murphyBorage Oil
AKA: Borago officinalis oil, Borage seed oil, Starflower oil
Plant-Derived
Emollient
Skin Conditioner
Not Clean
OriginNative to Mediterranean. Borage oil is extracted from the seeds of *Borago officinalis*, a Mediterranean plant in the Boraginaceae family. Cold-pressing or solvent extraction separates the oil from borage seeds.
Borage Oil is a cosmetic ingredient.
Family
Boraginaceae (Borage family)
Plant Part
Seed
CAS #
226994-45-2
Form
Oil
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
Dryness
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
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.
Antioxidant Protection
Reduces Inflammation
Brightens Skin
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)
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: CosIng · EWG · CIR