Citrullus colocynthis is a desert viney plant that grows in sandy, arid soils. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia, and is distributed among the west coast of northern Africa, eastward through the Sahara, Egypt until India, and reaches also the north coast of the Mediterranean and the Caspian Seas.

The oil has been used in ancient Egypt for tanning skins and as a treatment for mange.

Active constituents:

cucurbitacin L, and cucurbitacin B, Glycosides, Flavonoids, Phenolic Acids, fatty acids like Stearic acid, linolenic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, myristic acid and palmitic acids.

Flavonoid C-glycosides show considerable anticancer and antitumor action and antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidative, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and hepatoprotective activities.

Uses:

• Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Properties

Organic extracts of unripe fruits and seeds have great analgesic and anti-inflammatory actions. All extracts showed marked analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects at different doses. Colocynth oil appeared to interfere with histamine and serotonin pathways and strongly interfered with prostaglandin and kinin-like pathways.

Colocynth oil is very concentrated, so you have to use it with carrier oil like olive oil, almond oil or coconut oil.

• For Hair growth and treat hair loss

Colocynth oil  contains sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, spinasterol and cucurbitacin glycosides, they have a good action in hair growth that compared with minoxidil action.

Studies have shown that natural sources are more reliable than Minoxidil, , Citrullus colocynthis also demonstrated improved hair growth promoting effects than the minoxidil. It has been documented that treatment effects with synthetic drugs are limited and transient, and may cause toxicity on prolong usage thus advocating the use of natural products for medical purpose.

Colocynth oil can be used with other oils as a blend for hair growth and for thin hair to give it gloss and density.