Many of us struggle with skin dryness. Dry room air, frost and cold, dry wind dry the skin. Dry skin is lifeless and looks aged. Dry skin is also very vulnerable to skin conditions such as eczema. It is a good idea to moisturize your skin regularly, but how to keep the moisture in your skin? Are you familiar with Prickly Pear Seed Oil? Now I’d like to tell you about the wonderful properties of Prickly Pear Seed Oil. It’s like a tailor-made product for dry skin.
What is Prickly Pear Seed Oil?
The Prickly Pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) belongs to the opuntia family. This Prickly Pear cactus, like other cactus, grow in areas where winters are mild and summers are hot and dry. The best Prickly Pear Seed Oil comes from opuntia, which grows in Morocco. There is also a production of cactus oil in India but the quality of the oil is not that good.
Opuntias have also been planted to Italy, Portugal and other parts of southern Europe.
The Opuntia contains delicious fruits, which are also available all around the world. Opuntia has been used as a herbal medicine in Mexico. It is a very healthy plant and full of curative plant chemicals. The flesh of the fruit is full of small seeds, which are cold-pressed to fine, valuable oil. Seeds contain only 5% oil. One litre of oil requires 1000 kilograms of Prickly Pears . Therefore, the oil is very expensive. Prickly Pear Seed Oil is used only as a raw material in cosmetics precisely because of its high cost. The oil is not toxic.
Prickly Pear Seed Oil is a mild and gentle oil
The oil pressed from cactus seeds is almost odourless and colourless oil. It feels very rich and heavy on the skin, but absorbs quickly, leaving an incredibly moisturized skin feel. Prickly Pear Seed Oil does not contain large amounts of antioxidants and other plant chemicals. That is why it is one of the gentlest oils. The idea behind Prickly Pear Seed Oil lies in its fatty acid composition.
Prickly Pear Seed Oil is suitable for all skin types
Prickly Pear Seed Oil is suitable for everyone as it is a mild oil. It specifically protects the skin. Prickly Pear Seed Oil does not block pores or irritate sensitive skin. It is therefore one of the most versatile oils.
What makes Prickly Pear Seed Oil so special?
Prickly Pear Seed Oil has a very good fatty acid profile. Its fatty acids suit perfectly the skin and support the skin’s own fatty acid profile. Here is an example of the fatty acid profile of Prickly Pear Seed Oil.
- Palmitic acid 20.10%
- Palmitoleic acid 1.80%
- Stearic acid 2.72%
- Oleic acid 18.30%
- Linoleic acid 53.50%
- Alpha-linolenic acid 2.58%
The fatty acid profile of Prickly Pear Seed Oil can vary greatly depending on the variety and location where it grows. However, it is always high in linoleic acid and palmitic acid. The oleic acid content is very low. This is good, since excessive amount of oleic acid easily clogs the pores.
Palmitic acid
Prickly Pear Seed Oil is rich in palmitic acid, which is a protective fatty acid. It also contains some rare palmitoleic acid. Palmitoleic acid is very similar to sapienic acid, which is found in the skin’s own sebum. Sapienic acid is a one of a kind fatty acid that is found only on human skin (Homo sapiens).
Palmitoleic acid
Palmitoleic acid is also relatively high in macadamia oil. However, macadamia oil is very rich in oleic acid, so do not apply it regularly to easily clogged skin. Macadamia oil is significantly cheaper than luxurious Prickly Pear Seed Oil. That is why I prefer macadamia oil for hair products and outdoor creams I use rarely.
Prickly Pear Seed Oil is exceptionally high in vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that prevents signs of aging.
Where Can I Use Prickly Pear Seed Oil?
Prickly Pear Seed Oil has many uses. They are all related to its skin protective effect and its wonderful fatty acid composition. Because Prickly Pear Seed Oil is a very expensive oil, it is advisable to use it only on the face and in the treatment of nails and cuticles.
Prepare a protective facial cream with Prickly Pear Seed Oil
Because of its fatty acid composition, Prickly Pear Seed Oil is suitable for protecting the skin from dryness. So, use this oil in a protective facial cream. You can replace some of the base oil with a protective Prickly Pear Seed Oil. This will give you a really good ointment for windy weather.
Night cream from Prickly Pear Seed Oil
Prickly Pear Seed Oil also protects your skin from drying indoors. Dry room air is often the reason that skin dries in the winter. You can add Prickly Pear Seed Oil to your night cream. Wet the skin thoroughly before applying the cream and lock in the skin with a cream containing Prickly Pear Seed Oil.
Use Prickly Pear Seed Oil for hair care
Because Prickly Pear Seed Oil is rich in protective fatty acids, it is very often used in hair care. The palmitoleic acid in Prickly Pear Seed Oil treats dry hair and make them shiny. It works on the surface of the hair just like the hair’s own natural sebum.
Mix 1 teaspoon of Prickly Pear Seed Oil in a hair mask or rub a few drops on the scalp after washing. Prickly Pear Seed Oil is much better hair oil than usually recommended olive oil or coconut oil.
Other uses
- Lip Creams
- Cuticle Creams
- Eye creams
- Problem areas on the face
Prickly Pear Seed Oil is one of the most expensive oils in the world
Prickly Pear Seed Oil would certainly be even more popular if it would be more affordable. It is therefore one of the most expensive available vegetable oils. However, I wanted to introduce this oil as it is very sufficient. All you need is a few drops of oil on your face to protect your skin. Prickly Pear Seed Oil has such a unique fatty acid composition that it’s really hard to replace. Especially in winter, when the skin dries, you should remember the Prickly Pear Seed Oil.
Tell us about your experience with Prickly Pear Seed Oil!