Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract

Opuntia coccinellifera fruit extract is an extract obtained from the fruits of the prickly pear.

The fruits are edible when raw and often processed into preserves, desserts, beverages, jelly, and salads. They are rich in relatively rare plant pigments called betalains – which are red/pink or yellow depending on the species of prickly pear. These pigments, along with the phenolic acids and polyphenols, give the opuntia fruit extract its antioxidant properties in skincare.

The plant’s name is actually Opuntia cochenillifera, named after a species of scale insect living on the cacti – cochineal – which is collected for the production of carmine dye (once called cochenille).