Evening Primrose Oil has been hailed as a fantastic product that can be very beneficial for women of all ages to take. Some of those claims are based in fact and some based in fiction. The pretty yellow flower of the Evening Primrose (also known as Oenothera biennis) is the reason for the name we now associate with it, but it is in fact part of the willow family not part of the primrose family. The Evening Primrose Oil that we use, is extracted from the seeds of the flower.

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Evening Primrose was first used and appreciated by native americans, who used it to treat knocks and swellings. In the 17th C it became a popular folk remedy known to all as 'Kings cure all', I have no idea if the King used it and gave it the name of if it was just the king of cures at the time, but it does show that even in the 17th C people recognized it could be of benefit.

Today Evening Primrose Oil is used in a variety of products including skin care products and health supplements. Evening Primrose has a high concentration of gamma-linolenic acid or GLA, which is a fatty acid that has been used in health products which claim to help reduce inflammation and as a help for people with auto immune diseases. Its use in skin care has been a success too as Evening Primrose is also a source of vitamin E which is widely used for its beneficial skin rejuvenating properties.

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There are known side effects that you could experience when using Evening Primrose Oil and one of these is itching of the skin. If you do notice such symptoms its wise to stop taking or using the product and seek medical advice. As with any supplement taken orally its always worth discussing this with your health care advisor or GP prior to taking anything.

The oil when taken orally has been claimed to be of benefit for Premenstrual Syndrome (also known as PMS) Eczema and other skin disorders such as Psoriasis. Its claimed it can reduce Cholesterol and Blood Pressure, it is also taken as a help for Rheumatoid Arthritis and even to treat Alcoholism and to help the boost the Immune System.

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I have bought Evening Primrose from Boots as a small slightly yellow toned oil which is contained within a clear capsule. I only paid £1.99 for 60 x 300mg capsules. They came in a white tube with a yellow lid and were part of the boots Essentials supplements range.

I feel the range offers very good value as it is often cheaper than many other branded varieties and its one that I usually seek out first because of that. The capsules are suitable for adults and children over the age of 12 only and should not be given to younger children.

I have taken the capsules mainly for their claimed skin boosting effects and have also tried some of the Boots Evening Primrose skin care which is rather nice and also keenly priced.

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There is a really nice Oil Of Evening Primrose Talc which Boots sell, it comes in a simple yellow plastic container which has an Evening Primrose Flower on the front. You get 75g of talc for just £1.29 and it has a nice soft texture and smell that makes it pleasant to use. I like this product and would recommend it.

The Evening Primrose Moisturising Shower Creme from the same range is also very nice and light on the skin and produces a soft lather that moisturises and cleans. I recall paying around £1.10 for a 250ml shower sized squeezy bottle that can be hung up in the shower for ease of use. Again if you are thinking of trying this, do look out for its distinctive yellow pack with the flower on the front.

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Evening Primrose is used in so many products and the ones I have listed here are just some of the ones that I have experience of. I feel that Evening Primrose can be of benefit to some people and the fact that its used in skin care products too is something that I like. As such my rating for Evening Primrose is 5 stars.