If you’ve been wondering why sketches of succulents are on every Target T-shirt out there, you’re not alone.
Succulents owe their popularity to a large audience of plant lovers and bad plant parents (aka a lot of people).
These plants can tolerate being ignored by their owners for a long time.
This hard-to-find feature has made succulent-plant-drop days the Black Fridays of college campuses.
Their audience base has also been growing with the beauty community, taking on a new role.
Cactus water is making a name in the skincare area for its hydrating properties.
Plants that grow in the desert might seem like something you shouldn’t use for dry skin, but they live in really dry environments so they sustain themselves by storing the water that they get from light rains.
This makes them rich with the hydration that your skin needs.
Most cactus water skincare products are made from the prickly pear cactus.
This fruit is not only delicious, but it contains incredible health benefits.
Cactus water has a high content of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
This helps protect the skin from UV damage and helps to hydrate your skin, therefore preventing aging.
You can also use cactus water as a post-workout drink for electrolyte replenishment.
Companies like Caliwater and trunopal have launched drinks containing prickly pear cactus water for those looking for an alternative to celery juice.
Is it worth the hype?
It’s really easy to dismiss this trend as another “superfood” so I decided to test it out myself.
After browsing the beauty section at Target, I found a hydrating sheet mask made from a cactus flower extract.
Following instructions, I applied the mask for 20 minutes and then massaged the excess serum into my skin.
I immediately noticed how hydrated and glowy my skin appeared. My skin also felt “tighter,” which could be attributed to the caffeine ingredient – another favorite ingredient for skincare enthusiasts.
After applying the silver mask, I chose to not apply moisturizer to see how long the serum would effectively keep my skin hydrated.
The hydration lasted for a couple of hours until I finally put on my moisturizer.
Overall, I think the mask did its job just right, but I’m not sure if the credit can be completely given to the cactus water.
The result was the same as other masks that I’ve tried before, specifically drugstore products like Garnier’s SkinActive Moisture Bomb, which contain similar ingredients. However, for a price tag of $2.00, this mask is worth a try.
If you’re looking to incorporate cactus water into your beauty routine, there are a wide range of available cactus water-infused products that you can get your hands on.
Kiehl’s – Cactus Flower & Tibetan Ginseng Hydrating Mist
Fans of rose water facial mists will love this refreshing mist. The ingredients include cactus flower, Tibetan Ginseng, lavender and rosemary making the perfect blend for dry skin.
Boscia – Cactus Water Moisturizer
This moisturizer has many loyal consumers who swear by its hydrating properties. The moisturizer has a gel consistency and works for all skin types.
Are you willing to try these cactus water-infused beauty products?