EU_Declaration_9107.pdf
Botanical Name: Opuntia ficus-indica Common name: Barba Read More
|
Botanical Name: |
Opuntia ficus-indica |
|
Common name: |
Barbary fig, Prickly Pear |
|
Plant family: |
Cactaceae |
|
Genus: |
Opuntia |
|
Appearance/Color: |
Colorless to Off-white |
|
Origin |
Morocco |
|
Source |
Seeds |
|
Method of Extraction |
Cold Pressed |
Opuntia (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) belongs to the cactus family (Cactaceae), which includes about 1500 species of cactuses. It is a tropical or subtropical plant that grows in the areas of Mexico, Latin America, Africa, and Mediterranean countries. It is used in medicine, food, and cosmetics in the form of tea, jam, juice, and oil from seeds. Opuntia (especially purple variants) is an important source of pigmented bioactive substances. Such varieties contain betaline and betateinine, while orange varieties have betaxanthins. The fruit of this cactus (cladode) contains significant amounts of ascorbic acid, vitamin E, carotenoids, dietary fiber, amino acids, and antioxidant compounds (flavonoids, betaxanthin and betation) while having hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant properties. It also contains large concentrations of taurine and minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.
Prickly pear seed oil is rich in essential fatty acids and natural antioxidants like vitamin E that stimulate collagen production to promote faster cell turnover. Also, it contains vitamin K which promotes the skin’s elasticity and brightens under eye dark circles. It gives skin an instant boost of glow and radiance by helping in smoothing fine lines, dark spots, and environmental stress on the skin. It keeps the skin infused with a lot of moisture so that your skin never runs out of it and likewise preventing it from dryness and chapping. It works as a great cleanser of acne-prone skin.
Essential oils are distilled from the aromatic leaves, bark, and roots of plants. If applied to the skin directly, they can cause reactions, such as severe irritation, redness or burning.
Carrier oils and essential oils are made from plants. Carrier oils are used to dilute essential oils and “carry” them to skin. That’s because essential oils are potent and can cause irritation when applied directly to skin. Most carrier oils are unscented or lightly scented and don’t interfere with an essential oil’s therapeutic properties. They may be used alone or with other oils to nourish skin.
Carrier oils are used to dilute the essential oils and help “carry” them into the skin. Aloe vera gels and unscented body lotion are also sometimes used as carriers.
To be used in aromatherapy, it is recommended that the oil is obtained through cold pressing. In this process, the oil is extracted by crushing the plants. Users claim that the fragile nutrients in the oil can be damaged if they are extracted with heat. Venkatramna’s carrier Oils are extracted from the Cold Pressed method to retain their properties.
Common Usage: Aromatherapy
TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Safety Summary
· Hazards Not Known
· Contraindications: Not Known
· Cautions: Only Used in personal care formulations
Organ Specific Effects
· Adverse skin reaction: No Information Found
· Reproductive Toxicity: No Information Found
Systemic Effects
· Acute Toxicity: No information found.
· Antioxidant/pro-oxidant activity: No Data Available
· Carcinogenic/anti carcinogenic potential: No Data Available
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Toxicity
· Acute fish toxicity: LC50 / 96 HOUR – No data available
· Toxicity to aquatic plants – No data available
· Toxicity to microorganisms – No data available
· Toxicity threshold – No data available
· Persistence and degradability: Biodegradation is expected
· Bio-accumulative potential: Bioaccumulation is unlikely
· Mobility in soil: Unknown
Avoid exposure to marine environments and waterways
