Skincare's hottest ingredient is... cactus?

We're willing to put just about anything on our faces in pursuit of glowing, youthful skin (snail slime comes to mind), but when we heard that people were harnessing the power of the humble cactus, we were concerned. (Does it, umm, hurt?)

Don't worry, it's not the prickly parts of cacti, it's cactus water, which is derived from the fruit that grows on the prickly pear cactus. The fruit is juiced and turned into a puree that has a bunch of health benefits. It’s rich in the amino acid taurine, which helps stop free radicals and muscle tissue damage, and it’s high in a rare form of antioxidants called betalains, which have hydrating and antiaging properties.

Sounds great, but how do we reap the benefits? A number of brands have jumped on the cactus water bandwagon, from Boscia's Cactus Water Moisturizer to Make Beauty's Succulent Skin Gel.

So what do you think? Would you try it?

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