THE FACTS: It may not exactly be a household name, but evening primrose, a bright yellow plant native to North America, has a large following in the alternative medicine world. The seeds of the plant contain essential fatty acids, which are used to make an oil that has a variety of uses as a dietary supplement and folk remedy. Its most popular use may be for eczema, the skin condition that affects as many as one in five people. Widely marketed and easy to find, primrose oil contains gamma linoleic acid, which is thought to help reduce skin inflammation without...