New Roots Herbal - Borage Oil

Product Notes:

Certified Organic Borage Oil

GLA can help reduce skin redness and inflammation. A high source of EFAs, borage oil works to improve eczema, acne, and dry skin.

From its bristly stems to its blue star-shaped flowers, virtually all parts of the borage plant (Borago officinalis) have been used over the centuries, both for their healing properties and as a flavouring for foods.

Like evening primrose oil and black currant seed oil, borage oil owes its healing power to the presence of essential fatty acids, the most important of which is GLA, an omega-6 fatty acid. (While borage oil is often used interchangeably with evening primrose oil, borage oil boasts more than twice as much GLA.)

Once processed by the body, GLA is converted into hormone-like substances that can either block inflammation or promote it. In borage oil, the GLA seems to calm inflammation overall, making it an attractive treatment option for arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Nature's most potent concentration of GLA comes in the form of borage seed oil (24%).

A great deal of scientific research has been conducted with supplements rich in GLA, resulting in significant interest regarding the aforementioned health ailments, as well as those affected by pre-menstrual syndrome, benign breast disease, obesity, and vascular disorders.

Borage has also been used for a number of skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, psoriasis and dermatitis. On that score, it may be especially useful for "cradle cap" (a common name for seborrheic dermatitis or seborrhea) in infants, and it may also help combat wrinkles and restore smooth, glowing skin in post-menopausal women, who tend to be less able to produce GLA on their own, due to an impairment in their enzymes which convert it from the fats in their diets. It may even be able to reduce cramps and breast pain related to menstrual cycles.

Related: See ShiKai Borage Therapy Advanced Formula Lotion.