Borage Oil

A natural history

Borage is a Mediterranean herb crowned with sprays of small, five petalled flowers of the purest sky blue, shaped like little stars, which is why it has always been called the starflower. Since antiquity the plant has been linked with comfort and good cheer; the Romans named it for joy, and the old herbalists grew it, they wrote, to gladden the heart and lift the spirits.

Its real treasure, though, is hidden in the seed. Pressed cold, borage seeds yield a golden oil that is the richest plant source known of gamma linolenic acid, a rare essential fatty acid that is kin to the skin's own moisture barrier. That is why modern skin care prizes starflower oil as a deeply nourishing oil for dry, mature complexions that crave softness.

What it does for your skin

Borage oil is treasured for its gamma linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid that helps support the skin's moisture barrier. A dermatology review groups borage among the GLA rich plant oils used to comfort dry, reactive skin, noting that well chosen emollients are the gentlest, most effective way to care for the barrier.^[1] In honesty, a large review found that taking these oils by mouth did not meaningfully improve eczema, so borage is best understood as a barrier nourishing oil rather than a treatment.^[2] In a formula it softens and replenishes dry skin.

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