Borage Oil

Borage oil is pressed from the seeds of Borago officinalis, the blue star-shaped flower that British shops usually call starflower. Both names describe the same oil. People take it for one ingredient: gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA. Borage seed oil contains roughly 20 to 26 percent GLA, around twice the level of evening primrose oil. That is why a single borage softgel can carry the GLA of two or three primrose capsules.

Your body already makes some GLA itself from linoleic acid, the main omega-6 fat in sunflower and rapeseed oil. That conversion step is slow in many people. A supplement skips it and delivers GLA directly. Borage oil does not replace fish oil, because the two sit in different fatty acid families and are chosen for different reasons.

Reading a borage oil label

Most packs lead with the oil weight: 500 mg or 1000 mg per softgel. On its own that number says little. The figure that counts is the GLA content. A 1000 mg softgel at 20 percent GLA gives 200 mg GLA, a 500 mg softgel gives about half. Compare GLA per capsule first, then the price per 100 mg GLA, and you can compare any two products in the wider range of fatty acid supplements fairly. Three more details worth checking:

• Cold-pressed: the seeds are pressed without added heat, which protects the delicate fatty acids.
• Antioxidant added: usually vitamin E, which keeps the oil from turning rancid inside the capsule.
• PA tested: pyrrolizidine alkaloids are plant compounds in borage leaves and flowers. They do not pass into the pressed seed oil, and EU law caps them in botanical supplements. Careful suppliers still test each batch and publish the result.

How we choose the borage oil we stock

Three things decide whether a borage oil goes live here: the form, the GLA dose and the purity data. We prefer cold-pressed seed oil with the GLA percentage printed on the pack, so you can work out exactly what you take. We ask suppliers for batch results on pyrrolizidine alkaloids instead of accepting a purity word on the front label. We keep several strengths, because one high-dose softgel suits some people while smaller capsules spread over the day suit others. We buy straight from the brands and every product passes our compliance team. You can read how we select brands.

Who it suits and what to expect

Borage oil is mostly bought by women who track how they feel across their cycle, and by people whose skin gets dry in winter. We will be straight with you here. The European food safety authority (EFSA) assessed GLA claims for skin, cholesterol and menstrual comfort and authorised none of them. So we describe the oil, the dose and the purity honestly, and leave the conclusion to you. Fatty acids also act slowly: most brands suggest daily use for around three months before you judge anything. Take your softgel with a meal, keep the pack away from light, and the oil and its added vitamin E stay stable for longer.