The prickly pear is the fruit of a tree called Opuntia ficus-indica, more commonly known as the prickly pear cactus. Native to Mexico, it belongs to the cactus family. Cold pressing the seeds of the prickly pears yields an oil with multiple benefits for the skin, hair, and nails.
How is prickly pear oil produced?
Published on October 20, 2021, updated on October 4, 2024, by Maylis, Chemical Engineer — 4 min of reading
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Process of obtaining prickly pear oil.
The prickly pear cactus thrives in arid lands and easily adapts to hot and dry climates. To obtain the precious prickly pear oil, several steps are necessary. Firstly, when they are ripe enough, the fruits are hand-harvested. In Morocco, the picking period extends from July to September. This initial step is quite laborious as prickly pear cacti grow densely, in places sometimes difficult to access, and their thorns can easily cause injuries.
The figs are then washed before being depulped to collect only the precious seeds. Next, these seeds are washed and sun-dried. The drying of the seeds must be done at about 40°C (104°F) to not alter the quality of the oil and its content of fatty acids and vitamin E. Cold pressing the dried seeds yields a liquid that is then filtered to extract the oil without any possible residues generated during the pressing phase.
The extraction of a single liter of oil requires 30 kilograms of seeds, which equates to a ton of figs. Each seed contains approximately 5% ofoil in its pure form.
The high cost of prickly pear oil is due to its low yield and the labor-intensive process of harvesting the fruit. However, despite its rarity and often high price, prickly pear oil is used in cosmetics because it is a true ally for mature, dehydrated, and flaky skin.
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A few words about our Prickly Pear oil.
At Typology, our Prickly Pear oil is obtained through cold pressing of fruit seeds from organic farming, harvested in Morocco. It is suitable for all skin types and especially for mature, flaky, and dehydrated skin. It provides your skin with a powerful tightening and firming effect.
Apply one to two drops of prickly pear oil onto clean, dry skin. Massage in upward circular motions (from bottom to top) across the entire face, not forgetting the neck. Although it has excellent stability to oxidation, we still advise you to keep it away from heat, moisture, and light in its amber bottle, tightly closed.
Our Prickly Pear oil is also featured in two other treatments: the eye cream for wrinkles and fine lines as well as in the firming night mask. The eye cream is applied morning and evening; it hydrates and prevents the appearance of the first wrinkles around the eye. The face mask is applied once or twice a week, in the evening; it nourishes weakened skin and firms the tissues.
Sources:
APREA E. & al. Prickly pear seed oil extraction, chemical characterization and potential health benefits. Molecules (2021).
SANTINI A. & al. Chemistry, bioactivity and industrial Applications. Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals (2021).
