You can prevent skin aging. With Dolcepura we discover the importance of the tomato, a natural source of lycopene an ally for the well-being of the skin.

The Tomato, protagonist of the Mediterranean diet, is good not only to eat, but also for it’s precious anti-aging properties: a concentrate of lycopene, an antioxidant substance that protects the skin, stimulates melanin and the production of hyaluronic acid. Let’s discover its important properties together.

Lycopene, what it is used for and its properties

Used in the kitchen for about 150 years and present in international territories with more than 5000 varieties. The tomato is a vegetable that represents the Mediterranean diet; we have chosen to use it as an ingredient in the field of cosmetics thanks to its anti-aging properties. The tomato, in fact, contains a high percentage of lycopene; it is a natural antioxidant substance that performs a powerful action against free radicals, responsible for the aging of tissues and skin. Lycopene, once extracted, performs an antiaging, protective action and helps to reduce skin alterations caused by an excess of free radicals.

Ripe tomatoes are the most important natural source of this precious substance, the most powerful of the carotenoids; Also found in watermelons, apricots, pink grapefruit and papaya, lycopene, according to some studies, could reduce the risk of developing some forms of cancer, including that of the skin. Dolcepura has formulated high quality Lycopene-based products as an active ingredient that restores vitality and protection to the skin. From the natural properties of lycopene we draw energy and power to give vitality, beauty and nourishment to your skin.

Hyaluronic acid, source of youth

If you are looking for natural remedies to combat facial signs of aging, in the list of precious substances for skin care, in addition to lycopene you will find that there is hyaluronic acid. The latter is found naturally in our body and is present above all in organs, cartilages, tissues and, of course, dermis with the function of giving the skin strength and elasticity. Over the years, the amount of hyaluronic acid begins to decrease considerably, thus causing the appearance of wrinkles, weakening of the skin and unsightly expression lines.

How can we prevent skin aging and maintain healthy young skin? Again nature and its fruits come to our rescue. Fruits, vegetables and vegetables (just like tomatoes) help restore this important collagen in the skin, reducing wrinkles and increasing the plasticity of the tissues.

The Dolcepura line of cosmetics, only uses raw materials selected from Italian agriculture which follows a cold pressing process, offers a line dedicated to perfect the skin, to fight the signs of aging, to be naturally beautiful.

What is the plant with large, green and … thorny leaves? It is Opuntia ficus Indica, known as the Prickly Pear, a real concentrate of beneficial properties useful in cosmetics and beyond. Its cladodes, or the broad spiny leaves, fruits and seeds, are sources of vitamins, minerals and acids from which we have obtained our natural cosmetic creams with powerful soothing, moisturizing and anti-aging actions. A mine of health and nourishment that comes from nature for our skin.

From Mexico to Sicily, Opuntia ficus Indica is a plant with large thorns that since 1400 was appreciated for its high content of Vitamin C present in its fruits. To date, Opuntia ficus Indica represents a fundamental ingredient for the creation of cosmetic creams, oils and natural products that favour and support the normal functionality and structure of the skin.

What is Opuntia ficus Indica and what are its properties

The prickly pear, whose scientific name is Opuntia ficus Indica is a succulent plant, a cactus of the Cactaceae family spread in the Mediterranean, recognizable by its colorful fruits, by spiny blades called cladodes, thick and fleshy but above all resistant to drought or in more arid areas, such as in Sicily, where it grows wild.

Opuntia ficus Indica represents in the world of cosmetics a real concentrate of important beneficial properties for the skin.
From the cladodes it is possible to obtain an extract rich in mucilage and pectins that promote the healing of wounds and burns as well as having an emollient and soothing action like the most famous Aloe. Its fruits, called tuna, in addition to being highly appreciated for their bright colors and organoleptic characteristics, are particularly rich in sugars, amino acids, vitamin C and vitamin E and especially antioxidant components.

Opuntia seeds also contain an oil rich in vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are used in the formulation of creams and other protective cosmetics with anti-aging, moisturizing and soothing action. In fact, Opuntia ficus Indica oil is highly appreciated in the cosmetic industry as a source of hair nutrients (such as shampoos and conditioners to keep hair strong, voluminous and shiny), as well as in preventing the formation of wrinkles and stretch marks on the skin.

Opuntia ficus Indica oil: processing and benefits

Out of 2000 kilos of the Opuntia fruit, about 200 kilos of wet seeds are extracted. The latter are left to dry for a long period of time and once they have lost all of their liquids they reach a weight of just over 100 kilos. Once dried, cold pressing is carried out under pressure: the result is 1 kilo of Opuntia ficus Indica oil which is carefully filtered from impurities and bottled.
The prickly pear seed contains 62% linoleic acid and 20% oleic acid and is rich in vitamin E, a natural antioxidant which, together with the minerals, sterols and essential fatty acids present, protect the skin from free radicals and help fight skin dryness, they are a natural remedy useful for sensitive and acne-prone skin, support hydration and slow down skin aging, avoiding the annoying and unsightly formation of spots.

It is no coincidence, in fact, that Opuntia oil is an important ally for beauty in women who use it as an anti-wrinkle serum and against the signs due to excessive exposure to sunlight, overcoming the powerful and appreciated properties of the most famous Argan oil.

Opuntia ficus Indica is an elixir of properties useful for skin imperfections which, if used daily, will give the skin vitality and softness. This is why Dolcepura, exploiting the beneficial properties that nature makes available, creates highly specialized natural and cosmetic products that are delicate for the skin, for pure and authentic beauty.