystems and weather patterns that have previously remained steady for centuries across the globe.

One of the more remote areas of our planet where climate change has caused drastic disturbance is the Kalahari Desert.

 

Covering 360,000 square miles (that’s more than 4 times the size of Great Britain), the Kalahari Desert spans much of Botswana, parts of Namibia and regions of South Africa. This semi-arid savanna, once an agricultural heartland, has recently experienced the worst drought the area has seen for 80 years.
The severity of the drought has caused many farmers in the area to become bankrupt and lose their land, with those whose businesses have survived having to scale down their farms, resulting in job loss.

An Unlikely Solution

However, as many crops dwindled and died due to the lack of rainfall, one plant continued to thrive. The Kalahari melon, also known as the original wild watermelon, has been around for thousands of years.

It’s technically a weed and was treated as such by the farmers in the region, until Bernard van Vuuren, descended from generations of farmers, thought the melon’s extreme hardiness could have commercial potential.

In a scorched and barren landscape, deprived by the powerful forces of climate change, the Kalahari melon became a source of new life.

A Skincare Saviour

*Image from African Origin Oils showing the Kalahari Melon's nutrient-filled seeds

Upon investigating its properties, the true potential of the Kalahari melon was fully realised, with tests revealing that the seeds within the melon have an exceptionally high concentration of essential fatty acids and natural vitamin E.

This combination creates an oil that’s both dry and incredibly rich, and when applied to the body, it helps boost the skin’s strength and health unlike any other oil.

A Sustainable Ingredient

*Image from African Origin Oils showing the local farmers harvesting the Kalahari Melons

It’s no wonder, therefore, that we’ve utilised the powers of Kalahari melon seed oil in our Eye Dream Age-defying Overnight Butterbalm.

However, its efficacy is only half the story.

By partnering with the supplier African Origin Oils, Tropic is using an ingredient that complies with a business framework called the triple bottom line.

This means that the production of Kalahari melon seed oil has positive ecological, economical and social impacts on our planet, something we’re very proud to support.

As one of the most sustainable cosmetic oils on the market, that’s making a direct improvement to communities living in a remote part of the world suffering the adverse effects of climate change, we believe that Africa’s best kept secret deserves to be shouted about…