Barbary Fig Seed Oil—also known as prickly pear oil—has been the beauty cure-all for Moroccan women for centuries. And now it’s one of the newest, most in-demand oils available because of its exceptionally high levels of Vitamin E. In fact, Barbary Fig Seed Oil contains almost 150% more tocopherol than argan oil.

Why is that so important? Tocopherol is a form of vitamin E typically derived from vegetable oils and is heralded as an antioxidant superhero because of its incredible ability to protect the hair and skin. That’s one huge reason why applying it does so much good. It infuses moisture and restores the lipidic film of each hair strand, acts as an anti-inflammatory on the scalp, and blocks pollution-related free-radical damage. Free radicals are unstable molecules generated by external aggressors like heat UV rays and pollution, which can damage the hair structure. They break down our hair and skin so they age faster and look damaged.

Barbary Fig Seed Oil is unbeatable for treating dry scalps, especially after chemical processing, and it revives dry, brittle hair by smoothing strands and infusing shine.

Barbary Fig Seed Oil is also chock full of phytosterols. These antioxidants are water-binding, which means they help the hair retain moisture by pulling it in and keeping it there. An article in the International Journal of Trichology (that’s the science of hair and scalp) found that increasing the moisture content of hair “improves the conductivity of the hair and neutralizes the static charge.” In other words, hair is less frizzy and prone to flyaways when Barbary Fig Seed Oil is applied.

Where It’s Sourced

Our Barbary Fig Seed Oil is harvested from the Barbary Fig tree, which is actually a cactus. The growing of the Barbary Fig tree has been a long-term solution for ground fertility and erosion as they slow down water flow and permit water infiltration in the soil. This helps protect the ecosystems of arid and semi-arid zones. Additionally, growing, sourcing and the production of this oil does not require large quantities of water. Similar to our argan oil, our Barbary Fig Oil is also sourced from a women cooperative.

Most food products made from the Barbary Fig tree use only its juice, while the seeds are usually discarded. The production of Barbary Fig Oil makes use of these seeds to create a product that’s loaded with cosmetic benefits. In fact, the fruit contains a lot of seeds (about 300 seeds for a fruit of 150g) that are sun-dried and then cold-pressed to obtain the oil.

The Behind-the-Scenes Science: Locks in Moisture and Nutrients

Recent studies have shown that, similar to argan oil, Barbary Fig Seed Oil can be used in skin-barrier repair, meaning it helps not only in healing skin that is dry and damaged, but it helps lock in the moisture and nutrients skin needs to stay healthy. The same can be said of the scalp and hair shaft, which are nourished and strengthened by the nutrients found in Barbary Fig Seed Oil.

Research has shown that vitamin E oil can improve dry hair and/or dry scalp, infusing both with moisture and locking it in, so that the softness and hydration are long-lasting. Some studies also show that vitamin E oil may increase circulation to the scalp. This temporary increase in blood flow could help to enhance the health and strength of the hair follicles.

References

1. Šebetić, Klaudija, Ines Sjerobabski Masnec, Vlatka Čavka, Darko Biljan, and Ivan Krolo. “UV damage of the hair.” Collegium antropologicum 32, no. 2 (2008): 163-165.
2. Beoy, Lim Ai, Wong Jia Woei, and Yuen Kah Hay. “Effects of tocotrienol supplementation on hair growth in human volunteers.” Tropical life sciences research 21, no. 2 (2010): 91.
3. Trueb, Ralph M. “Oxidative stress in ageing of hair.” International Journal of trichology 1, no. 1 (2009): 6.
4. Trueb, Ralph M. “Pharmacologic interventions in aging hair.” Clinical interventions in aging 1, no. 2 (2006): 121.
5. Natural Oils for Skin-Barrier Repair: Ancient Compounds Now Backed by Modern Science. Vaughn AR^1,2, Clark AK¹, Sivamani RK^1,3, Shi VY⁴.