Our sebum (AKA oil in the skin) is what nourishes the cells and layers of the skin.

When our sebum is not regulated properly, we can end up with dry and sensitive skin or oily skin that’s prone to infection. This is because sebum plays a very important part in our skin barrier function. It is actually a requirement for a well-functioning body that we have fish oil/essential fatty acids daily!

Many people in today’s world don’t eat enough good quality fats, and don’t eat good quality fish regularly. In fact, good quality fish is getting harder and harder (and more and more expensive) to find. If you can’t have good quality fish regularly, it’s important to have a high quality essential fatty acid supplement so that your body gets what it needs each day to produce good quality sebum (along with all the other important things fish oil does!).  

It’s easy to fall into the trap of avoiding fat if you have oily skin, but it’s actually vitally important to upkeep your good fats, even with oily skin, because we need to improve the quality of your sebum, and this is done with good fats. 

There are also hormonal drivers, like increased androgens (aka hormones that act like testosterone) that can increase the production of oil in your skin, and these need to be addressed properly for long lasting clear skin. 

Coming off the Pill will also increase your sebum production, as when you are on the Pill your sebum is reduced back to pre-pubescent levels, which the body is trying to figure out how to regulate properly in the first 6 months post-pill.

The other thing we need to be aware of with sebum quality is that you are actually able to digest and absorb the good fats that you consume. If you experience digestive upsets, feel sick after eating fats, have yellow or caramel coloured stools and/or experience pain or discomfort around your right ribcage, then it’s important to assess your digestive capacity. If your digestion isn’t in tip-top shape, then we can’t rely on all the good things from your food and supplements to be absorbed and utilised as needed in the body to create healthy skin. And, if your gut is causing you any issues, then there is a high likelihood that the microbiome is being affected as well. 

As a side note, if you are a vegan or vegetarian who avoids fish, you can still get your essential fatty acids through plant-based sources, and this needs to be a major focus if you are not currently getting it in your diet (which, hey, even carnivores generally are deficient!).