Are you looking to manage dry skin, itchiness, irritation, roughness, and wrinkles? While the sheer number of skincare oils out there is enough to make anyone’s head spin, there’s an ingredient that magically treats every skin condition. It has moisturising, inflammation-reducing, soothing, anti-ageing, and even acne-fighting goodness. It’s rich, emollient and promotes softer, smoother-looking skin. Drumrolls please: Meet evening primrose oil.
Touted for its ability to enhance your skin’s ability to regulate its moisture balance, that’s just one of the many benefits it has to offer.
In the 17th century, evening primrose oil was called the “king’s cure-all” because people believed its properties are fit for kings and queens to apply.
History
Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) is a flowering plant originally a North American wildflower. It blooms in late spring and often covers plains and prairie. Its lifespan is 2 years that’s why it has biennis (from Latin bi – “two” + annus- “year”) in its name.
Native Americans used various parts of the evening primrose plant to make infusions, poultices, and topical pastes intended to address all kinds of ailments from wounds and bruises to digestive problems and sore throats.
Early settlers brought evening primrose back to Europe where it was first where it was consumed in form of salad or grown as a decorative flower. Later it became a popular folk remedy known as the “king’s cure-all”. Today, it’s so common in Europe that people regard it as a native plant.
Evening primrose is also known as evening star, sundrop, suncups among other names. It’s most likely because the flowers are bright yellow, appearing like little suns. When the sun is about to set, the blossoms of the evening primrose open for a very short time (it really only takes a few minutes to open). The colour is so vibrant it seems to glow in the dark, fading again by noon the next day at the latest.
The most common colour is yellow, although you may also encounter white, purple, pink, or red flowers with four petals that form an X-shape.
Uses
For centuries if not longer, Native Americans have used evening primrose both as food and as traditional medicine.
It was a welcome food source since all parts of the plants can be consumed:
- leaves (best before flowering otherwise they get bitter)
- roots (best after flowering)
- stem
- flowers
- seeds
The leaves can be used as a potherb or salad and their taste is reminiscent of artichoke hearts. They can be served raw or cooked like spinach.
The root tastes like a strong turnip, with a peppery flavour, and can be prepared just like this.
The blossoms can be eaten raw or cooked – just toss them into your salad. They taste slightly sweet.
The seeds can also be eaten, raw or cooked. Although much smaller in size, they taste like sunflower seeds.
Content and properties
In the past, it was said: One pound of the evening primrose makes you stronger than an ox. This old saying suggests that the plant isn’t without merit culinary and otherwise.
Now it’s mostly known for its oil. Obtained by cold-pressing its seeds, evening primrose oil is brimming with essential fatty acids, which are basic materials for vital substances in the body. It’s mainly a combination of linoleic acid (omega 6), gamma linolenic acid (omega 6), oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid.
It’s primarily famous due to its high levels of the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and gamma linolenic acid. Although both are called essential, it’s only linoleic acid that can’t be synthesised by our bodies. You don’t need to take gamma-linoleic acid from food since your body can make it from linoleic acid.
Even though your body can make gamma linolenic acid, this omega 6 fatty acid is especially interesting because it’s needed in the production of so-called prostaglandin. Prostaglandin is a compound your body makes at the site of an infection or injury. It’s responsible for the development and regeneration of tissues, reducing inflammation as well as for fat metabolism. In a nutshell: linoleic acid and gamma linolenic acid are anti-inflammatory.
What can it do for your skin
The Native Americans, ancient Indians, and Chinese were on to something. I already talked how the Native Americans revered and used the entire evening primrose plant fo medicinal and culinary purposes. In Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, the plant and its oil were valued for their therapeutic properties.
For skin care, it’s the oil that revered because it shows a wide range of biochemical activity such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-pruritic (stop itching) properties. Also, the oil is very similar to the lipid metabolism of human skin. In short, the fatty acids are the building blocks that make up the cell membrane and they enhance your skin barrier.
Linoleic acid
This essential omega 6 acid is known to speed up wound healing and is valued for its anti-inflammatory properties. Evening primrose oil has a high level of linoleic acid, at around 65-85% which makes it an excellent but light, non-clogging oil. What does it translate into? You guessed it: it’s moisturising but won’t jam up your pores and trigger spots.
Gamma linoleic acid
This omega 6 acid activates your body’s defences. It’s a substance that reduces inflammation and cell growth. It slows any signs of ageing appearing by sustaining skin elasticity and softness.
Oleic acid
Oleic acid is an omega 9 acid. It’s nonessential since your body can make it. That said, it’s not without merits since it has anti-oxidant properties and maintains the softness and suppleness of your skin (and hair for that matter).
Palmitic acid
Palmitic acid occurs naturally in your skin and helps it maintain and repair its natural barrier structure. It’s an emollient.
Stearic acid
Is valued as an emollient. Stearic acid has emulsifying and cleansing properties.
In closing
Evening primrose oil is a non-fragrant plant oil touted for its ability to relieve dry and itchy skin. It’s also great for people prone to oily skin and spots as it’s light and non-comedogenic (doesn’t block pores) as well as anti-inflammatory. Showing contradictory properties such as being great for dry AND oily skin, it can also delay signs of ageing. It keeps your skin firm and supple.
But there’s another factor that shows on ageing skin: Dark spots and discolouration on the face, neck, and decollete. Evening primrose has shown that it can meddle with the enzyme tyrosinase. This enzyme is needed in the creation of the pigment melanin.
As if it’s not enough, it’s a penetration enhancer: It can help other ingredients absorb more readily into your skin.
Evening primrose oil is isn’t an essential but a carrier oil. You can apply it undiluted to your skin, hair, or nails.
