Cactus fruit, Indian fig opuntia, babusta, thorny fig or dumb cane… Whatever you call it, this fruit, the new favorite of cosmetics world, the source of vitamin suggested by nutritionists will be a must in your prescription.
If you live in the east Mediterranean lands, you are already familiar with it. The others must have seen it during a stroll on a holiday night, or in the servings of a relative in the south during a visit. After being peeled and left in the refrigerator for a while, opuntia releases its original flavor on the palate along with the feeling of coldness. Those who have seen it will already know, it invites his enthusiasts to taste this flavor on icepacked chests in the coastal towns.
Cactus fruits are very rich vitamin C source
Opuntia is a plant with its own unique beauties just like any other vegetable or fruit. But of course, opuntia does have some features that make it a step ahead of others. This plant, which does not need frequent irrigation, coming from the “opuntia” species of the cactus family lives up to its roots and can grow up even on arid soil. Loving the sun and the warm, opuntia is unique, but there are so many troublesome aspects of picking them up and making them ready to eat. Because opuntia sinks its thorns in the skin of every amateur and exposes them to the pain they will feel for hours. But all this effort is worth it because of the nutritional value it contains. The most well-known feature of this plant from South Africa and Mexico is that it is a complete intestinal regulator. Thanks to this feature, the fruit, which became the favorite of people with digestion problems, and dieters, is consumed in abundant quantities for reasons such as its low calorie and its cheap price in our country.
Additionally, its feature to help you feel full, it helps controlled feeding of even the most appetent people. Of course, opuntia gets these features from certain substances in it. For example, ascorbic acid, in other words, vitamin C, level in opuntia, known for its regulating and refreshing effect, is quite higher than citrus fruits, parsley, and pepper. An adult needs to consume at least 60 mg vitamin C; this goes up to 70 mg in pregnant women, 95 mg in nursing women and 100 mg in smokers. While 100 gr orange only has 0,050 mg vitamin C, 100 gram of opuntia has 1 to 5.3 grams of vitamin C. And this amount of vitamin C protects the body from many negative outcomes such as weakness, gum recession, dry skin, joint pains and delay in the closing of wounds.
Just right for the skin health
As you know, the family of opuntia, cactus, is a plant family renowned for water retention and using this water gradually for a long time. This feature gives us a clue about the cosmetic products containing opuntia. Of course, the feature of opuntia which is best for the skin is the feature of moisturizing, which more than many vegetable oils. Such that, almost 60 percent of the oil obtained from opuntia contains water and moisture. Considering the fact that the water-rich fruit also contains plenty of vitamin E, all factors to ensure that the skin absorbs the moisture and penetrate deep come together. These effects ensure that many negative consequences such as wrinkling, early aging, and loss of the skin’s ability to repair itself are naturally eliminated. Therefore, the usage of chemical cosmetic products reduces for everyone who gets satisfying results with natural methods. Aloe vera, argan, satinwood, juniper and eucalyptus, thyme and chamomile, among the most commonly used plants in cosmetics have proven their efficiency.
However, the observations made in time show that opuntia took these benefits of these pants to one step further. When the high amount of polyphenol contained in the fruit is consumed through feeding or cosmetics, provides an antioxidant effect, and it helps the removal of radicals formed up and accumulated in the body. Because polyphenols can remove the non-active oxygen types from the cells. Therefore, the body, and of course the skin, can be cleansed from the heavy and radioactive metals. However, the most charming aspect of polyphenol for the beauty world is its effect so strong that it can decrease the already formed wrinkles along with providing a significant deceleration of aging. All these features make opuntia the new favorite of cosmetics world.
Overshadows argan oil
With its anti–aging effect, opuntia oil even overshadows argan oil, the favorite oil of the recent years. If you plan on using the opuntia oil not in any cosmetic product but in its pure form, you must know the dosage. For example, only two-three droplets will help you get a silk-like face. This oil, suitable for use both in the morning ant at night, also ensures the skin to retain its moisture for a long time. If you are going
to use it in your body, only a few drops will be enough for large areas such as shoulders and neck. When you are going to use it for your hair, drop 10-15 droplets in the roots of your hair and wait for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, wash and rinse your hair.
Be careful when choosing opuntia oil!
When you decide to use opuntia oil, you should consider a few aspects before purchasing. Check whether the oil you will buy was produced organically, and the certificates of the brands you will buy. The processes before the fruit become oil are quite important. If the oil is obtained by dissolving the fruit with chemical solvents, it can lose all its benefits. However, the products of the companies using cold press method during production will give you satisfying results.
