The Plant
The prickly pear plant
The prickly pear plant, also known as the the “Sultan of fruits“, is a fruit from a plant native to Central America. A fig tree, a kind of cactus, recognisable by its thick, elliptical and thorny snowshoe-shaped stems. In Tunisia, adapted to hot climates, the prickly pear is naturally found all around the Mediterranean basin.
Its fleshy fruit, with many seeds, is particularly rich in vitamin C and has many nutritional virtues. But prickly pears are also highly prized by the organic and conventional cosmetics industry for producing prickly pear seed oil: a miracle product, especially for skin care.
A miracle cosmetic ingredient
Cosmetics formulated with prickly pear seed oil are currently very popular. Rare and precious, it is indeed a vegetable oil containing a record quantity of vitamin E: about 1000 mg/kg! It also contains sterols and omega 6.
Its unique composition makes prickly pear seed oil a formidable weapon against free radicals and dehydration. The ingredient is therefore used in the composition of many anti-ageing treatments and cosmetics adapted to mature skin. When used in hair care products, prickly pear oil also makes the hair shinier and nourishes it deeply. A beauty secret jealously guarded for generations…
The meticulous cosmetic production of organic prickly pear seed oil
Prickly pears contain about 50% juice and 4% seeds. To produce one litre of prickly pear oil, you need about 30 kilos of seeds extracted from more than a tonne of fruit!
The production of a 100% natural and organic fig seed oil is a very delicate process that involves cold pressing and meets the strictest organic cosmetic standards and good manufacturing practices. The washing and drying of the seeds are crucial steps that determine the final quality of the product. If the seeds are too dry, they can be unusable!