They say the skin is our largest organ. It acts as a waterproof barrier helping us to regulate body temperature, protect us from damaging sunlight, harmful chemicals and infections. It helps us make vitamin D. It’s loaded with nerves to communicate sensory, tactile information from the outside world to our brains. It does so much for us, it only makes sense to learn more about what we can do to take care of it.
Taking care of our skin usually involves some basics like proper hydration through drinking enough water each day, putting on sunscreen when going outdoors – especially in summer and for periods beyond 20-30 minutes. Obviously, an entire universe of skincare products to use topically exists as well. But we should also be paying attention to what we consume internally because beauty – healthy, glowing skin – really does come from the inside. This means paying attention to what macro and micronutrients our skin may be needing.
Specific antioxidants proven to help protect the skin from the damage of oxidative stress include ones like grapeseed extract, lutein and astaxanthin. Omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids provide key building blocks for healthy skin – they’re called ‘essential’ for a reason after all!
GLA, or gamma linolenic acid, is a specific omega-6 fatty acid that some people have difficulty obtaining when converting from food sources of omega-6 fats. This can be due to genetic, dietary and lifestyle factors. This is one reason why having a supplemental source of ready-made GLA is so useful.
When it comes to supplemental options for omega-6 fatty acids like GLA for healthy skin, Efamol® Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) sits at the very top. Efamol EPO stands out because:
- It’s clinically proven effective with over 350 clinical studies to its name
- It’s made using a unique, one-step method that maintains the natural stability of the oil, with 11% GLA (up to 16% more GLA than other brands)
- Only Efamol EPO has been clinically tested and proven effective, including rigorous toxicology and safety studies, as well as numerous clinical trials for its effectiveness in treating eczema, dermatitis and irritated skin
- Efamol has complete control of seed production from planting to harvest and storage to help ensure a consistent, superior quality product
- EPO helps prevent premature aging by reducing wrinkles and maintains healthy elasticity and firmness in skin
- Unrefined with naturally occurring antioxidants for a more stable oil
The benefits of Efamol EPO to the skin are numerous. It helps to improve biophysical skin properties including trans epidermal water loss, skin moisture, elasticity, firmness and roughness. It improves skin conditions in those with atopic eczema by reducing redness, swelling, crusting and itching. It enhances the structure and function of both healthy and irritated skin, while improving moisture, firmness and smoothness for fewer wrinkles.
More details on the clinical studies and meta-analyses can be found here and here.
Efamol Evening Primrose Oil is available from Flora as 1000 mg softgels. For best results take 3-4 softgels daily with food for at least 12 weeks. This will allow enough time for the GLA and other skin replenishing fatty acids to reach peak efficacy in repairing and improving the skin. This is true for “normal, healthy” skin as well as irritated skin (from things like detergents and household chemicals, UV-radiation from the sun, cosmetics, and climate extremes of hot or cold temperatures, low humidity, etc.) and those dealing with eczema/dermatitis.
A scientifically proven polyunsaturated fatty acid supplement, the original Efamol Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) is the most widely studied EPO in human nutrition and is based on over 30 years of research. Efamol Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) is made from a proprietary seed variety with the highest Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) content available.
The evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) plants are grown in New Zealand and the Netherlands. Through standard agricultural selection techniques, Efamol has developed some unique and superior strains of evening primrose including one called Rigel. Efamol owns the cultivation rights to this and other seed varieties containing up to 16% more GLA than all other pure natural evening primrose oils (EPO). It provides 115 mg of GLA per softgel, the highest of any pure EPO product on the market. The purity and quality of the oil, along with its unparalleled level of clinical research for EPO, have made Efamol EPO the world standard for fatty acids and skin health.
