Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil
Oenothera biennis · INCI Oenothera Biennis Oil
Evening primrose oil is pressed from the small seeds of Oenothera biennis, a wildflower that opens at dusk. It is best known for one particular fatty acid, and for a reputation that runs some way ahead of the evidence, so this is a page where being plain matters.
Its fame rests on eczema studies that were taken by mouth, and largely came up short. We use it for the narrower thing the topical evidence supports.
What it is
Evening primrose oil is a cold-pressed organic oil, high in linoleic acid and carrying a share of gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, an uncommon omega-6 fatty acid that is the reason the oil gets the attention it does. In the skin, linoleic and gamma-linolenic acids both feed into the lipids the barrier is built from, which is the sensible basis for using it in a moisturiser for dry skin.
Where care is needed is with what the studies actually tested. Most of the well-known research gave evening primrose oil as an oral supplement, and that is a different question from what a cold-pressed oil does when you smooth it onto the skin.
What it does in our formulas
Two things: an ordinary softening job, and a narrower barrier claim the topical evidence allows.
It softens
A light oil high in linoleic acid, evening primrose conditions and softens the skin surface in the ordinary, reliable way of a good emollient.
Well characterisedIt may support the barrier
Evening primrose carries gamma-linolenic acid, an uncommon omega-6. Applied to the skin, the research links that GLA to a supporting role in the barrier where dry skin struggles to hold moisture, though how much depends on the formula it sits in.
Emerging evidenceWhat the research does not show
This is the honest part, and it matters more here than with most oils. Evening primrose is sold on claims that trace back to studies of a very different kind.
Marketed as Clinically proven for eczema
Marketed as A treatment for inflammation
So we keep to what the topical evidence supports: a soft, conditioning oil whose GLA may lend the skin barrier some quiet support. That is the reason it is in the Dry and Dry Sensitive blends.
On the label and in the range
Evening primrose appears in the Dry Sensitive and Dry blends, high on the ingredient list since it is one of the main oils. On the label it reads by its INCI name, shown with its common name, and marked as cold-pressed and organic. The exact percentage is published on each product page.
Is it suitable for me?
Evening primrose oil is well tolerated on the skin and suits a vegan routine. It sits comfortably on sensitive skin, which is why it is part of the Dry Sensitive blend, and as a plant seed oil it carries no restrictions under UK or EU cosmetic law.
As with anything new, if your skin reacts easily it is worth patch testing first.
The research behind this page
We review the published literature. We do not conduct the studies below.
- Bamford JT, Ray S, Musekiwa A, van Gool C, Humphreys R, Ernst E. Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013;(4):CD004416. "https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004416.pub2", "url"=>"https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004416.pub2"}" rel="nofollow">→
- Gehring W, Bopp R, Rippke F, Gloor M. Effect of topically applied evening primrose oil on epidermal barrier function in atopic dermatitis as a function of the vehicle. Arzneimittelforschung 1999;49(7):635-642. "https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0031-1300475", "url"=>"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0031-1300475"}" rel="nofollow">→
- Lin TK, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils. Int J Mol Sci 2018;19(1):70. "https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19010070", "url"=>"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19010070"}" rel="nofollow">→