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Evening Primrose Oil

	Evening Primrose

Botanical Name: Oenothera biennis

Aroma: Light and Sweet.

Viscosity: Thin.

Absorption/Feel: Leaves a Trace of Oil on the Skin.

Color: Medium Yellow.

Shelf Life: 6 Months.

Notes: Evening Primrose Oil is a prized oil in skin care for its noteworthy essential fatty acid content, consisting primarily of the omega-6 EFAs linolenic acid and gamma linolenic acid.

Evening Primrose Oil has been used in aromatherapy and natural skin care to aid many skin conditions including eczema.

Evening Primrose Oil is expensive and is usually blended in a small (often 10%) dilution with other carrier oils. By their nature, essential fatty acids deteriorate quickly. Evening Primrose Oil, therefore, goes rancid rather quickly.

Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage by Len Price mentions that Evening Primrose Oil contains approximately 8% saturated fat, 72% linoleic acid (an omega-6 essential fatty acid), 9% gamma linolenic acid (GLA, an omega-6 essential fatty acid) and less than 1% alpha linolenic acid (an omega-3 essential fatty acid). [Len Price with Ian Smith and Shirley Price, Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage (United Kingdom: Riverhead, 1999), 73.]

Important Note: The information provided on AromaWeb is for educational purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

General Safety Information: Use caution when trying any new ingredient, including carrier oils on the skin or in the hair. Those with nut allergies should consult their medical practitioner before coming into contact with nut oils, butters or other nut products. Do not take any oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Safety information can be found by visiting the Safety Information page. For very in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand. 

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