You may have heard recent murmurings about the prickly pear and word of its many benefits. Or maybe the prickly pear is new to you. Either way, this rising star of fruit is one you need to keep on your radar. For many civilizations, it’s not new at all; the prickly pear has been used in some areas for centuries or longer.
The prickly pear is highly respected in certain cultures. The Mexican flag is one place you may have seen the prickly pear plant but didn’t realize it. On Mexico’s flag, you’ll see an eagle holding a serpent while propping on a prickly pear cactus. The plant is a staple in Mexican cuisine, and the Aztecs considered it sacred.
In Morocco, the prickly pear (known as “El hindia”) is highly cultivated in the town of Sidi Ifni, which is considered the cactus capital of the country. It is used in many foods and skincare items, as this unique plant’s long list of health benefits is widely known. The knowledge of the many ways this wondrous fruit can be used internally and externally for health has been passed down through the generations and is now beginning to surface online.
What is a Prickly Pear?
The name leaves many people asking, “What is a prickly pear?” Is it what the name would imply? Not exactly.
The prickly pear is a large, spiny cactus plant. When it blooms, it produces brightly colored fruits of red, orange, and green, known as cactus pear or prickly pear. Its fruit is juicy and slightly sweet. The plant is also identifiable by its large flat green pad-like stems (known as nopales) and spines. Most spines are large, thorny-looking things, but some are fine hair-like barbed thorns referred to as glochids. The glochids are difficult to see, easily penetrate the skin, and are difficult to remove.
The cactus is native to Mexico and was brought back to Spain after the expedition of Christopher Columbus. Through this process, it eventually made its way to my homeland of Morocco in the early 17th century. Today, the prickly pear is abundant throughout Morocco, even growing in rural areas, and is sold at nearly every farm stand from August through October. Like my grandmother, Berbers understood the prickly pear's great potential, not just its edible, tasty fruit. They used the cactus for traditional medicine, skincare, and forage. It was also used as a hedge plant around the field crop or as a barrier to protect villages and homes.
Growing up, I developed a love-hate relationship with the cactus. I loved eating the sweet fruit, but every time I helped my grandma in the field, somehow the sneaky thorns rudely lodged under my skin, making it a painful and unpleasant experience; however, I'm grateful to hold on to the knowledge of this complicated fruit passed down to me by my grandmother.
Eating Prickly Pear for Your Health
The pads and the fruit are edible and provide several benefits to the human body. Nowadays, the pads are consumed as a dietary vegetable and the fruit as tea, jam, and juice. In some areas, such as Mexico and the Southwestern United States, these pads are chopped into fine strips and cooked as a side dish to be used in soups, tacos, and salads.
In Morocco, the prickly pear is used in many dishes and is also made into a refreshing drink. Prickly pear recipes are vast in Morocco, as the fruit is highly versatile – the fruit is made into jelly, tea, and summertime snacks and is used in pita dishes and salads.
What makes this unique plant so healthy?
- High potassium content
- Low sodium content
- High in calcium
- High in fiber
- Rich in antioxidants, sterol carotenoids, and linoleic acid.
These benefits make the prickly pear cactus highly effective in alleviating or reducing various health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, colitis, diarrhea, and viral infections.
Health Benefits of Prickly Pear Oil
While the prickly pear fruit and its nopales are loaded with nutritious health benefits as part of your diet, the prickly pear seed oil is renowned for its powerful anti-aging properties and hydrating benefits. Inside the prickly pear are the seeds containing oil, which carries different types of fatty acids, including vitamin C, E & K, phytosterols, and antioxidants. Let’s break it down and explore some “MVPs” of the prickly pear oil:
- Tocopherols are used in skin care products because they protect the skin from free radical damage and strengthen the skin barrier.
- Fatty acids help to enhance skin hydration by sealing in the skin's moisture and reducing evaporation to the surrounding atmosphere.
- Palmitic acid can help soften and smooth the skin, help retain moisture, protect, and improve product texture
- Olein acid is excellent for dry, mature skin as it can replenish moisture, fight free radicals, and soothe irritated skin.
- Linoleic acid can improve the skin barrier and enhance the skin's overall appearance by reducing signs of inflammation, psoriasis, and acne.
- Phytosterols can shield our skin against dryness, severe sun damage, and premature aging by protecting collagen.
Like all the best things, the process of extracting the oil (sometimes called Barbary fig oil) is challenging, time-consuming, and resource intensive. The plant must be processed traditionally through manual labor, making it even more valuable. It takes nearly one ton (2000 lbs. or 1000kg) of fruit to extract just 55 lbs. (25kg) of the tiny black seeds and the equivalent of 1 liter of oil. This also explains why it is one of the most expensive oils in the world. However, this oil is incredibly concentrated, and you will need just a few drops to experience results.
And what will a few drops of prickly pear oil do? Let me tell you all its wondrous benefits:
Skin Health
With its high amount of vitamin E, this oil is ideal for soothing, replenishing, and nourishing skin, as well as for brightening your complexion, reducing wrinkles, and the visible signs and effects of UV damage. It will have your skin glowing in no time!
Hair Health
The prickly pear oil is ideal for deeply conditioning your hair. The fatty acids and protein in the oil restore hair’s natural shine, making it smooth and glossy and improving overall hair health by soothing an itchy or inflamed scalp.
Nails
Apply this weekly to your nail cuticles to soften them and strengthen nails by making them less prone to breakage.
Eye Area
Use prickly pear oil daily around your eyes to strengthen capillaries and reduce dark circles and spider veins.
Hands
This miracle oil can also completely fade the sun and age spots on your hands. One week after using the oil, I noticed a significant improvement, and my hands are very soft.
If, like me, all the sanitizing and excessive hand washing you have done to protect yourself from Covid-19 has stripped the moisture from your hands, I guarantee that this oil will soften and bring them back to life.
The Best Time to Use Prickly Pear Oil
While prickly pear oil can be used year-round, winter is the best time to experience the miraculous benefits of the prickly pear. I encourage you to try prickly pear oil to soothe the drying effects of the cold season on your hair and skin or boost your health with a hot cup of prickly pear tea. You won’t regret spending time or money on this amazing fruit.
Beware of Low-Quality Oil
Do not be fooled by the low-priced oils you might see on Amazon and other sites. While the price point might be enticing, you must know what you’re getting before hitting the Buy Now button. Let’s examine what makes a good-quality oil and why it’s worth spending a little more to get the actual benefits this miraculous oil has to offer.
The seeds are cultivated from the fruits that grow naturally in the high Atlas Mountains and have not been treated with chemicals. These seeds are tiny, so many are needed to create the oil. Due to this, many farmers who harvest prickly pear for its oil will use fillers and lower-quality oils (like sunflower oil) to dilute the actual product. This should be a major concern for consumers, as this practice means they are spending their hard-earned money but receiving less of the healing properties of the prickly pear oil.
Unfortunately, not all cooperatives follow the rules and guidelines as they should. Some have been known to leave the packaged seeds next to the goats, sheep, and other livestock on their farm, where the seeds absorb the animal odors before being processed.
Purchasing from a company that operates with integrity is a win-win for everyone involved. This helps to support the farmers and the shop owners who want to bring only the highest quality product to market.
Minarra’s Premium Prickly Pear Seed Oil
At Minarra, we always do our research. Our prickly pear oil comes from a family-owned and operated company that I know well. The owner is my grandmother’s nephew, so I know with certainty that they use an ethical and honest business. They have their own lab where they first test their ingredients to confirm they meet all the strict guidelines; This allows the consumer to receive all the incredible health benefits of prickly pear oil.
We love using this extraordinary oil in many of our products, making it one of our star ingredients. It is our pleasure to bring you pure natural skincare you can trust and continue to use as you see its many benefits for years to come.
