Prickly Pear Oil (Cold Pressed & Unrefined)

What is Prickly Pear Oil?

Prickly pear oil is extracted from the seeds of the prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica), also known as prickly pear or Indian fig. This special cactus grows in arid regions of Morocco, Tunisia and Mexico, and can survive extreme drought to still produce juicy, healthy fruits. Our prickly pear oil is cold-pressed and unrefined, with a golden yellow color and a striking scent that is floral, fruity, and slightly resinous.

How is Prickly Pear Oil made?

The prickly pear contains numerous small black seeds, and it is precisely those seeds that are the source of the oil. But the seeds contain only 5% oil. This means that it takes about 1 million seeds, or 30 kilos of fruits, to make 1 liter of prickly pear oil. The seeds are extracted from the fruits, washed, dried and then cold-pressed. With cold-pressed oil, no heat above 30 degrees is used during pressing, so that all natural vitamins and fatty acids are preserved.

This labor-intensive process makes prickly pear oil one of the most precious vegetable oils in the world.

Why is Prickly Pear Oil so special?

Prickly pear oil has the highest vitamin E content of all vegetable oils, with about 1000 mg of tocopherols per kilo. That's almost twice as much as argan oil and makes prickly pear oil one of the most powerful plant-based antioxidants in cosmetics.

In addition, the oil consists of 60 to 65% linoleic acid (omega 6) and 20 to 25% oleic acid (omega 9). This high content of linoleic acid makes prickly pear oil particularly suitable for restoring the skin barrier and soothing dry or irritated skin.

Benefits of Prickly Pear Oil for Your Skin

Powerful pro-age action
Due to its exceptionally high vitamin E content, prickly pear oil helps protect the skin against free radicals and contributes to a supple, elastic skin. Highly recommended for mature skin.

Supports the skin barrier
The high linoleic acid content supports the natural skin barrier and helps with dry, thirsty or sensitive skin.

Light texture, absorbs smoothly
Despite its rich composition, prickly pear oil feels surprisingly light and absorbs quickly, without leaving a greasy film. This makes it also suitable for combination skin.

Great as an eye serum
Due to its light texture and high antioxidant content, prickly pear oil is a popular choice as an eye serum. With regular use, the skin around the eyes can start to look smoother and fresher.

How to use Prickly Pear Oil?

For your face, take a few drops between your hands, warm the oil and gently spread it over your face and neck. Prickly pear oil is suitable for daily use, both in the morning and in the evening. For the eye contour, apply a very small amount with your ring finger, using gentle dabbing motions. Due to the high price, a few drops at a time is more than enough.

Tips for using Prickly Pear Oil

• Prickly pear oil has a distinctive, floral-resinous scent. That's just part of this pure, unrefined oil.
• Due to its high vitamin E content, prickly pear oil has a fairly long shelf life, despite its high content of unsaturated fatty acids. Keep the bottle cool and dark.
• A few drops are often enough. A 30 ml bottle will last a long time with daily use.
• Prickly pear oil mixes perfectly with other oils such as squalane or jojoba oil to make it even lighter.