Formidable though they may appear, the sharp thorns of the prickly pear cactus have never been enough to put people off. Long a staple of the Mexican diet, the cactus is also a herbal remedy and, potentially, a sustainable source of biofuel.
The succulent plant has wide, flat, branching pads called nopals, and sweet fruit called a fig or tuna. Swiss-Korean skincare brand Starskin features fig and stem extracts, as well as seed oil, in the Orglamic Pink Cactus collection.
"Prickly pear cactus seed oil is deemed by skincare manufacturers and beauty experts to be a fountain of youth," said Starskin co-founder Nicole Arnoldussen. "This precious oil is incredibly hydrating and fully loaded with vitamin E -- 150% more than argan oil. It is also a source of unsaturated fatty acids and super antioxidants, which further makes it one of nature's most powerful anti-ageing and youth-restoring oils for healthy, glowing skin."
Arnoldussen and Paul Hendriks founded Starskin in 2015, at a time when K-beauty exerted a dominant influence on the global cosmetics industry. The two were familiar with South Korea's cutting-edge skincare science and sought such expertise in developing Starskin products, initially focusing on sheet masks featuring super-food ingredients.
Prickly pear cactus is a superfood, prized for its blood sugar- and cholesterol-lowering properties. Different parts of the plants provide the key ingredients, in high concentrations, for optimising the skincare effects of the Orglamic Pink Cactus collection, available exclusively at Sephora stores.
Two-step Pink Cactus Mask. Sephora
"Quite often, when a skincare product touts a certain 'hero' ingredient, it only contains very low amount -- sometimes as little as 1 or 2%," said Arnoldussen. "Our formulas are packed with pure and highly concentrated amounts of ingredients derived from organic prickly pear cactus, to deliver the best possible results within the shortest time."
The two-step Orglamic Pink Cactus Mask Hydrate + Glow Facial is a 100% natural product with 84% cactus ingredients. Firstly, a capsule containing antioxidant rich prickly pear cactus and Camellia japonica seed oils is massaged onto the skin. Then a sheet mask, drenched with cactus fruit extract, hyaluronic acid and alpha-bisabolol, further revitalises the skin when left to work on the face for 15 minutes.
The dual-phase serum mist is also a pure natural product with 92% liquid cactus concentrate that mixes with seed oils when the bottle is shaken.
The collection also includes a glass mask and "pudding" moisturiser that amplify the cactus's beauty benefits.
Dual-phase Serum Mist.
Moisturising Pink Cactus Pudding.
