Borago Officinalis Seed Oil

Borago Officinalis Seed Oil is the fixed oil pressed from the seed of borage (or starflower). In cosmetics, it's a skin conditioning agent and emollient that helps soften and hydrate the skin.

Its whole reputation rests on one fatty acid, gamma-linolenic acid, that makes up about 20-26% of the oil. There are also significant levels of linoleic, oleic, palmitic, stearic, erucic, and nervonic acids.

Topical evidence is small but reasonably consistent; most of it is about barrier function rather than curing anything.

In 37 infants with seborrhoeic dermatitis treated daily with topical borage oil containing 24% GLA, all patients were free of skin symptoms within 3-4 weeks.

A double-blind placebo controlled trial in 32 children aged 1-10 used undershirts coated with borage oil for two weeks and found statistically significant improvements in erythema and itch. Transepidermal water loss from the back also decreased.

The CIR reviewed this ingredient and concluded it to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Concentration amounts can be as low as fractions of a percent all the way to 100% in facial oils.

Oxidation matters since it's high in polyunsaturates: pairing it with tocopherol or opaque packaging can make a difference.

Allergy risk is low though anyone with a known Boraginaceae allergy should patch test. Cosmetic-grade refined borage oil is usually free from the proteins that cause allergies, but manufacturing quality can differ around the world.

Acne

This ingredient shows up on a lot of "pore-clogging" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.

Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage.

Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin.

Fungal acne

The Malassezia species takes up external fatty acids in the C11-24 range to survive. Since this oil is a triglyceride of exactly the chain lengths it needs, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.