Evening primrose oil may sound familiar to the skincare lovers who suffer from acne and other skin conditions. It’s a well-known fact that whether taken orally or topically, many find an overall improvement in their skin’s health with evening primrose oil. It’s packed with omega fatty acids to soothe those eczema outbreaks, as well as heal acne. Often built into the ingredients in many cosmetics, evening primrose oil can be applied directly onto your skin with great benefits over time. As with just about every health and beauty aid, the results don’t just happen overnight.

Here’s my chance to give my top tip for skin product application. With any product that you apply to your face, you want to avoid using your index and middle fingers as they are generally the strongest. If you want a soft and even application, use your ring finger, in an upward motion.  This applies a light layer of product to your clean face and absorbs efficiently. After some time, you’ll find that the more you care for yourself, the better you’ll feel, both physically and psychologically. The care doesn’t have to be costly or terribly time-consuming. It’s important to remember that if you don’t take care of yourself, why should you expect anyone else to? With this in mind, EPO has cosmetic and medicinal benefits that we’ll discover as you read further.

Evening Primrose Oil Skin Benefits Breakdown

Woman with clear skin.

Promoting healthy and rejuvenated skin, this oil can help with some of the facial roughness associated with eczema. It moisturizes your complexion to enhance elasticity. And no you shouldn’t wait until you feel dry patches. Moisturizing needs to be done daily. Sometimes more – in fact, often you need to incorporate different moisturizers for different seasons.  Great for fine lines around eyes and lips, EPO has anti-aging and healing properties. Many have had positive results with minimizing redness and weather-related dryness.

When combined with neem and avocado carrier oils, and a few essential oils, EPO is ideal in soothing sore feet and smoothing cracked heels too. Many salons include this in their pedicure regime, especially during the soaking process. It helps to buff out dry heels before applying evening primrose oil so as to prevent the deepening of existing cracks.

For the many that suffer with embarrassing body acne, there is a solution for you.  Try a blend of 1 drop of EPO with tea tree and patchouli essential oils to lessen the topical discomfort and address the acne-causing bacteria to reduce future breakouts.

Also in the more holistic salons, evening primrose oil has been getting rave reviews for its inclusion in hot oil treatments. For a hydrating hair oil treatment that you can also do at home, simply massage a tablespoon of EPO onto the scalp allowing 30 minutes to absorb. Make sure to coat all of your hair from root to tip. Then you can shower and wash your hair as you would normally, using a sulfate-free shampoo. You can condition with this method as often as 1-2 times a week. You will see noticeable results right away. This method is great for protecting your hair from split ends and damage.

Evening Primrose Oil For Face 

Woman using evening primrose oil.

Many anti-aging creams contain evening primrose oil, but they can be costly. The truth is that this really doesn’t have to be the case. Additionally, conventional store-bought products may also contain ingredients that are not necessary or wanted. Try this DIY serum recipe to see if this can benefit you. Open a capsule of evening primrose oil and pour into a clean bowl. Add a tablespoon of pure jojoba oil, and a few drops of lavender oil to boost the effect. Apply a thin layer to your skin before bed and allow to absorb. Pay close attention to the under eyes to help with dark circles and smoothing fine lines and wrinkles. 

Many salon estheticians are using EPO on their mature clients, as well as for those prone to acne breakouts yielding great results. This is especially true for those who desire a more holistic facial treatment. Natural evening primrose oil can be dabbed directly onto pimples for accelerated healing, as well as reducing the risk of future breakouts. Move aside tea tree oil, because this floral oil might be some tough competition to your acne-fighting powers. 

How Much Evening Primrose Oil To Take?

Oil being used.

If in pill form, the recommended dose of evening primrose oil is 8-12 capsules per day at 500 mg per capsule.
There are many benefits besides skincare that this oil provides. EPO contains anti-inflammatory properties that can help with the reduction of blood cholesterol. That being said, it’s not a replacement for any prescription medication that your health care provider recommends. You can take 10-30 ml of evening primrose oil for 4 months to promote overall heart health.

You can also take capsules to help relieve nerve pain. The pain from neuropathy, a side effect of diabetes that can be tingling or numbness in hands and feet, is especially relevant here. While there is plenty of evidence that EPO can be beneficial in helping to treat many symptoms and maladies, it should never be used in place of a treatment plan by your healthcare provider. It should go without saying that it’s important to share with your doctor or health care professional if you are taking EPO.  There is no standardized dosage for the use of evening primrose oil. This means that generally speaking, it’s best to begin with the lowest recommended dosage to be sure that there are no adverse side effects. 

Try Evening Primrose Oil out for yourself at the Maple Storefront

Conclusion

Evening primrose oil is often referred to as the “King’s cure-all”. This is due to the fact that it’s believed to have majestic and honorable properties. Basically, it’s fit for royalty, and that makes it good enough for me! In truth, I do feel better when I take better care of myself. Instituting a self-care regimen is important to you feel and truly be your personal best. Reducing the appearance of scars and calming inflammation, primrose oil is a facilitator of healing and wellness. Its topical uses for skin and hair has proven results.  That being said, it’s advisable to do a skin patch test anytime you are using something new on your skin. Apply a small amount of evening primrose oil to a not so sensitive area for 2 days to be certain that there is no adverse reaction.

The bottom line is that evening primrose oil is a great oil to add to your skincare routine. No matter your age, the general rule is that anti-aging measures can never start too early. The longer we can postpone the visible signs of aging, the better, as far as I’m concerned.  As an herbal remedy, it is said that EPO can help to lower blood pressure, reduce symptoms of PMS, and reduce menopausal hot flashes. However, you should always discuss with your healthcare provider before proceeding. 

With all this in mind, evening primrose oil is a natural oil that has many uses for your skin, and also for your health. I personally don’t think that any oil is a magical cure-all, but when you know how to use individual natural oils to your advantage, your skin will thank you for it. With that in mind, evening primrose oil is definitely one to add to your skincare routine.