Evening primrose (or oenothera biennia, to use its full scientific name) is a beautiful plant with yellow, phosphorescent blossoms that grows in dry and sunny meadows.
The oil derived from the plant is rich in omega-6 fatty acids, including linoleic acid (LA) and gamma linoleic acid (GLA). They’re super moisturizing and have soothing properties to boot.
Evening primrose oil benefits: What does it do for skin?
Like all natural oils, evening primrose oil is a multitasker. Here are its two main jobs:
1.Evening primrose oil is an excellent moisturizer:
It’s the fatty acids in evening primrose oil that make it so moisturizing. They strengthen the skin’s natural protective barrier, preventing water from evaporating into thin air. Trapped inside, water has no choice but to hydrate your skin and make it soft and smooth.
This protective barrier has another job. It keeps germs, bacteria, pollutants, and anything else that can harm the skin out. If you have sensitive skin, a stronger barrier helps to heal the redness and irritation faster.
It works only in water-in-oil emulsions, not amphiphilic emulsions (amphiphilic molecules love both water and fat).
P.S. There are studies showing that evening primrose oil can also soothe atopic dermatitis and irritation – when taken orally.
2.Evening primrose oil helps to prevent wrinkles:
Evening Primrose Oil has its fair share of antioxidants to help fight free radicals, that give you wrinkles.Use it with other antioxidants.
The few studies on evening primrose oil prove what we’ve known all along: it’s super moisturizing and helps to keep wrinkles at bay, too.
