Evening primrose seed oil

Fatty oil obtained by pressing or extraction from the seeds of Oenothera species (see evening primrose below). The seeds of O. biennis L. and O. erythrosepala Borb. (O. lamarckiana de Vries non Ser.).

HMPC monograph: Traditional-use: Internally acute and chronic dry skin, accompanying itching, diabetic neuropathy, mastodynia, cyclically recurring feeling of tension in the breast.

ESCOP: Not processed.
Commission E: Not processed

Empirical medicine: atopic dermatitis; skin care in children and infants external, internal: premenstrual syndrome

Evening primrose oil contains triglycerides with predominantly the diunsaturated linoleic acid (65 to 80 % of the oil); the proportion of γ-linolenic acid, the triple unsaturated fatty acid, is 8 to 14 %.

Antiphlogistic, immunomodulatory, substitution of gamma-linolenic acid and derivatives.

Atopic dermatitis. Generally dry skin. Cheilitis simplex.

Furthermore, oral administration of evening primrose oil (1000 mg- 3x/day) seems to have an analgesic effect. This was determined in a randomized study on a larger number of patients postoperatively (Moghadam MY et al.2020).

Internal use: Gastrointestinal complaints: indigestion, nausea, softening of the stools, indigestion, temperature rise, hypersensitivity reactions, exanthema and headaches, reduction of the cramp threshold.

External: Irritant effect on highly inflamed skin areas.

Children: High concentrations have an irritating, burning effect.

Allergy to any of the ingredients.

Internal: Children under 12 years due to lack of data, pregnancy and lactation due to lack of data

External: Contraindicated in children < 1 year.

Air, light, heavy metals.

Cave anticonvulsants- lowering of seizure threshold by evening primrose seed oil.

Evening primrose seed oil cream

• Oleum Oenthera biennis 10,0
• Unguentum emulsificans aquos ad 100,0
• S.: 10% evening primrose oil cream for daily use

Evening primrose seed oil ointment n. Gloor (W/O emulsion -water rich)

• Evening primrose seed oil 43,5
• glycerin 85% 27,0
• triclosan 5,4
• Excipial® U Lipolotio ad 270.0

Internal preparations: ^Epogam®, Unigamol

External preparations: e.g. Eucerin AtopiControl®, Dermasence Adtop® care series, Linola Gamma Evening Primrose Cream®, Dr. Theiss Evening Primrose Special Care®.

Evening primrose (seed) oil is very sensitive to oxidation due to its numerous unsaturated fatty acids. Hence, an addition of an antioxidant (e.g. BHT = butylhydroxytoluene [see also active agents, photoinstable] in a 0.05% concentration is recommended. Alternatively, alpha-tocopherol 0.05-0.1% should be used.

Evening primrose (seed) oil is comparatively expensive. It can be replaced by hemp oil (see below cannabis) or borage seed oil.

In epilepsy, temporal lobe seizures may occur, especially in patients with schizophrenia. Caution in patients with known epilepsy!

Strict indication in pregnancy!

Not recommended for children under 12 years of age.

1. Auberger J et al. (2013) Topical evening primrose oil for reduction of bortezomib-induced skin reactions. Ann Hematol 92:995-96.
2. Bamford JTet al.(2013) Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema. Cochrane Database Syst Rev doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004416.pub2.
3. Cho HS et al. (2007) Anti-wrinkling effects of the mixture of vitamin C, vitamin E, pycnogenol and evening primrose oil, and molecular mechanisms on hairless mouse skin caused by chronic ultraviolet B irradiation. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 23:155-162.
4. Moghadam MY et al.(2020) Effect of evening primrose oil on postoperative pain after appendectomy: A double-blind, randomized, clinical trial. Biomedicine (Taipei) 10:28-32.
5. Park KY et al. (2014) The effect of evening primrose oil for the prevention of xerotic cheilitis in acne patients being treated with isotretinoin: a pilot study. Ann Dermatol 26:706-712.
6. van Zyl L et al. (2016) Essential Fatty Acids as Transdermal Penetration Enhancers. J Pharm Sci 105:188-193.
7. Williams HC et al. (2008) What's new in atopic eczema? An analysis of the clinical significance of systematic reviews on atopic eczema published in 2006 and 2007. Clin Exp Dermatol 33:685-688.
8. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/nightcandle.php
9. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-oenothera-biennis-l-oenothera-lamarckiana-l-oleum-revsion-1_en.pdf
10. Wenigmann M. (2017) Phytotherapy medicinal drugs, phytopharmaceuticals, application. Urban & Fischer, pp. 163-164
11. Miller LG (1998) Herbal medicinals: selected clinical considerations focusing on known or potential drug-herb interactions. Arch Intern Med. 9;158(20):2200-2211. doi: 10.1001/archinte.158.20.2200. PMID: 9818800