Inside the delicious fruits of the prickly pear are seeds that contain oil carrying different types of fatty acids, phenols, nutrients such as vitamin E, phytosterols, and antioxidants.
Several companies now extract prickly pear oil and sell it as skin care products suitable for all skin types, including acne-prone and dry skin.
Prickly pear oil is not an essential oil. Instead, it's commonly used as a carrier oil to dilute more potent essential oils, or simply on its own to boost skin health.
What is prickly pear?
Prickly pear cacti, also called nopal and opuntia, grow across parts of the Americas, Australia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean islands.
While people have eaten the sweet pink fruits of this cactus for hundreds of years, prickly pears have only recently been touted as a superfood.
Health benefits of eating prickly pear include reduced inflammation and reduced blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.
What are the benefits of using prickly pear oil?
There isn't a large body of research on prickly pear oil yet. However, early findings suggest the contents of prickly pear oil can indeed boost skin health across different skin types.
Some of the better-studied benefits of prickly pear oil include:
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Antioxidant and antibacterial properties: Research has shown that prickly pear oil contains high levels of antioxidants and has antibacterial properties. This suggests it could be used to prevent skin damage and future breakouts.
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An effective carrier oil: In another study, scientists combined prickly pear oil with vitamin A and applied the mixture to human and rat skin samples. They found that the fat content of prickly pear oil was highly effective at delivering vitamin A into the skin samples.
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Skin hydration: Research on the chemical properties of prickly pear oil also reveals that it contains a high content of linoleic acid. Linoleic acid helps the skin retain water, keeping it hydrated.
How to use prickly pear oil ?
When it comes to purchasing prickly pear oil, it's important to look for a product that meets certain criteria to ensure you're getting the best quality and maximum benefits for your skin.
Several reputable brands sell prickly pear oil, but not all of them may meet the standards you're looking for. To ensure you're getting a high-quality product, you should look for prickly pear oil that is labeled "100% pure," unrefined, cold-pressed, virgin, and organic.
Our Biodido Oil guarantee all this criteria. We extract our prickly pear oil from the highest quality pickly pear farms, ensuring that it is 100% pure, unrefined, cold-pressed, virgin, and organic. By choosing our oil, you can trust that you're getting a product that is of the highest quality and has been processed in a way that preserves its natural properties.
You can use prickly pear oil on its own or as a carrier oil. To use it on its own, splash one to two drops of prickly pear oil into your hand, and gently rub the oil into your skin.
To use it as a carrier oil, mix it with several drops of a selected essential oil. The amount of essential oil you add will determine the strength of the oil mixture.
When not in use, prickly pear oil is best stored in your refrigerator. For best results, use it within 1 to 2 years of the purchase date, or by the expiration date printed on the label.
Prickly pear oil is a new and exciting addition to the world of beauty oils. Its high content of antioxidants, antibacterial properties, and ability to hydrate the skin make it a versatile and effective product for achieving a youthful and radiant complexion.
So, don't hesitate to try it out and see the difference for yourself!
