Face oils are either your thing, and you swear by them, or you avoid them at all cost. However, despite whether you love or loathe them, they do have some brilliant benefits if you have the right type of skin. Coconut oil, argan oil and rosehip oil have all had their fair share of attention lately, but there is a new excellent ingredient which could be what you have been searching for to look after dry or ageing skin called prickly pear. The oil is cold pressed from the seeds of the prickly pear fruit, which are native to desert regions of America and Mexico. It is apparently as good for your skin as it is to digest! If you were to eat the fruit, they're sweet, with a hint of watermelon. They can grow up to 5 metres in height and have sharp spines and beautifully bright fruit. The reason it has become the must-have beauty oil is due to its anti-inflammatory and antiageing properties. It is the ideal skin care product for dry and mature skin as it is highly moisturising and has the abilities to leave your skin super smooth and glowing after use.

Key ingredients

Prickly pear has an abundance of beneficial ingredients including:

• Amino Acids (stimulate collagen production)
• Linoleic Acid (a fatty acid essential in stimulating healthy cell production)
• Vitamin B
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Vitamin K (brightens dark circles under the eye)

These added benefits are great, but it comes into its own as an antiageing powerhouse ingredient due to its high level of antioxidant vitamin E. Luxury skincare brand, Kypris, claim that prickly pear contains 150% more vitamin E than that of argan oil and it is a more sustainable ingredient. The high dose of vitamin E makes it a great product to combat the signs of ageing or to start tackling it at the first appearance. As well as containing ingredients needed to protect your skin against ageing, you will also find polyphenols in prickly pear oil. Polyphenols keep the body protected against damage from UV rays; they top the body up with antioxidants and provide oxidative stress prevention.

Which products contain prickly pear seed oil?

Kypris - Kypris utilise this ingredient in some their products including The Beauty Elixir 1, 2 & 3, Kypris Body Elixir and the Kypris Cleanser Concentrate Cream. After a relentless search for a supplier of the oil, founder Chase Polan, discovered prickly pear, in fact, grows in many desserts around her and she began to source wild craft prickly pear from the desserts in America, instead of other parts of the world. Tata Harper Purifying Mask - Prickly pear is one of the key ingredients in this 100% natural face mask. Its vitamin E content helps prevent the skin ageing due to being exposed to pollution. Inika BB Cream Foundation - This light coverage BB cream can provide hydration to the skin due to prickly pear being one of its primary ingredients. 1001 Remedies Soin Millenaire Cream - Suitable for all skin types, especially those with dry or concerned with ageing, this cream uses antioxidants from the oil to fight off signs of ageing. You will find a lot of healthy fatty acids, vitamin E, and polyphenols in prickly seed oil. This oil could be the beauty oil to beat all natural beauty oils this year with its potential to retain moisture in the skin and stimulate healthy cell production and turnover. It's an excellent option when considering looking after your skin's health!