Evening Prim Rose Oil
Evening Primrose oil is extracted from the harvested seeds of Evening Primrose plant. This plant is indigenous to the continental areas and is found growing in many other temperate zones of the world. Evening Primrose plant is also found growing in the wild in the North American continent. This flowering weed is celebrated all over the world for its extreme medicinal benefits. Evening Primrose plant is a member of the Onagraceae plant family. This plant produces plenty of fertile seeds. This hardy biennial weed spreads rapidly in the seventeenth century when the seeds were accidentally put into the ships’ ballast. Evening primrose plant grows up to a maximum height of 10cm. A basal rosette is formed by the leaves at the ground level. These deeply lobed leaves spiral up to the flowering stems. The flowers of this plant are yellow in color. Few other species of this plant also contain flowers that are pink, white, purple, light magenta or red in color. These flowers generally bloom in the evening and this is the secret behind the name “Evening Primrose’. The small seeds of this plant are reddish brown in color. The essential oil is extracted from these seeds. At times, Evening Primrose flowers are also pressed for extracting the herbal oil or the massage oil that have high therapeutic properties. The essential oil of evening primrose is also blended with almond or sunflower oils for treating migraines, nervous wreck, muscular pains and headaches.
Latin name: Oenothera biennis
Alternative names: Suncups, Evening Primrose, Sundrops, Evening Star, Scabish, King’s-cure-all, Night Willow Herb, EPO, Primrose.
This plant is tuned to sandy soils and dunes. It is found growing in wastelands and open areas. Being a hardy plant, Evening Primrose can grow well even in adverse climatic conditions. The essential oil contains Gammalinolenic acid – the GLA, which is the main source for the formation of prostaglandin E1 in the human body. This formation is attributed to the beneficial actions of the human system. It also contains vitamin E, cis-gammalinolenic acid and other essential fatty acids. Evening Primrose oil has sedative, mucilaginous and astringent properties.
Uses: Evening Primrose oil is mainly used for treating skin disorders like acne, eczema and psoriasis. This oil is also used in the treatment of osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Raynaud’s syndrome, cancer, Sjogren’s syndrome, heart disease, high cholesterol, dyspraxia, alcoholism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, nerve damage, chronic fatigue syndrome, neurodermatitis, obesity, whooping cough, irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal disorder, peptic ulcer disease and high blood pressure. This oil is women-friendly and is used to prevent late deliveries, shorten labor, treat breast pain, start labor, premenstrual syndrome and few other symptoms of menopause. This essential oil is often found in market in the form of capsules.
