If you grew up anywhere from Alberta to Newfoundland, you might recognize the plant in the picture above. Growing up in Southern Ontario, I, like many of us, walked past these yellow flowers countless times without knowing their name or power.
Evening primrose, known historically as “King’s Cure-all” is a subtly beautiful flower native to Central North America. For centuries, Indigenous nations have used it as both food and medicine (after all, what is the difference?).
Peoples such as the Cherokee, Iroquois, Ojibwas, and Potawatomi used its young flowers as medicinal tea, its bark and leaves as a sedative or for gastrointestinal issues, and topically for bruises and skin inflammation.
In honour of Canada Day, we’re spotlighting this miracle of nature that grows all around us. We hope you’ll recognize it fondly on our ingredient lists, or even on your next summer walk.
Extraction & Composition: From Seed to Skincare
To extract evening primrose oil for use in skincare, our Canadian providers cold-press the seeds of the plant, yielding a rich, emollient oil.
The result is a lightweight, non-comedogenic oil that treats dryness, uneven skin tone, and acne. This is thanks to its high content of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid that’s crucial for maintaining healthy, resilient skin.
Skincare Benefits: Gentle Yet Powerful
You’ll find evening primrose in our formulations such as GLOW, CONDITION, and CLEAN. One of our core values at LAKE+MAIN is selecting each ingredient with care, and knowing exactly why each ingredient belongs in its formulation.
Here’s a little insight into the process:
- CLEAN Non-Foaming Cleanser: Here, evening primrose is key to making CLEAN one of the most gentle yet effective cleansers around. It helps balance sebum in acne-prone skin, while also protecting (not stripping) the skin barrier in the process.
- GLOW Deep Moisturizing Elixir: Evening primrose calms irritation and redness for even the most sensitive skin types. Its gentle yet powerful makeup helps boost smoothness and skin elasticity.
- CONDITION Under-Eye Conditioner: The under-eyes area has the thinnest, most delicate skin on the body. Evening primrose’s lightweight texture it deeply moisturizes without sitting heavily or causing irritation.
Aromatherapy Benefits: More Than Skin Deep
We love natural ingredients because they come with positive side effects—aromatherapy being one of them.
Evening primrose has a mild, nutty aroma with a subtle sweetness that is linked to emotional grounding in holistic practices. It also blends beautifully with lavender and rose geranium (a few of our other favourite ingredients), creating a deeply calming ritual within your skincare routine.
The Beauty All Around Us
Life’s simple beauties, like evening primrose, reveal themselves as masterpieces of nature under closer inspection.
At LAKE+MAIN, our goal has always been to connect ourselves and our community with the simple beauty of nature around us. For every ingredient in, there’s a story, a history, and a personal connection to be made.
All you have to do is look!
