Ingredient glossary / Emollient
Prickly pear seed oil
On the label: Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil · Emollient
What it is
A linoleic-rich oil pressed from cactus fruit seeds; expensive because each fruit holds very little.
Emollients: Emollients fill the gaps between skin cells and leave the surface smooth and soft; oils, butters and esters.
Wikidata: Oil from the seeds of Opuntia ficus-indica. Q104219662 →
In the research
3 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Consumer behavior and sustainability: Exploring Italy's green cosmetics market with prickly pear seed oil · Heliyon, 2025
- Wound Healing Activity of Opuntia ficus-indica Fixed Oil Formulated in a Self-Nanoemulsifying Formulation · International journal of nanomedicine, 2021
- Nanostructured lipid carriers incorporating prickly pear seed oil for the encapsulation of vitamin A · Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 2019
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other emollients
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.