Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract at a Glance
- Considered an excellent soothing ingredient
- Very good source of antioxidants
- Helps refine skin texture for improved smoothness
- Also known as prickly pear and barbary fig
Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract Description
flower extract is also known as prickly pear or barbary fig. This desert-dwelling plant is native to Mexico, but now grows in numerous countries around the world. It’s an incredibly hardy, robust plant, able to grow in conditions where water is often or always scarce. As such, it’s an important crop in arid, dry areas.
contain skin-beneficial minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium as well as trace minerals like manganese, zinc, and copper.
Vitamins C, E, and K are also present throughout this plant, as are various amino acids and antioxidant compounds such as gallic acid, various flavonoids (quercetin), lignans, and stilbenes, all of which help enhance skin’s environmental defenses in the face of aggressors like pollution and UV light.
Specific to the flower portion of this plant, it’s not only a robust source of polyphenol and flavonoid antioxidants but contains antimicrobial compounds that may play a role in helping to visibly repair damaged skin. The flowers also contain hydrating polysaccharides (complex sugars).
Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract References
Horticulturae, January 2022, pages 1–28
Molecules, February 2021, pages 1–20 and September 2014, pages 14,879–14,901
Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, December 2017, pages 5,485–5,489
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, November 2015, pages 483–490
Journal of Medicinal Food, October 2015, pages 1,143–1,149