How Does Evening Primrose Oil Work

Primrose is a wildflower that grows in Eastern and Central America. The Primrose itself is used as food (this tradition traces back to Native Americans and European settlers some 500 years ago), but the flower’s seeds are used to collect the oil.

The oil can be used both as a fluid (face masks) and capsules (dietary supplement). Aside from strengthening the skin, EPO carries numerous health benefits, including hormonal balancing, fertility and it also treats various skeletal diseases like arthritis and osteoporosis.

The powerful anti-inflammatory, cell structure boosting and skin  strengthening effects of EPO have been discovered rather recently. The oil contains a high amount of essential fatty acids – particularly, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) omega 6 fatty acid, which strengthens the skin’s barrier, helps maintain moisture and carries anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the amount and size of acne lesions and redness– that can’t be produced by our bodies, and Vitamin E, which soothes irritation.

These acids play a crucial role in building skin, nail and hair cells, various hormonal structures, and keeping those under control. In other words, EPO is a hell of a fighter when it comes to dealing with hormonal acne breakouts and cysts.

Unlike many popular chemical substances (like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, etc.) used in skincare products, EPO targets the root of the problem – hormonal imbalance, while those other methods simply try to cure what’s on the surface of your skin. Hormonal acne is commonly caused by hormonal imbalance, which needs to be treated from within.

Saying this, I absolutely don’t mean that skincare products are useless. On the contrary, in order to deal with hormonal acne effectively, it’s highly advisable to tackle it from multiple angles at once – treat the hormonal imbalance from within (with the help of EPO) and help the skin recover on the surface (with the help of various skincare products). Other natural products (like Tea Tree Oil) can be used in combination with EPO to treat the surface of the skin, which will complement its overall strength and appearance.

Who Should Use Evening Primrose Oil

Hormonal acne is very common among teenagers who go through hormonal restructures as they reach adulthood, meaning that EPO can be very effective in dealing with their acne.

Typically, women go through regular periods of hormonal fluctuations (during menstrual cycles, menopause, etc.) which can cause hormonal acne breakouts.

Concerning skin types, there is no concrete answer. Thousands of people with different skin variations have used EPO and achieved all kinds of results – ranging from mediocre success to completely eliminating acne.

Since every person’s chemistry is unique, there is no guarantee that EPO will help you get rid of acne, but it’s worth a try due to a number of solid arguments:

1. If you are one of those people that has tried every type of skincare product to cure acne, yet continuously experienced very little impact, there is a high chance that your acne is caused by a hormonal imbalance and correspondingly, a high chance that EPO will be your savior.
2. Even if EPO doesn’t help you deal with acne, it’s still a powerful skin resistance booster and carries a ton of health benefits, which will be good for your body anyway.
3. Side effects of EPO are very mild (light headaches, nausea, head-spinning) and it’s relatively safe to give EPO a try.
4. EPO isn’t costly – most bottles are priced under $20 (the bottle holds around 100-120 capsules) so you won’t break the bank if you try it.

WARNING:The above arguments are NOT listed for pregnant women and people that have problems with blood pressure, heart diseases or people that take anti-depressants. The medication you use to treat those diseases may be incompatible with EPO. If you experience any of the latter, make sure to consult a professional before taking EPO.

Here is a great, detailed video about the benefits of EPO:

If the acne is caused by the type of hormonal imbalance that EPO helps restore, results will be visible rather quick. Multiple people have reported seeing substantial changes in as little as a couple of days. Others have been consistently fighting the hormonal imbalance for 3 weeks before achieving results. A complete course of EPO treatment takes up to 3 months, so sit tight and be ready to commit.

Customer Reviews of Evening Primrose Oil
Customer reviews are diverse when it comes to EPO’s effectiveness against hormonal acne. Some people (mostly women) have achieved considerable in less than a week, while others had to commit for 3 months before noticing a positive shift.

Another group of users have found that EPO didn’t help them deal with hormonal acne at all, which is probably a sign that their acne is caused by some other hormonal imbalance that needs to be treated with different fatty acids (not omega 6 that EPO contains).

Here are some of the most impactful reviews:

Where to Buy Evening Primrose Oil

Both capsulated and fluid EPO can be found on numerous e-commerce websites and also drug stores. If there is a reputable drug store around the area you live, I’d suggest to consult a pharmacist and buy what he offers you.

You can also purchase EPO (both capsules and fluid) on Amazon. Here is a link for the best-selling capsulated EPO, and fluid EPO correspondingly.

Do not buy products from sellers you don’t know or trust. Counterfeit or defective products are very common nowadays, and saving a few dollars to buy a product can potentially harm you. In case of EPO, be even more careful. Hormones are very delicate and if something goes wrong due to a bad quality product, it might be extremely difficult to deal with consequences later. Don’t take that risk.