SAHARÔME at COSMETIC 360 – 14 & 15 OCTOBRE 2026
At COSMETIC360, SAHARÔME will present a prickly pear exocarp oil developed from Ethiopia Bale-origin raw material, together with a functional oils concept aligned with the cosmetic industry’s transition towards regeneration, resource efficiency and next-generation formulation.
Bale, Ethiopia: where several worlds meet
Bale cannot be reduced to a single landscape. In south-eastern Oromia region, radically different environments coexist within one area.
At its centre, the volcanic Sanetti Plateau rises close to 4,000 metres beneath Tullu Dimtu, one of Ethiopia’s highest summits at 4,377 metres.
Former glacial landforms, alpine wetlands and vast moorlands form what UNESCO identifies as the world’s largest contiguous Afro-Alpine habitat.
Bale also preserves evidence of high-altitude human occupation dating back tens of thousands of years.
From these plateaus, the terrain descends into the humid Harenna Forest and its cloud-forest ecosystems. Further east, limestone foothills, dry thorn savanna and the underground river system of Sof Omar create a different environment.
Few territories bring alpine climates, moist tropical forest, fertile highlands and semi-arid steppes into such proximity.
It is within one of Bale’s drier, high-altitude environments that the Opuntia ficus-indica raw material selected by SAHARÔME develops naturally.
Prickly pear is more commonly associated with northern Ethiopia’s arid landscapes.
Its presence in Bale reflects the plant’s ability to adapt to contrasting altitudes and climatic pressures. Research in the Bale Zone has documented cactus resources contributing to food security, animal feed, living fences, soil conservation and household income.
This geographical contrast is not simply part of the product story. It is the starting point of the ingredient.
A plant adapted to climatic pressure
Prickly pear is naturally equipped to manage heat, irregular rainfall and prolonged water stress.
Its specialised photosynthetic metabolism limits water loss while maintaining biomass production where many conventional crops struggle.
As water scarcity and climate pressure increasingly affect botanical supply chains, drought-resilient plants will become strategically important.
SAHARÔME’s approach is to identify these resources, understand the value of their botanical fractions and build economic applications around them.
Looking beyond the seed
The cosmetic industry has historically concentrated almost all prickly pear value in its seeds. SAHARÔME chose to investigate another fraction: the exocarp, the fruit’s external layer.
Instead of remaining outside the value chain, this underused biomass is recovered and transformed into a technically characterised vegetable oil.
The approach combines three priorities: working with climate-resilient plants, upcycling an overlooked fraction and generating additional value from an existing local resource.
Upcycling is becoming necessary for an industry seeking to use biomass more completely while creating greater value without systematically requiring additional land or resources.
A distinctive lipid identity
The analytical profile of the exocarp oil differentiates it from conventional prickly pear seed oils:
- nearly 60% linoleic acid
- around 30% oleic acid
- more than 600 mg/kg alpha-tocopherol in addition to Phytosterols
Ideally balanced with a ratio omega-6 /omega-9 = 2 , this oil will provide a differentiated lipid and sensorial direction, while its alpha-tocopherol-rich profile reinforces the antioxidant identity of the oil phase.
A new option for facial oils, lipid serums, mature-skin care, nourishing balms, hair treatments and premium natural formulations.
From one oil to a functional prickly pear system
The innovation extends beyond a single upcycled oil.
SAHARÔME is developing a Functional Prickly Pear Oils Concept based on the principle that different species and fruit fractions deliver different lipid functions.
The Bale-origin exocarp oil can be combined ideally with OMEGA6+ Seed Oil, obtained from Opuntia stricta var. dillenii. (unique level at 70% of linoleic acid combined with >800 mg/kg gamma-tocopherol and almost 9000mg/kg of Phytosterols).
Used independently or in targeted blends, these oils create possibilities for adjusting fatty-acid ratios, tocopherol profiles, sensorial properties, stability and formulation economics.
The next destination: COSMETIC360
For 2026, COSMETIC VALLEY has placed “Regenerations” at the centre of COSMETIC360.
Its Innovation Challenges address upcycling, biosourcing, biomass transformation, agricultural co-products, resource preservation and supply-chain structuring.
This autumn, SAHARÔME will bring its response: a Bale-origin resource, the upcycling of an overlooked fruit fraction and a functional platform built around complementary prickly pear oils.
A new field for responsible cosmetic innovation.
+ INFORMATIONS https://www.industries-cosmetiques.fr/ledition-2026-de-cosmetic-360-met-en-avant-le-theme-des-regenerations/
