Obtained from the seed of Borago officinalis, which grows abundantly in the Mediterranean region, Central Europe and Asia. Has an extremely high gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) content. GLA is vital for the synthesis of prostaglandin an important function in the body, especially the skin. Borage oil also has the highest known content of essential unsaturated fatty acids. These are great skin conditioners. They regulate the hydration of the skin and are humectants. GLA is a fatty acid that the body converts to a hormone-like substance called prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). PGE1 has anti-inflammatory properties and may also act as a blood thinner and blood vessel dilator.
One of the more powerful demonstrations of the benefits to the skin of topically applied borage oil is a clinical study done on 48 infants suffering from severe infantile seborrheic dermatitis, a common condition in infants known as “cradle cap.” This condition is characterized by dry scales and crusts on the scalp, eyelids, face, armpits, breast and groin. The infants were treated twice daily with topically applied borage oil and the condition cleared within two weeks. Not only was there improvement in the areas where the borage oil was directly applied but also in the areas where it was not. This result indicated that the borage oil was effectively absorbed through the skin and became available throughout the body as a source of gamma linolenic acid for the biosynthesis of prostaglandin 1. If the treatment was discontinued, the symptoms came back within a week. However, if the treatment was maintained until the infants became seven months old and was then stopped, there was no relapse.
There is ample evidence from research on both humans and animals showing that borage oil has a significant effect on improving the health and appearance of skin tissue. Clinically, borage oil has been shown to be a very effective agent for treating skin disorders and for alleviating the inflammatory symptoms associated with these disorders. For everyday use, borage oil has been shown to be very effective in treating the redness, inflammation and moisture loss associated with dry skin.
