Prickly Pear Seed Oil and Argan Oil: Why Moroccan Cosmetics Work and How to Use Them

Content reviewed by Souad Charifi Hadj, registered pharmacist no. 2676.

Prickly pear oil has been popping up everywhere for a couple of years now, almost always accompanied by the word "miracle" and a terrifying price tag. And argan oil has been the quintessential Moroccan oil for twenty years, so much so that hardly anyone asks what it actually does anymore.

This article is about just that: what each one does, how they differ, and how to combine them without overspending.

Why prickly pear is so expensive

It's not marketing; it's arithmetic. The oil is extracted from the seeds of the prickly pear fruit, and each fruit contains very few. Hundreds of kilos of figs are needed to obtain one liter of oil, and the process is manual. Hence the price.

What it provides for the skin is a very light texture for how nourishing it is: it absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy film, something that cannot be said of most facial oils. That's why it works for skins that until now had rejected oils due to a heavy feeling.

In our range, it is the star of the Eternal Glow Elixir, 30 ml prickly pear facial oil (€87).

And why argan remains the basic

Argan is the opposite: abundant, studied, and reliable. It is the oil for nourishment and elasticity, the one used when skin is dry, tight, or damaged by sun and air.

The practical difference between the two is simple. Prickly pear works well with daytime routines and for skin that does not tolerate heavy textures. Argan works well at night, in cold weather, and for skin that needs nourishment.

In cream form, you can find it in the Rejuva Day, anti-aging day cream with argan and marine collagen and in the Rejuva Night, its night version (€63 each, 50 ml).

The step almost everyone skips

A facial oil is much better absorbed by skin that can receive it. If there is a layer of dead cells on top, a good part of the product stays on the surface and comes off with the pillow.

That's why a gentle exfoliation once or twice a week changes the result of any oil, whether it's prickly pear or whatever. Gentle means gentle: no abrasive grains or acids on your own. The Renewal Mask, 50 ml sugar exfoliating mask (€63) does this job without aggressing.

If you are looking for a complete facial routine

Elixir at night, Rejuva Day in the morning and Rejuva Night before bed. This is the brand's complete routine, which makes sense if you already know that oils work for you and you want to stop buying products individually.

Body oils, which are another story

Dulcima also has a 100 ml body line, which is easier to understand: it's about nourishing the body's skin, which dries out more than we usually admit, especially after summer.

• Blissful Touch, repairing orange blossom body oil — the most nourishing of the three, for dry skin and areas prone to stretch marks. €55.
• Pure Caress Grapefruit, hydrating body oil — lighter and with a citrus aroma, for daily use. €55.
• Pure Caress Perfumed — the perfumed version, if you're looking for the oil to also act as a fragrance. €55.
• Soothing Essence Verbena, relaxing massage oil — designed for massage, with verbena. €55.

If you want the first two, which complement each other best, they come together in the Moroccan Body Ritual: €99 instead of the €110 they cost separately.

How to use a facial oil without making a mistake

Three rules, and that's it.

Oil goes last. After serum and after cream, never before. Its job is to seal what's underneath; if you put it on first, it acts as a barrier and the rest won't penetrate.

Less quantity than you think. Two or three drops for the whole face. If you still have shine after ten minutes, you've used too much.

On slightly damp skin. Right after the cream, without waiting for it to dry completely. It spreads better and lasts longer.

Why Dulcima is at Biovardi

We are its point of sale in Spain. It's not a brand you'll find everywhere, and that's precisely why it's here: we're interested in small houses with honest formulations rather than names that are already in every shop window.

If you have doubts about which one suits your skin, write to us at info@biovardi.com and a pharmacist will answer you.