Prickly pear, prickly pear, wherefore art thou prickly pear oil? I don’t know about you, but I just love saying prickly pear. This unique, multi-faceted, and highly coveted face oil will have you craving its luxurious touch day after day. Now let’s get prickly
The Prickly
Prickly pear is known by its Latin name Opuntia ficus-indica, may also go by Barbary Fig or Indian Fig, and is a plant that is not surprisingly a part of the cactus family found in arid and tropical climates. This ancient yellow-flowered cactus has been used in myriad ways for centuries across many cultures. From wound healing to treating illnesses, culinary creations, and now skin care, prickly pear has played a significant role in holistic well-being.
What’s more, this fascinating cactus plant has a large stem resembling a paddle that can be used as a vegetable source, a fleshy fruit that contains those coveted black seeds, and colorful flowers that are also edible – talk about wholesome!
The Luxe
There are endless reasons why prickly pear oil is so highly sought after, and interestingly enough, due to the time-consuming manual process required to extract the oil from the tiny seeds inside its fruit, it can also come at a high price. The seeds are where all of the action is, and there are roughly 150-300 of them in each prickly pear fruit. With only 5% of the seed containing actual oil, you can imagine the colossal amount of seeds to produce a decent amount of product. To put it in perspective, it takes nearly 10 tons of fruit to produce a 1L of oil!
When ethically sourced, this cold-pressed precious oil yields liquid that is nothing short of gold. Its skincare benefits are all-encompassing, so let’s take a deep dive into this magical beauty. Here are some well-known skin benefits of prickly pear oil.
- Vitamin E: contains the highest concentration of all plant oils (nearly double that of Argan oil!) to retain moisture in the skin; as a naturally occurring antioxidant, vitamin E is anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, protects collagen cells, and helps with wound healing
- Vitamin K: helps balance skin tone, reduce under-eye discoloration and hyperpigmentation, and improve dark spots
- Zinc: an anti-inflammatory that helps with acne breakouts, skin irritations, and excess oil production
- Anti-aging: contains high levels of phytosterols, which are plant molecules that provide anti-inflammatory and collagen-boosting properties to keep skin firm
- Essential fatty acids (EFA): these protect the skin barrier from irritation, prevent moisture loss, and are essential for healthy cell production and turnover
- Linoleic acid: this important EFA is found abundantly in prickly pear oil and helps to strengthen the skin barrier, soothes acne inflammation, provides deep moisture, and has wound healing properties
- Polyphenols: a class of powerful antioxidants that counteract oxidative stress, which also helps with inflammation and anti-aging
- Fast-absorbing & non-comedogenic: this lightweight, non-greasy oil is beneficial for all skin types, particularly for acne-prone and mature, dehydrated skin
- Pore-tightening: the high EFA content found in this oil support collagen cells and helps keep pores tight
The Fun
- Did you know that the fruit of the prickly pear is also called “tuna”?
- Prickly Pear plants are both drought-tolerant and able to survive temperatures as cold as -30F!
- The vibrant red fleshy fruit is said to have a natural flavor similar to that of bubble gum and watermelon – juicy!
The Experience
Run, don’t walk to get your bottle of prickly pear oil! Here are some green beauty brands that have beautiful, ethically sourced formulas to get your skin glowing and feeling luxurious.
- Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Oil by Youth to the People
- Prickly Pear Seed Oil by Kahina Giving Beauty
- Organic Prickly Pear Seed Oil Glow Serum by The Olive & The Fig
- Superfood Serum by Graydon Skincare
- Brighten Facial Serum by Osmia Organics
- Green Goddess Glow Oil by SARISHA
- Aknari Brightening Youth Serum by MUN
Have some prickly pear oil product recommendations, or know of some neat ways to utilize this multi-faceted plant? Share your thoughts in the comments below!