Prickly Pear Seed Oil

Opuntia ficus indica

The plant

Prickly Pear Seed Oil or barbary fig oil comes from the beautiful prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) a member of the cactus family. These cactuses can reach anywhere from 1 foot to 6 or 7 feet in height. Native to parts of the United States, Mexico and South America this plant also flourishes in Africa and the Mediterranean basin. The best prickly pear seed oil is sourced from Morocco.

THE OIL

The procuration of this precious oil begins with workers picking the fruit and extracting the seeds which is then ran through special machinery designed to extract the oil. Each fruit contains on average 150-300 seeds but the seeds themselves only contain about 5% oil. To produce one litre of this precious oil 8 tons of prickly pear fruit are required.

For Aromatherapy

Of any beauty oil on the market, prickly pear contains the highest percentage (88%) of unsaturated fatty acids, essential to stimulating healthy cell production and turnover. Not only this, prickly pear oil also contains the highest level of tocopherol (Vitamin E) which protects the skin and helps it retain moisture. Known as the best anti-wrinkle oil, this is what you can you expect from regular prickly pear treatment to your skin:

tightened pores
a reduction in the appearance of dark under-eye circles
a reduction in the appearance of fine lines
restored elasticity
softer, nourished and moisturised skin
brightened and more even-toned complexion
prevention of premature wrinkle formation

the market

The moroccan prickly pear annual production has been hit in recent years by the insect “cochineals.” This plague has infested vast regions of the 160,000 hectares of prickly pear oil producing regions. The Moroccan Government has dedicated 80 million MAD since 2017 in preventing the further spread of this parasite. This infestation has still however had an effect on supply so the price of raw material has increased.