Botanical Name: Borago officinalis

Aroma: Light and sweet.

Texture: Thin to medium, leaves a somewhat oily feel to the skin.

Color: Light yellow.

Notes: Is said to be excellent in treating many skin conditions. Borage oil is expensive and is usually blended in a small (often 10%) dilution with other carrier oils. It goes rancid rather quickly.

The whole plant is rough with white, stiff, prickly hairs. The round stems, about 1 1/2 feet high, are branched, hollow and succulent; the leaves alternate, large, wrinkled, deep green, oval and pointed, 3 inches long or more, and about 1 1/2 inch broad, the lower ones stalked, with stiff, one celled hairs on the upper surfaces and on the veins below, the margins entire, but wavy. The flowers, which terminate the cells, are bright blue and star-shaped, distinguished from those of every plant in this order by their prominent black anthers, which form a cone in the centre and have been described as their beauty spot. The fruit consists of four brownish-black nutlets.

Borage oil also known as the Starflower is extracted from the seed of the blue, star shaped borage flower, is gaining much attention by alternative health practitioners and mainstream medicine alike for its profound medicinal properties.

The Borage herb is a hardy perennial growing up to 30 cm tall. It has a hollow hairy stem and bristly, cucumber-scented leaves. It grows easily; once you have planted it in the garden it seeds readily and you will never be with out it!

The name Starflower alludes to its beautiful five- petalled deep blue flowers, which appear in the summer. The seeds are small and brown-black in colour. Long grown as a medicinal herb. Borago may be derived from the latin 'burra', meaning a hairy garment - a reference to the plant's hairy nature.

Higher in GAMMA LINOLENIC ACID (GLA) borage seed oil is now thought to be a superior source of GLA compared to evening primrose oil. This essential fatty acid is located in the cell membrane, where it operates as chemical precursor of prostaglandin's which regulate circulation and the hormonal system.

An extremely beneficial oil. Helps counteract free radicals, which have an ageing effect on the skin. It is helpful for treating dry, irritated skin and promoting skin beauty. Use as much as you like in a base oil such as almond.