Our skin is our largest and most visible organ. There’s a reason we find smooth glowing skin attractive: because healthy skin reflects a healthy body overall. People who are healthy SHINE with it!
It is obvious how a dry environment will predispose to drier skin, but there are other factors that make a big difference too.
We talk about the skin barrier because our skin functions both to prevent allergens, irritants and microbes getting in, and to reduce loss of moisture from our bodies. Dry skin isn’t as good a barrier as flexible, smooth skin, and so it loses more moisture and becomes even drier: a vicious circle. Reduction in elasticity of the skin makes cracks and fissures more likely, and any break in the skin can allow infection to occur. Plus it can be itchy, and scratching can break the skin surface, increasing the possibility of infection.
The acid mantle is the name given to the thin protective layer on the surface of our skin. The acidic environment it creates helps keep pathogens at bay, regulates our skin microbiome and inflammatory response, and helps the structural integrity of the skin. It is made from a mix of oily sebum from our sebaceous glands and amino acids from sweat. The oils in it help keep our skin moist and flexible.
Frequent use of detergents or liquid soaps can irritate the skin. Detergents remove oily layers, from your skin in the same way as when used to wash your dishes, reducing the protective acid mantle and thereby affecting the skin’s microbiome. This is why those with dry skin are advised to avoid long hot showers and baths.
And yes, your skin is colonized with bacteria, not just your gut: but of course the bacterial strains are different as they have different jobs to do. Strains also differ between different areas of your skin. Recent research suggests that acne is more due to an imbalance in the skin microbiome, than merely the excess of the one bacterial strain that is often treated with antibiotics.
The skin barrier also has a layer that protects us from light exposure, and omega 3 essential fatty acids have been shown to have some photo-protective effects. They reduce skin damage caused by the ultra-violet portion of the sun’s rays; in other words they help reduce sunburn. They aren’t a substitute for hats and sunscreens, but they reduce the probability of skin cancers from sun exposure.
Omega 3 essential fatty acids are the most health-promoting fats in the class of PUFAs - which stands for poly-unsaturated fatty acids. PUFA deficiency has been shown to increase water loss through the skin, and PUFAs decrease as we age.
Fish oils are high in the omega 3 oils EPA and DHA, which have been shown to help maintain and improve overall skin health, and to attenuate dry skin. They have anti-inflammatory properties and accelerate wound healing. They have been shown to help treat a variety of inflammatory skin conditions including atopic dermatitis (eczema), psoriasis, acne and even Lupus, and of course they do so much more for our heart, mind and general health.
Fish oils work well with some omega 6 fatty acids, such as are found in evening primrose oil, blackcurrant seed oil and borage seed oil. We need much more omega 3 than omega 6, and western diets generally contain much more omega 6 than omega 3, so we know what we need to supplement!
For vegans, flax seed oil is helpful: the omega 3 oil in it is good for skin and has health benefits, but it’s doesn’t have quite the same benefits as fish oils. Flax seed oil also contains linoleic acid, an omega 6 oil that helps provides structural support to the skin.
Omega 3 oils are very fluid: they help lubricate every cell of our bodies. Ophthalmologists appreciate what omega 3s do for eye health, and have become great promoters of them to treat dry eyes.
Sea-buckthorn oil contains omega 7 oils, and other substances that help give skin a beautiful and healthy appearance.
When we apply lotions, moisturizers and creams we are supporting the skin barrier, feeding the skin from the outside in, but we do a better job of feeding our skin if we feed it from the inside out, with good oils and hydration. And of course there’s nothing to stop us using topical support in addition to good nourishment, supporting it from both directions, especially during those cold snaps that challenge our skin health more in winters.
A 2020 review in the Journal of Molecular Science concluded that: “Well-balanced nutrition and additional anti-inflammatory PUFA-based supplementation should be encouraged in a targeted manner for individuals in need to provide better management of skin diseases but, most importantly, to maintain and improve overall skin health.”
In 2020 a review of 38 studies on use of omega 3s in dermatology stated: “Given its high safety profile, low cost, and ease of supplementation, omega 3 fatty acids are a reasonable supplement that may benefit patients wishing to improve inflammatory skin conditions through diet”. We say: why wait until you have a skin condition?
コメント