Borage seed oil is the lesser-known cousin in the dynasty of beauty oils. You’ll know all about coconut oil, castor seed oil, argan, rosehip, and tea tree, but borage seed oil is the underdog that is slowly but surely making waves in beauty.
Also known as starflower oil thanks to star shaped flower it is derived from, borage seed oil can help to treat skin problems associated with dry skin because of its high gamma linolenic acid content, an omega-6 fatty acid that can help to boost the skin’s protective barrier.
As one of the main ingredients in By BEAUTY BAY’s multi-use Hydrating Lip SOS Mask with Castor Oil and Borage Seed Oil, borage seed oil’s nourishing and conditioning properties are put to use to soothe everything from the lips to the nails.
Keep reading to discover five things to know about this secretive oil.
IT’S FAST ABSORBING
Borage seed oil doesn’t need any bribes to get straight to work on the skin. Known in skincare circles as the ‘dry oil’ because of how fast it sinks into the skin, the oil gets to work almost immediately to care for dry and damaged areas. The oil is also super lightweight so if you’re an oil-phobic, you won’t get that heavy, greasy feel associated with other beauty oils.
IT CAN BOOST THE SKIN’S PROTECTIVE BARRIER
As we mentioned above, borage seed oil is a dab hand at boosting the skin’s protective barrier, which has all kinds of skincare benefits. The super-high gamma-linolenic acid content in borage seed oil is the ultimate secret weapon in the fight against dry skin and a compromised barrier as it helps to replenish the lipids in your skin’s outer barrier structure and uses antioxidants to further protect. In fact, the gamma-linolenic acid in borage seed oil is the highest content amongst all the common beauty oils.
IT’S SUPER CALMING
If there is one thing that owners of dry skin crave, it’s a skin-calming ingredient that will give them a rest bite from the annoyances of dry and cracked skin. Borage seed oil, with all its moisturising and protecting properties, is ideal for helping to calm stressed skin. The potent fatty acids in borage seed oil help to strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier which can then help the skin resume its normal business of staying moisturised and calm.
IT’S AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Anti-inflammatories in skincare are used to help prevent and treat everything from redness to itching. When the skin barrier becomes compromised, the body’s automatic response is to send in the skincare troops to fight off whatever maybe causing the compromise. This is what leads to inflammation, redness, and itching. So, borage seed oil is handy as a dual solution: it helps to strengthen the skin’s barrier to stop compromise and it helps to calm the body’s natural response with its anti-inflammatory properties.
IT CAN BE USED TO TREAT SKIN CONDITIONS
Borage seed oil’s skincare portfolio is pretty vast. The hard-working oil has been known to treat everything form eczema to rosacea, acne to psoriasis. In other words, if the skin needs a helping hand in fighting off dryness, all while conditioning and nourishing, borage seed oil is the one you should be searching for on the ingredients list. The lightweight nature of borage seed oil also means it works will on acne-prone skin as it won’t overload the pores and become comedogenic.
