Ingredient Spotlight; Borage
Borage, the herb of courage & bravery! Native to the Mediterranean, it was used by soldiers before going into battle because it was believed to encourage bravery.
The borage plant is a beautiful star shaped flowering herb, and can grow up to 2 feet tall. It is unique as all parts of the plant except the roots are edible. The flowers and leaves have a crisp, cucumber like taste.
Borage seed oil is used in skin care products for its anti inflammatory properties, and is commonly used for treating eczema and atopic dermatitis. Borage seed oil is abundant in GLA (gamma linolenic acid), an essential fatty acid with a plethora of internal and external benefits for the human body. It is actually the most abundant plant source of omega 6. I really love borage seed oil as an anti acne ingredient because it is so gentle. On the comodenigecity scale of 0 to 5, 0 meaning “will not clog pores”, and 5 meaning “will clog pores”, Borage seed oil is at a 2, which means “will not clog pores for most people’. Borage seed oil has been shown to improve skin’s barrier function, and helps to prevent TEWL (trans epidermal water loss). This is important for dehydrated skin, as keeping skin properly hydrated prevents many signs of ageing such as fine lines, wrinkles, and crepey skin. You can drink water all day, but if your skin’s barrier function is damaged, you will lose much of it from your epidermis.
Borage seed oil is commonly found as an active ingredient in cleansers, serums, and moisturizers. I encourage you to do your own research to discover if the borage plant can benefit you!
