Glossary - Prickly pear seed oil

In the Tunisian steppe, the prickly pear grows in the dust-dry soil, blooms and produces fruit. The plant with the thick trunk can grow up to six metres high. One of the rarest and most expensive oils is extracted from this impressive plant: Opuntia Ficus Indica Seed Oil, the prickly pear seed oil. 

After the seeds are removed from the fruit, they are cold-pressed to extract the pure oil. However, as the seeds only contain around 5% of oil, a whole 8 tonnes of fresh prickly pears have to be processed for 1 litre of oil. So it is just as well that all parts of the plant are edible and are not lost despite the oil extraction, but can be reused.

The yellowish-greenish oil has a nutty, slightly sour odour and is dry to the touch. It contains around 60% linoleic acid, is rich in essential fatty acids and has a high vitamin E content. Prickly pear oil contains the omega fatty acids 3, 6, 7 and 9 - and is therefore much more moisturising than argan oil. Prickly pear seed oil is therefore particularly suitable for dry and very dry skin (and hair).

Thanks to its exceptional properties, prickly pear oil is the Oil for mature skin and more effective than anti-ageing creams. It regenerates and strengthens the hydrolipid layer of the skin, while the omega fatty acids make it appear firmer and fresher. With regular use, the skin becomes more elastic and supple. It also protects the skin from wind and weather, so that it does not dry out or become irritated, but looks youthfully radiant.

Tip: The fine oil can not only protect and care for the face, but also the neck and décolleté, prevent skin ageing and even turn back the clock a little.
Prickly pear seed oil with background 

In Safeas prickly pear anti-ageing oil For the face, prickly pear seed oil from Tunisia is used, more precisely from a co-operative in the Zelfan region of Tunisia. This co-operative enables around 30 organic farmers to feed themselves and their families. Fair wages are paid - and in this way Safeas helps to offer the farmers prospects for the future.

photo credit Featured image: Carlos Lorenzo