Prickly Pear Seed Oil - The World's Most Powerful Natural Cosmetic?
The field of natural medicine is full of alternatives to preserve and regenerate the skin’s properties. However, there is a natural bio-origin oil that is increasingly taking center stage in the fight against wrinkles and skin imperfections in general: none other than prickly pear seed oil.
On this page you’ll find all the information about the bio prickly pear seed oil—its origin, properties, uses, benefits, and more—so set aside five minutes to catch every word. The bio-origin prickly pear seed oil is one of the most valued by the beauty industry, both for its biological origin and its significant results in correcting wrinkles, expression lines, scars, and stretch marks.
We’re talking about a bio oil of organic origin made from seeds through a very rigorous process, which, to give you a teaser, has the ability to regenerate the skin and truly slow down the aging process. If you want to learn more about the benefits of prickly pear oil, we invite you to read this article—we’re sure you’ll be amazed.
The curious origin of prickly pear oil
The origin of this oil will surprise you, because among the diverse plants out there, cacti may not be the most eye-catching. Yet the prickly pear, the fruit of opuntia cacti, is precisely where the tiny seeds used to extract this precious oil come from.
Strange as it may seem, this oil with healing and antioxidant properties comes from opuntia, which are fruit-bearing trees in the cactus family. The plant and its fruits, prickly pears, are also known around the world as paddle fig or palera, tuna, nopal, or Indian fig and pita.
You might think that because it comes from a cactus plant, it can be grown in any arid terrain, but that’s not the case. Most of the crops used to produce prickly pear seed oil come from the Mediterranean, especially Morocco, where the climate and soil are ideal. Still, don’t forget that opuntia originally comes from much farther away, across the Atlantic.
Historical value of the prickly pear
Research by paleontologists and historians places the prickly pear’s origin in Central America, specifically Mexico. It’s estimated that around 9,000 years ago, the inhabitants of this region were already using the fruit for medicinal purposes.
The native cultures of Central America used prickly pear to treat fever, pain, and inflammation. So this fruit has had medicinal purposes since its discovery.
With the Spanish conquest of the Americas, the fruit began to be exported to Europe. At that time the prickly pear was known by the name “Indian fig,” referring to the name the colonizers used for the Americas then.
Through this mercantile process of the “New World,” in which many types of plants were traded from the Americas to Europe and Africa, the cultivation and spread of this cactus in the Mediterranean was encouraged, since that region shares similar climatic characteristics that favor its cultivation.
How prickly pear seed oil is made
When it comes to producing prickly pear seed oil, terms like “large-scale production” aren’t common. That’s because pure prickly pear oil is made under the strictest standards and procedures with features that will surprise you.
Extracting the seeds from the prickly pear is a very careful process that requires a lot of time and patience, so it’s not something that can be automated in a large-scale production line. Add to that the caution needed when working with a cactus plant that can easily give you the odd prick.
The delicacy of the process doesn’t end with extracting the fruit; afterward, the seeds are processed at low temperature to avoid altering their natural composition. The procedure is carried out in presses designed specifically for this purpose, so it’s not something that can be done in just any factory or place in the world.
The production volume is truly impressive, since it takes about 500 kilos of prickly pear to obtain approximately 25 kilos of seeds and, after pressing, produce just one liter of the precious product.
Prickly pear oil is valued not only for its properties and effects on the skin, but also for its production cost, as it requires the cultivation of large hectares of cactus and a skilled workforce.
Characteristics of prickly pear seed oil
Few would imagine that prickly pear seed oil has so many truly favorable characteristics. This is achieved thanks to the plant’s nature and the care and expertise in preparing the oil.
We’re talking about a fruit with healing properties from the start; when the oil is pressed from its seed, it’s rich in essential fatty acids and has a high antioxidant content. Because of this, prickly pear seed oil is recommended as a natural anti-aging agent, as it helps slow down cellular oxidation.
Another key characteristic of prickly pear seed oil is its high vitamin E content, one of the main compounds the body uses to eliminate free radicals and thus slow tissue aging.
A feature that draws a lot of attention in the beauty sector is that, thanks to its good concentration of Omega-6 essential fatty acids, this oil is a potential natural skin regenerator with direct benefits for hydration and wrinkle prevention.
Properties and benefits of prickly pear seed oil
After learning about the characteristics of prickly pear seed oil, let’s explore its properties and benefits for our face, skin, hair, and body in general. This is one of the sections that most excites beauty lovers, as the properties are truly amazing and have been scientifically proven.
First you should know that after pressing the prickly pear seeds, the resulting oil acquires a very fine texture and a striking golden color, slightly darker than argan oil also sold by OmmBIO. Thanks to its texture, prickly pear seed oil is very easily absorbed by the skin; therefore, the benefits it provides are much more direct and efficient.
Starting from the fact that it’s an oil rich in antioxidants, here are the following properties:
- Toning and elasticity of the skin. prickly pear seed oil helps the skin achieve a smooth, silky complexion, especially preventing the appearance of spots and wrinkles.
- Fights cellular oxidation. It has a direct effect on the body’s cells, slowing their oxidation process and thus the aging of the body.
- Firms the bust. There are testimonials from people who have reported that prickly pear seed oil has helped them firm and tone the skin in the bust area.
- Thanks to its natural chemical characteristics, it is an excellent regenerator and moisturizer suitable for all skin types.
Uses and applications of prickly pear seed oil
As you can see, prickly pear seed oil has highly beneficial properties for our skin, and you’re probably wondering about its use and application. Below are the most common uses and applications for this oil.
Prickly pear oil is an excellent anti-wrinkle treatment
Its main property is preserving the skin’s elasticity and softness. This natural, biologically sourced product can be applied directly to any skin type, as it presents no incompatibilities. It is widely used on mature skin and the results are truly amazing: it eliminates expression lines, reduces wrinkles, tightens the skin, hydrates the complexion, and provides flexibility to our skin cells, which are nourished by it. Prickly pear seed oil is known as the natural alternative to plastic surgery thanks to its rejuvenating and repairing capacity, as well as its wide variety of applications.
It’s also an effective treatment for stretch marks
As an athlete, you may be concerned about the appearance of stretch marks, especially because when exercising, muscles tend to stretch and widen, which in turn puts stress on the skin. Repeating this process can lead to stretch marks, especially if a person isn’t consistent in their muscle mass. Daily application of prickly pear seed oil helps prevent stretch marks caused by muscle growth or sudden weight changes.
Women during pregnancy also tend to experience skin stretching in the abdominal area. After childbirth, as the skin contracts, a high percentage of new mothers develop stretch marks on their belly and hips. Prickly pear seed oil can help, with consistent application to the skin that has undergone major changes, to prevent postpartum stretch marks.
Helps fade scars
It’s certainly bothersome to be left with a scar after an injury, cut, or surgery—especially when it’s in visible places like the face, hands, arms, or legs. In the case of small scars, applying this prickly pear seed oil will help reduce and significantly fade the mark, while restoring and smoothing the skin in that area.
Enhances the skin’s appearance
Experts recommend applying it specifically to the face, neck, and bust. Daily use of prickly pear seed oil on these very visible areas will give the skin a pleasant, luminous look.
It’s important to apply it to the face because that’s where a large number of muscles reside, allowing the body to generate expressions. These are known as expression lines, where wrinkles tend to form most. Likewise, the neck, which supports the head’s weight and is very flexible, has a lot of muscle mass that can tend to form horizontal wrinkles due to folds.
A great hair conditioner
It’s known that applying prickly pear seed oil is perfect for conditioning hair, strengthening it, and giving it the glossy look of well-cared-for hair.
Strengthens nails
Thanks to its high moisturizing content, it’s a perfect product to strengthen nails and make them less brittle.
How to apply prickly pear seed oil
Unlike other natural oils that are applied in large amounts, prickly pear seed oil should be applied in small quantities to the specific area to be treated. If possible, it should be used in drops, and a single drop is enough for areas like eyelids, forehead, and around the lips.
It’s recommended to use prickly pear seed oil specifically at night. Mainly because it’s during rest that our body carries out cellular regeneration, so the oil’s properties are better utilized. Also, it’s not advisable to use it during the day and expose yourself to the sun, as it doesn’t provide protection against UVB rays.
Guide to buying prickly pear seed oil
You may be wondering why a guide is necessary for purchasing such a beneficial product for the skin. Due to its growing popularity and high production cost, some may confuse it with a similarly named but cheaper product: fig oil, which is not prickly pear seed oil.
There are two options on the market: the first is prickly pear seed oil, which we’ve discussed, and the second is macerated prickly pear oil, which is lower quality. Below are differences and characteristics of seed oil to help you choose the right one:
- The production cost of prickly pear seed oil is very high: to make just one liter, you need one ton of prickly pears. Therefore, it’s unlikely to find a cheap or budget version.
- The properties of macerated prickly pear oil are considerably lower than those of seed oil, since the former is made by macerating the flower rather than the seed.
- Due to its high production cost, prickly pear seed oil is usually sold in small containers (15 to 30 ml).
- Check the product label to ensure the sole ingredient is one of the following: prickly pear seed oil or prickly pear seed oil (in English).
- If buying online, check sites that display legal notices and let you inquire by email about the product’s characteristics.
The best prickly pear seed oil you can buy
As you can see, prickly pear seed oil is one of the most reliable natural products for treating the skin of the face and body. If you want to give proper care to your complexion, hair, and nails, this is definitely one of the best options. Remember, it’s a completely natural product of organic origin and its application is compatible with all skin types. Made under the strictest standards of organic farming and produced in Morocco, the OmmBIO BARBARIE Prickly Pear Seed Oil is a 100% pure and natural cosmetic oil with the greatest regenerative power and superior ability to eliminate expression lines, fight wrinkles, and reduce scars.