Cactéa - Velvety Cream

Prickly pear oil is the rarest and most expensive oil in the world. Not surprisingly, it is extremely difficult to produce. The fruits must be harvested by hand, and are covered with tiny thorns that can be very painful if they penetrate the skin. Then you have to remove the few seeds there are from the pulp, clean them, dry them and press them. The yield is very low: it takes 800 kilos of fresh fruits to produce one litre of oil.

For thousands of years, people have believed in this oil's beauty benefits, which have now been scientifically proven. It acts like a botanical shield against skin ageing. It provides anti-free radical tocopherols and many essential fatty acids (particularly omega 6, which helps to prevent moisture loss, and omega 9, which nourishes and protects), as well as soothing sterols. It's been proven that it restructures collagen fibres, which are essential for keeping skin in good condition.

Prickly pear oil also has a unique, very subtle scent.

Cactéa harnesses the power of this incredible oil in innovative formulas. Used in very high doses (10 to 13%), it's combined with different sources of omega fatty acids to provide skin with a complete range of nourishing ingredients.

This annual plant produces small flowers from May to July. These flowers give way to small fruits, which contain the seeds from which the oil is extracted.

Despite being a melliferous plant (it attracts bees), camelina was not used very much after the Middle Ages. It wasn't until the 19th century that it began to be cultivated in the north of France, where its straw was used for roofs, and its oil in food. Then it was forgotten about… At the end of the 20th century, the plant became popular once more and was recognized as a functional food, i.e., one that can have both health and wellness benefits.

The oil is exceedingly rich in omega fatty acids that are often used in the beauty industry: omega 3 for its soothing properties and to improve elasticity; omega 6 to help prevent moisture loss in the skin; and omega 9 to nourish and protect.

Cactéa has combined this oil with prickly pear seed oil so that specific omega fatty acids can work together in synergy.

Known as nopal in South America and opuntia in France, the prickly pear produces large yellow and orange flowers in spring or summer. These beautiful blooms with their silky petals will mature into fruits.

When these flowers are dried and infused, they have therapeutic properties. In the Berber tradition, the resulting warm drink is recommended to relieve digestive problems. In other pharmacopoeia, this infusion is used for someone who has caught a chill, or in a poultice on wounds or bruises to help heal them (the flower has hemostatic properties).

In cosmetics, a floral water is obtained from the flower by steam distillation. This process isolates active molecules that are very different from those in the seeds used to make the rare oil. The floral water has a slightly astringent effect on the skin, and hydrates and refreshes.

You'll find this beautiful water in all our Cactéa lotions.

The Cactéa range showcases the benefits of prickly pear oil, and this olfactory creation highlights a very elegant facet of the fresh fruit. Immediately, it reveals a joyful, spontaneous aroma, with a sparkling mint accord and a slightly creamy white jasmine. Then comes the scent of freshly picked prickly pear, bursting with juice, accompanied by a dash of ripe peach. Floral undertones give way to gourmand yet balanced notes of a real fruit. The base is beautifully soothing: a hint of comforting soft musk over a white wood note, much loved by the perfumer. This soft, fresh signature scent is a delight to wear both morning and evening.