Borago officinalis (Borage) seed oil
AKA “borage seed oil”
Oil
Ingredient Facts
Borago officinalis (Borage) seed oil
AKA: Borage seed oil
Oil · Emollient · EWG: 1
Plant-Derived
Emollient
Skin Conditioner
Clean
Borago officinalis (borage) seed oil is a cosmetic ingredient used as emollient, skin conditioning. Rated low hazard by EWG.
Family
Boraginaceae (Borage family)
Plant Part
Seed
Lifeform
Annual
Climate
Temperate
CAS #
225234-12-8
Form
Oil
See origin →
Functions
Emollient
Fills in the tiny cracks between skin cells to make everything feel smooth and soft. The "silky finish" ingredient.
Skin Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Locks In Moisture
Traditional Use
Used in medieval European herbalism and traditional medicine for inflammation and skin conditions. Borage oil has been recognized since antiquity for its gamma-linolenic acid content and was traditionally applied for eczema and sensitive skin.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types, gentle
Best For
Dryness
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
Gamma-linolenic acid in borage oil reverses epidermal hyperproliferation in guinea pigs.
Chung S, Kong S, Seong K, Cho Y
The Journal of nutrition, 2002
Borage Seed Oil PEG-8 Esters
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Borage Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-4 Esters
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Borage Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-6 Esters
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Borago officinalis (borage) seed oil
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Dimethiconol Borageate
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Potassium Borageate
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Borago Officinalis (Borage) Oil
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Borago officinalis (borage) seed oil
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Borage oil in the treatment of atopic dermatitis.
Foster RH, Hardy G, Alany RG
Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 2010
Borage oil in the treatment of atopic dermatitis.
Foster RH, Hardy G, Alany RG
Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 2010
Borage oil restores acidic skin pH by up-regulating the activity or expression of filaggrin and enzymes involved in epidermal lactate, free fatty acid
Kim KP, Jeon S, Kim MJ, Cho Y
Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.), 2018
Borage oil restores acidic skin pH by up-regulating the activity or expression of filaggrin and enzymes involved in epidermal lactate, free fatty acid
Kim KP, Jeon S, Kim MJ, Cho Y
Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.), 2018
Verified Jun 2026
Data: Kew POWO · CosIng · EWG · CIR