Collection: Borage Oil Skin Benefits

Borage oil, pressed from the seeds of the borage plant (also called starflower), is one of the richest natural sources of gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA. We use organic borage oil guaranteed to contain 19% GLA, and it's a key ingredient across our range.

The benefits of borage oil for skin

• Rich in GLA: skin normally makes GLA from linoleic acid, but some people, especially those with dry or eczema-prone skin, seem to make less of it. Applying borage oil gives your skin a ready supply.
• Rich in linoleic acid: an essential fatty acid your body can't make. Your skin uses it to build ceramides, the lipids that hold moisture in and keep irritants out. Read more in how your skin works.
• Supports the skin barrier: studies have found that borage oil applied to the skin reduces water loss through the skin, helping it stay hydrated.

Using borage oil on your face

Borage oil's fatty acids aren't stable in sunlight, so in the daytime they can oxidise and create free radicals. That's why we use it in the highest amounts in our facial oils, which are made for the evening: choose the scented or unscented version, and see our night-time skincare for how to use them.

Borage oil in our calendula balms

We also blend borage oil with homegrown calendula in our calendula balms, for skin that's dry, irritated or in need of extra care.

Find out more about borage oil and every other ingredient we use on our Pure & Natural Ingredients page.