Product Overview
NOW Foods Evening Primrose Oil, Vegan Formula gives 1,000mg of evening primrose oil with 90mg of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in each softgel, in a bottle of 90 veggie softgels. The oil is cold pressed and hexane free, and the label lists it as organic.
Unlike most evening primrose oil, the softgel is made from plant starch and carrageenan rather than gelatin, so it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It is distributed by NOW Foods of Bloomingdale, Illinois, USA.
Key Benefits — and What Is Known
- A source of GLA — an omega-6 fatty acid the body uses to make signalling molecules involved in skin and other tissues.
- Dry skin — a few small studies in healthy adults found modest improvements in skin moisture.
- Breast tenderness and menopausal hot flushes — long-standing uses; the research is mixed and mostly weak. Some women find it helpful; many do not.
- Eczema — large reviews found it no better than a dummy capsule.
The seller says it supports immune responses, vascular health and hormonal balance. Those claims are not established — treat it as an oil some women like for skin and cyclical comfort.
Key Features
- 1,000mg evening primrose oil and 90mg GLA per softgel
- Cold pressed, hexane free
- Vegan veggie softgel — no gelatin
- Not made with yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish or shellfish ingredients (label); non-GMO and kosher, as stated by the seller
Ingredients / Specifications
Per softgel (supplement facts panel in the product photo):
- Calories 10; total fat 1g
- Organic evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis) (seed) (cold pressed, hexane free) 1g (1,000mg)
- Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) 90mg
Other ingredients: vegetarian softgel capsule (glycerin, modified starch, carrageenan, water). Produced in a GMP facility that also processes other ingredients containing these allergens.
How to Use
- Follow the directions on the bottle — they are not visible in the listing photos.
- The seller says the bottle is “a 45-day supply when taking one softgel daily”. That does not add up: at one a day, 90 softgels last 90 days; 45 days would mean two a day. Message us and we will read the label directions to you.
- Take it with a meal to reduce stomach upset, and give it two to three months before judging.
Who Is It Suitable For?
Adult women who want to try evening primrose oil for dry skin or cyclical comfort, including vegetarians and vegans.
- Blood thinners and surgery — GLA may slow clotting slightly. Ask your doctor if you take warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel or another blood thinner, and stop it before a planned operation.
- Epilepsy or antipsychotic medicine — older reports raised a concern about seizures. The link is now thought weak, but ask your doctor first.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding — do not take it without your doctor.
- Mild stomach upset, soft stools or headache can occur.
Breast pain that is new, one-sided or comes with a lump needs a doctor, not a supplement.
Why Choose NOW Evening Primrose Oil?
A cold-pressed oil with the GLA content printed on the label, from an established maker, and one of the few evening primrose oils in a fully plant-based softgel.
What the Evidence Actually Says
Herbal supplements sit in an awkward place: some have real, measured effects, many have small ones, and a few have none beyond what people expect from taking them. The marketing rarely distinguishes between the three.
“Natural” does not mean “safe” or “gentle”. Plants make powerful compounds — that is why so many medicines came from them in the first place — and a herb strong enough to have an effect is strong enough to interact with a medicine. Herbal products are also less tightly regulated than medicines, so what is in the bottle varies more between brands than it does for a pharmaceutical.
This Is a Supplement, Not a Medicine
A dietary supplement is a food product. It is not a medicine, it has not been through the testing a medicine goes through, and it does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Supplement labels use health language — “supports”, “helps maintain”, “promotes” — precisely because they are not permitted to claim treatment. Read them that way. If a listing anywhere promises that a capsule will fix a medical condition, that promise is not one the product can keep.
What a supplement can honestly do is fill a gap in your diet. That is worth something, and it is a smaller thing than most packaging implies.
Talk to a Doctor First
Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before you start, particularly if you:
- take any prescribed medicine — supplements interfere with medicines more often than people expect
- are being treated for a heart, liver, kidney, thyroid or blood condition
- have diabetes
- are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding
- have surgery or a dental procedure coming up
Never stop or reduce a prescribed medicine in order to take a supplement instead. That is the single most dangerous thing anyone does with a product like this, and it is what the marketing language quietly invites.
About the Imported Pack
This is an imported product. The label, the dose instructions and the ingredient panel are the ones printed for the market it was made for, and the wording may differ from a locally packaged version.
Follow the dose printed on the pack itself — it is the authority on its own contents — and check the expiry date when it arrives. If anything on the label is unclear, message us before you take it and we will read it to you.
Storage
- Keep the container tightly closed, somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sunlight.
- Do not store it in a bathroom. Heat and humidity break supplements down faster than anything else, and a Dhaka bathroom is the worst place in the house for them.
- Leave the desiccant sachet in the bottle. It is there to keep moisture out, not by mistake.
- Softgels and fish oils are best kept in a fridge in hot weather — they go rancid otherwise.
- Keep it out of reach of children.
- Do not use it after the expiry date, and throw it away if the capsules smell strongly off, have stuck together or changed colour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it really vegan?
Yes. The softgel is made from modified starch and carrageenan, not gelatin, and the label is marked vegetarian/vegan.
Is it an omega-3?
No. GLA is an omega-6 fatty acid. Fish oil and algae oil supply omega-3, and they do different jobs.
How long does a bottle last?
90 days at one softgel a day, 45 days at two. Follow the dose on the label.
Should I take it with food?
Follow the pack. As a general rule, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and oils absorb better with a meal that contains some fat, and they are gentler on the stomach that way.
How do I check the pack is in date?
The expiry date is printed on the bottle or the base of the box. Check it as soon as your order arrives. If it is unreadable or close to expiry, message us and we will replace it.
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