Image BORAGE Image

Oil (seeds) — Origin: Europe

Image

Borago officinalis

A TROVE OF MODESTY

Borage is a very hardy common weed, native to Europe and the whole Mediterranean basin. This “simple” herb, as famous as it is modest, is known by many colorful local aliases: common bugloss, bee bread, starflower, ox’s tongue. . . . Its tall stems, covered in a beautiful fuzz of thick silver hairs, sprout tiny, edible, star-shaped flowers that taste delicious and range from purple and blue to pale pink. Harvested and left to dry, these make for a healthy and detoxifying herbal tea. In recent years they’ve been featured, freshly picked, on the plates of a new generation of chefs, who use them as a spice with a fresh iodine taste. Borage seeds are pressed for a calming, antiaging oil that also soothes skin suffering from eczema or prone to dermatitis.

TEACHINGS FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL

Image

The Greeks, who used it to season their wine, nicknamed it euphrosine, “that which makes one happy.” It can counteract some of the morning-after effects of a few too many drinks the night before. Its name comes from the Arabic abou rach, “father of sweat,” in reference to its sudorific properties, which are held to be purgative and hence beneficial. In the Middle Ages, borage was consumed fresh, and it was believed to have aphrodisiac properties. According to the English herbalist John Gerard in 1597, “Syrup made of the flowers of borage comforts the heart, purges melancholy, and quiets the frenetic and lunatic person.” Nowadays, borage oil is often packaged in capsules and recommended for women due to its ability to balance the hormonal system. Borage oil works wonders on the skin from youth through to maturity.

ON COLLECTING BORAGE OIL

Image

So as to ensure the oil’s quality, borage seeds are harvested when they reach maturity and take on a brown (rather than green) tint. This oil is cold-pressed, then decanted and carefully filtered. It should exude a pungent aroma but never a rancid one. It is recommended to buy this oil in small quantities and to use it quickly.

THE BENEFITS

Image

Borage oil is rich in linoleic acid (omega-6), which protects the skin from outside stress and efficiently prevents it from drying out. Its high concentration of oleic acid (omega-9) nourishes and helps heal small injuries as well as alleviates itchiness.

Image

A FEW DROPS

Benevolent borage oil brings solace to female skin in particular. It takes care of sensitive, irritated, and reactive skin types; it alleviates psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and helps smooth over little wrinkles.

Image

“Take the borage but don’t tear it off: its flower will heal your heartache and loss.”

Image

FRENCH PROVERB