Image Credit: Christian Ferrer / Wikimedia Commons
INCI Name: Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose) oil
Source: Seed
Types: Refined / Unrefined
Color: Pale yellow
Aroma: Light odor
Viscosity: Thin
Absorption: Slow
Comedogenic Rating: 2
Shelf Life: 6 months (if stored in cool, dry place and away from direct sunlight)
SAP Value (for soap making): 180 - 195 (mg KOH), NaOH = 0.134 (g, oz or lb), KOH = 0.188 (g, oz or lb)
Ideal for which skin type: oily, acne-prone, dry, sensitive, sun damaged
Fatty Acid Profile (in %):
Oleic Acid 11 Linoleic Acid 70 Palmitic Acid 6 Stearic Acid 1 Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) 9 - 12
Table Source: https://www.swiftcraftymonkey.blog/evening-primrose-oil/
The
evening primrose is a tall plant with yellow flowers that only bloom at night
(as the name suggests). The plant is native to America where it was used by
North American Indians in treating several medical conditions, that’s why it
got the moniker King’s Cure-All.
Evening primrose oil is extracted from the seeds of the plant using
cold-pressed extraction method. The resulting oil is pale yellow in color with very
minimal odor. Even though it has a thin consistency, evening primrose oil has
slow absorption rate and often leaves a slight oily residue on the skin.
Evening
primrose oil has very high content of linoleic acid (approximately 70%). It
also contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which only few carrier oils possess.
Both of these fatty acids are omega-6 fatty acid and their combo has the
ability to repair damaged skin barrier, to reduce skin inflammation and to
soothe extremely dry/scaling skin. Due to this, we can say that evening
primrose oil is ideal for people with
- Oily and/or acne-prone skin (research has shown that people with acne-prone skin have lower concentration of linoleic acid on their skin, so evening primrose oil is perfect for this skin type as it has large amount of linoleic acid)
- Dry, chapped skin
- Sensitive skin
- Sun damaged skin
- Inflamed skin (e.g. eczema, psoriasis, etc.)
Evening
primrose oil also has a comedogenic rating of 2 (moderately low) which means
that it has a low chance of clogging your pores.
Evening
primrose oil is quite expensive so it is typically blended with other carrier
oils at 10 – 20% of the total formulation. If you’re formulating a lotion or
serum for people with extremely dry skin or with chronic skin conditions like
eczema, then use it at a maximum of 20%. Take note that due to high linoleic acid
and low vitamin E contents of evening primrose oil, it goes rancid quite
quickly. Therefore, it’s a must to include vitamin E in your cosmetic
formulation that contains evening primrose oil.
References:
Evening
Primrose Oil. Retrieved from https://www.aromaweb.com/vegetableoils/eveningprimroseoil.asp
Evening
Primrose Oil. Retrieved from https://anandaessentialoils.com/product/evening-primrose-oil/
Evening
Primrose Oil. Retrieved from https://www.swiftcraftymonkey.blog/evening-primrose-oil/
Saponification
Chart. Retrieved from https://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/resources/sapon.asp
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