Supplement label guide

Borage Oil Supplements: GLA, Doses, and Label Guide

Q: What is Borage Oil?

Borage Oil is the fixed oil from the seed of Borago officinalis. In supplements, it is mainly used as a concentrated plant source of Gamma-Linolenic Acid, or GLA. The total oil also contains other fatty acids, so oil milligrams and GLA milligrams are not the same value.

Borage oil is mainly sold as a concentrated plant source of gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA. The useful comparison is not the front label oil claim alone. Check the Borage Seed Oil amount, the disclosed GLA amount or percentage, the full serving, blend transparency, and the product’s quality and storage information.

Also listed as: Borage Seed Oil, Starflower Oil, Borago officinalis seed oil, Gamma-Linolenic Acid, GLA, or an oil standardized to GLA. Borage leaf and flower preparations are not interchangeable with the seed oil.

NutriDetector Editorial Team Updated August 19, 2026 Editorial Policy

Ingredient overview

Borage Oil is a seed oil used mainly to deliver GLA

Borage Oil is the fixed oil obtained from the seed of Borago officinalis. Its main supplement-relevant feature is Gamma-Linolenic Acid, an omega-6 fatty acid commonly shortened to GLA. The oil also contains linoleic acid and other fatty acids, so the total oil weight is not the same as the GLA weight. ¹

Health Canada’s 2025 monograph identifies Borage Oil and Borage Seed Oil as oil from the seed. For standardized products, it lists a declared GLA range of 18% to 27%. That range describes a regulatory monograph specification. It does not establish that every product contains the same percentage or that more oil is automatically better. ¹

The same 2025 Health Canada monograph lists 3.7 to 5 g of Borage Oil per day for adults age 18 and older under both standardized and non-standardized fixed-oil preparations. This is a Canadian monograph condition of use, not a universal target dose or proof of benefit for a particular condition. ¹

Keep these label values separate

Borage Seed Oil: The full oil mass in the listed serving, usually shown in milligrams or grams.
GLA percentage: The proportion of the oil declared as Gamma-Linolenic Acid. Use the percentage printed for that product.
GLA milligrams: The most direct active amount for comparing GLA products when the label states it separately.
Total omega-6: A broader fatty-acid value. It should not be relabeled as GLA unless the label defines that relationship.

Label arithmetic

A 1,000 mg oil claim does not mean 1,000 mg of GLA

GLA is one component of Borage Oil. If a label discloses both the oil amount and a GLA percentage, the label arithmetic is oil mass multiplied by the stated percentage. If the label gives GLA milligrams directly, preserve that number rather than substituting an assumed percentage.

Serving size changes the comparison. A front label may state an amount per softgel while the Supplement Facts panel uses a serving of two or three softgels. Read the quantity beside the facts panel and do not multiply suggested-use directions into a daily amount unless the directions are clear and relevant to the comparison.

Illustrative Borage Oil label lines

These examples explain label math. They are not product or dose recommendations.

Borage Seed Oil, 1,000 mg: The oil amount is disclosed. A product-specific GLA amount is not known unless the label provides more information.
1,000 mg oil, standardized to 23% GLA: The stated values correspond to 230 mg of GLA because 1,000 multiplied by 0.23 equals 230.
1,000 mg oil, providing 230 mg GLA: The label directly states both the carrier oil and active fatty-acid amount. Do not add them into a 1,230 mg GLA total.
GLA from Borage Seed Oil, 240 mg: The active GLA amount is disclosed, but the total source-oil mass may not be stated.
Proprietary Oil Blend, 1,500 mg: Borage Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, other oils: The total belongs to the complete blend. Neither the Borage Oil amount nor its GLA contribution can be assigned from that number alone. See what a proprietary blend means on a supplement label.

Forms and quality language

Standardization is useful disclosure, but processing claims are not batch tests

Borage Oil is commonly sold in softgels and sometimes as a liquid. A standardized product declares a target fatty-acid composition, often including GLA. Standardization can make label comparison more useful, but it remains a manufacturer declaration unless supported by appropriate finished-product testing.

Borage plants can contain unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids, often shortened to PAs or UPAs. A processing study found no PAs above its 20 parts-per-billion detection limit in the tested crude and processed oils and found that refining greatly reduced added PAs. That study shows why processing matters. It does not prove that every commercial bottle is PA-free. ⁷

What common quality terms do and do not establish

Standardized to GLA: Provides a declared potency percentage. Check the full serving and calculate or confirm the corresponding GLA amount.
PA-free or UPA-free: A relevant safety claim, but the words alone do not reveal the test method, detection limit, laboratory, or batch result.
Cold-pressed: Describes processing. It does not automatically prove more GLA, lower PA content, freshness, or better clinical performance.
Refined: Also describes processing. Refining can reduce unwanted compounds, but the term alone is not a certificate for the finished batch.
Freshness or purity claim: Marketing language is not an oxidation, contaminant, identity, or fatty-acid assay result.

Health Canada’s monograph states that Borage Oil products should be packaged in airtight containers and protected from light as an industry specification. Follow the storage instructions and date on the exact product. Packaging can support stability, but it cannot confirm the current oxidation status of the oil. ¹

Evidence and claims

A GLA mechanism does not make every skin or inflammation claim established

Eczema

A Cochrane review of eight Borage Oil trials found no meaningful oral treatment benefit over placebo. A large randomized trial using 920 mg GLA per day in adults was also negative. ^{2,
3}

Rheumatoid arthritis

Older small trials reported signals with high GLA intakes, but the evidence is limited and does not turn an ordinary low-dose softgel into an arthritis treatment. ^{4,
5}

Skin barrier and beauty

Small studies reported changes in selected skin measures, but they do not establish treatment of eczema or a predictable anti-aging, hydration, or beauty result. ⁶

Read the label

Start with the source oil, then find the active GLA amount

A useful Borage Oil label does more than print a large oil number on the front. It identifies the seed oil, defines the serving, quantifies GLA when possible, and keeps any blend total separate from the individual ingredient amount.

Keep the source oil, GLA, and serving together

Start by confirming that the ingredient is Borage Seed Oil, Starflower Oil, or Borago officinalis seed oil rather than an undefined borage plant preparation. Then read the full serving and keep total oil mass, GLA percentage, and separately stated GLA milligrams as related but distinct values.

Do not assign a multi-oil blend total to Borage Oil or GLA. Quality wording also needs its own context: PA or UPA claims, storage directions, package condition, date, and accessible batch documentation can all be relevant, but none of them turns the Supplement Facts panel into a finished-product assay.

Compare the full stack

GLA can repeat across oils with different names

Borage Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, and Black Currant Seed Oil can all contribute GLA. A skin formula, women’s health product, and stand-alone oil can therefore overlap even when the front labels look unrelated.

When products are added to My Stack, NutriDetector can compare the disclosed Borage Oil identities, amounts per listed serving, separately listed GLA amounts, serving context, blend transparency, and co-ingredients across saved supplements. It can also surface where the same supported ingredient appears across more than one product.

Illustrative GLA overlap

The values below demonstrate label arithmetic, not a suggested regimen.

Borage Oil product: 1,000 mg oil standardized to 23% GLA, equal to 230 mg GLA per listed serving
Evening Primrose Oil product: 1,000 mg oil standardized to 10% GLA, equal to 100 mg GLA per listed serving
Combined disclosed GLA: 330 mg across the two illustrative listed servings

What a label cannot tell you

A clean label is not a fatty-acid or contaminant test

A label can disclose the source oil, serving, amount, GLA value, blend placement, storage directions, and a PA-free claim. It cannot confirm botanical identity, actual GLA content, PA concentration, oxidation, purity, contaminants, processing quality, or batch consistency.

It also cannot predict whether Borage Oil will improve a symptom, fit a medicine regimen, or be appropriate during pregnancy, breastfeeding, before surgery, or for a particular health condition. Those questions depend on the person, the complete product, and clinical context.

Safety and use limits

Short-term tolerance does not answer every long-term or product-quality question

The 2025 Health Canada monograph does not require a general caution, contraindication, or known-adverse-reaction statement for compliant oral Borage Oil products within that monograph. This regulatory position is useful context, but it is not personal clearance for every formula, dose, duration, or user. ¹

In the eczema trials reviewed by Cochrane, mild transient digestive effects were common and similar to placebo. The review also noted that the short studies did not establish long-term safety. Oil amount, GLA amount, duration, other ingredients, and medicine use therefore still matter. ²

During breastfeeding, LactMed distinguishes Borage Seed Oil from leaf and flower preparations and states that only products certified free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids should be used. Published information on effects in breastfed infants is limited. A front-label PA-free claim still does not substitute for product-specific review or appropriate quality documentation. ⁸

If you use anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicines, have a bleeding disorder, are preparing for surgery, or use Borage Oil for a diagnosed inflammatory condition, review the exact product and full supplement list with a qualified clinician or pharmacist. Do not replace prescribed treatment with a seed-oil supplement.

NutriDetector approach

How NutriDetector reviews Borage Oil labels

NutriDetector reviews supported Borage Oil, Borage Seed Oil, Starflower Oil, and Borago officinalis wording, the disclosed amount per listed serving, separately listed GLA entries, serving context, blend transparency, and the surrounding formula. When the individual amount is hidden inside a blend, that uncertainty remains visible rather than being treated as known.

When products are added to My Stack, NutriDetector can compare those disclosed identities, amounts, serving details, and co-ingredients across saved supplements. It evaluates label disclosure. Laboratory testing would still be required to confirm actual GLA or PA content, oxidation, purity, contaminants, processing quality, or batch consistency, while personal suitability depends on the individual and the complete product.

Analyze the full formula

Compare the GLA, not only the oil claim.

Analyze the complete supplement label to review the Borage Oil amount, separately disclosed GLA, full serving, standardization, blend transparency, and surrounding active ingredients.

Analyze a supplement label

Questions and boundaries

Borage Oil supplement FAQ

What is Borage Oil?

Borage Oil is the fixed oil from the seed of Borago officinalis. In supplements, it is mainly used as a concentrated plant source of Gamma-Linolenic Acid, or GLA. The total oil also contains other fatty acids, so oil milligrams and GLA milligrams are not the same value.

Is Starflower Oil the same as Borage Oil?

Starflower Oil is a common name used for Borage Seed Oil from Borago officinalis. Confirm that the label identifies the seed oil and compare the disclosed GLA amount or percentage rather than relying only on the marketing name.

Is the Borage Oil amount the same as the GLA amount?

No. GLA is one fatty acid within the oil. For example, 1,000 mg of Borage Oil standardized to 23% GLA corresponds to 230 mg of GLA. If the label provides a direct GLA amount, preserve that number and do not add it to the carrier-oil mass.

What does standardized to 23% GLA mean?

It means the manufacturer declares that GLA represents 23% of the stated oil mass. Multiply the oil amount by 0.23 to obtain the corresponding label-based GLA amount. Standardization is useful disclosure, but the printed percentage is not an independent laboratory result for the bottle in hand.

Does Borage Oil help eczema?

Controlled evidence does not support oral Borage Oil as an effective eczema treatment. A Cochrane review of eight Borage Oil studies found no meaningful benefit over placebo, and a large randomized trial using 920 mg GLA per day in adults was also negative.

Does Borage Oil help rheumatoid arthritis?

Older small trials reported possible benefits from high supplemental GLA amounts, but the evidence is limited and does not establish an ordinary Borage Oil softgel as arthritis treatment. Do not replace prescribed treatment or copy a study dose without clinical guidance.

Does Borage Oil improve skin hydration or appearance?

Small studies reported changes in selected skin-barrier measurements in narrow populations. They do not establish a predictable hydration, anti-aging, acne, or beauty result, and they do not overturn the negative controlled evidence for oral treatment of eczema.

What does PA-free or UPA-free Borage Oil mean?

It is a claim that the product is free of, or tested below a defined threshold for, unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The claim is relevant because borage plants can contain these compounds, but the words alone do not reveal the test method, detection limit, laboratory, or batch result.

How much Borage Oil should I take?

There is no single amount for every goal or person. The oil amount, GLA amount, regulatory monograph range, and doses used in clinical trials answer different questions. Compare the full listed serving and disclosed GLA, then consider duration, medicines, health conditions, and professional guidance.

What can NutriDetector and My Stack check?

NutriDetector can review supported Borage Oil, Borage Seed Oil, Starflower Oil, and Borago officinalis wording, the amount per listed serving, separately listed GLA entries, serving context, blend transparency, and the surrounding formula. My Stack can compare those disclosed details across saved products. Laboratory testing is still required to confirm actual GLA or PA content, oxidation, purity, contaminants, processing quality, or batch consistency.

Human studies and official sources

Health Canada, Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate. Borage Oil monograph. April 25, 2025. Health Canada monograph.
Bamford JTM, Ray S, Musekiwa A, et al. Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013;(4):CD004416. PubMed.
Takwale A, Tan E, Agarwal S, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of borage oil in adults and children with atopic eczema: randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group trial. BMJ. 2003;327(7428):1385. PubMed.
Leventhal LJ, Boyce EG, Zurier RB. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with gammalinolenic acid. Annals of Internal Medicine. 1993;119(9):867-873. PubMed.
Cameron M, Gagnier JJ, Chrubasik S. Herbal therapy for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2011;(2):CD002948. PubMed.
De Spirt S, Stahl W, Tronnier H, et al. Intervention with flaxseed and borage oil supplements modulates skin condition in women. British Journal of Nutrition. 2009;101(3):440-445. PubMed.
Wretensjo I, Karlberg B. Pyrrolizidine alkaloid content in crude and processed borage oil from different processing stages. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society. 2003;80(10):963-970. DOI.
National Library of Medicine. Borage. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). NCBI Bookshelf.