Native to Europe and North Africa, the borage plant seeds are used in medicinal preparations. Borage oil is extracted from the seeds and is used both internally and topically for a variety of illnesses. Borage seed oil is often used to treat skin conditions like forms of dermatitis and eczema, as well as inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
GLA Deficiencies
Borage oil contains gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, an essential fatty acid that affects pain and inflammation in the body. Certain people may be deficient in GLA because they are unable to convert the linoleic acid found in many foods into GLA, explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. People who aren't able to convert GLA typically include the elderly, diabetics and alcoholics, as well as people who have eczema, cyclic mastitis and high cholesterol. Evening primrose and black currant oils also contain GLA, but borage oil contains the highest concentrations. Supplementing with borage oil can effectively treat a GLA deficiency.
Dermatitis
Borage seed oil may help to treat certain types of dermatitis, according to the Mayo Clinic. Topical applications of borage oil may be particularly helpful in treating seborrheic dermatitis, commonly known as cradle cap, which causes a dry, flaky scalp in infants. Cradle cap appears to occur in infants who have a GLA imbalance. The University of Michigan Health System cites a preliminary clinical trial that found that applying 0.5 mL of borage oil twice each day to the affected scalp areas helped to reduce cradle cap symptoms in less than two weeks.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
The GLA content in borage oil may also help to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The GLA converts partially into the hormone-like substance prostaglandin E1, which has anti-inflammatory effects, explains the University of Michigan Health System. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center cites the example of a six-month-long, double-blind study of 56 people with rheumatoid arthritis. A portion of the study participants took 2.8 g of GLA daily, and the others took a placebo. The GLA group experienced a reduction in their rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. To treat rheumatoid arthritis, the University of Michigan recommends taking 1.4 to 2.8 g of borage oil each day for a minimum of two months.
Eczema
Because people with eczema cannot process fatty acids normally and are typically deficient in GLA, supplementing with borage oil may help, notes the University of Michigan Health System. Some preliminary or double-blind clinical trials have found that using borage oil supplements decreased skin inflammation, itching, scaly skin and dryness in people with eczema. Most controlled clinical trials supporting the use of GLA in treating eczema used evening primrose oil and not borage oil, however. Another study found that borage oil helped to reduce eczema symptoms in children when they wore undershirts coated with the oil, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Borage oil supplements taken orally haven't proved as effective in studies. One 24-week-long, double-blind study and another 12-week-long study found that taking borage oil supplements orally was no more effective than placebo in adults and children with eczema.
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