What it is
In the register’s words: “Oenothera Biennis Oil is the fixed oil derived from the seeds of the Evening Primrose, Oenothera biennis, Onagraceae.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- OENOTHERA BIENNIS OIL
- CAS number
- 90028-66-3
- EC number
- 289-859-2
Labels often add a second name in brackets, so a label may say Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil where the register says OENOTHERA BIENNIS OIL. Both are the same ingredient.
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.
- Emollient
-
Oils, butters and similar ingredients that make a surface feel soft and smooth. On hair they coat the strand; many plant oils carry this role.
Register definition: “Acting as lubricants on the skin surface providing the skin with a soft and smooth appearance.”
Where it sits on each label
US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.
- Deep conditioners 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Deep conditioners without it
- Hair oils 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Hair oils without it
Every label, product by product (3)
- Camille Rose Algae Renew Deep Conditioning Mask Deep conditioner 17th of 25 names
- Innersense Organic Beauty Hydrating Hair Mask Deep conditioner · listed as Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil* 41st of 54 names
- Mielle Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil Hair oil 15th of 32 names
Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.
Your next step
Other emollient ingredients on these labels
- Cetearyl Alcohol 80 labels
- Cetyl Alcohol 45 labels
- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil 31 labels
- Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil 25 labels
- Stearyl Alcohol 23 labels
- Glyceryl Stearate 15 labels
- Glycol Distearate 15 labels
- Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate 15 labels
Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.