Are Seed Oils Bad For Your Skin? What to Eat and What to Avoid | Zero Acre Farms

Are Seed Oils Bad For Your Skin? What to Eat and What to Avoid

November 3, 2022

WRITTEN BY: Corey Nelson

Article at a Glance

Introduction

Healthy skin is about more than just beauty. Although appearance is one major reason people care about skin, skin problems can significantly impact your quality of life and overall health.

Millions of cosmetic products promise smoother, clearer, calmer skin — but caring for your skin goes beyond what you put on it externally. In fact, evidence suggests that your diet is a much bigger factor in overall skin health and anti-aging.

Human diets have changed dramatically over the past century, which has led to higher rates of skin issues ranging from acne to skin cancer [1]. Along with higher intakes of sugar and ultra-processed foods, we're also eating more inflammatory omega-6 fats in the form of seed oils than ever before.

In this article, you'll learn about the relationship between dietary fats and skin health, which foods to eat, and what to avoid for healthier skin. Let's dive in.

Omega-6 Fats and Skin Health

Many dietary factors can affect your skin health for better or worse, including your intake of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, refined sugars, ultra-processed foods, and dietary fats (which are made up of individual fatty acids).

Most people understand that eating too much junk food (and not enough fresh, whole foods) can adversely affect your health. But it's less common knowledge that vegetable oils high in omega-6 fatty acids may be responsible for problems like inflammation, obesity, heart disease, and more. And this is more of a problem than ever as seed oils are the most common cooking oils used in homes, restaurants, and in many packaged foods across the world.

Until recently, most people throughout history ate plenty of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats from whole food sources like seafood. They also ate far lower amounts of refined omega-6 fats than most people consume today. Modern diets typically include a 15-to-1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, which appears to lead to chronic inflammation in the skin and other organs [1].

Common high omega-6 fats like soybean oil, sunflower oil, and corn oil are implicated in chronic skin conditions including atopic dermatitis (eczema), psoriasis, acne, and hidradenitis suppurativa [1].

For example, researchers have found that some populations had little or no acne historically, including Canadian Inuit, South African Zulus, Japanese Okinawans, the Ache of Paraguay, and Kitavan Islanders from Papua New Guinea. And the same populations began to develop much higher rates of acne when they adopted Western diets high in seed oils [2].

For people with skin problems like psoriasis, eczema, acne, skin ulcers, or risk of skin cancer, strong evidence also suggests that consuming more omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce skin inflammation and improve skin barrier function [3].

However, research shows that reducing your omega-6 linoleic acid intake by avoiding seed oils is important in achieving a balanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 for healthy skin.

Eating excessive amounts of omega-6 linoleic acid is one reason malondialdehyde formation occurs [4]. Another way malondialdehyde can form is during cooking, especially when foods high in omega-6 fats are heated, such as during deep frying.

Inflammation and Acne

Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory skin condition with several factors involved. For acne to occur, your body first overproduces sebum (a sticky, oily substance made by the sebaceous glands of your skin), which then gets colonized by Propionibacterium acnes, a strain of bacteria [5].

The acne-causing bacteria change your skin balance and the normal functioning of hair follicles, resulting in inflammation and acne lesions [5].

Acne doesn't result from a single cause but is related to your genetic makeup, stress, hormone levels, immune functioning, general inflammation in your body, and diet [6].

Scientists have found that some types of food do correlate with breakouts in people who are already predisposed [7]. This is likely due to the fact that your diet can affect your immune system, hormones, and inflammation levels. Conversely, other foods can reduce the likelihood of pimples [7].

The omega-6 fats from seed oils, typically found in fried foods and packaged foods, increase inflammatory compounds in your body, which contribute to the formation of acne [8].

In contrast, evidence suggests omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood can liquefy sebum (making it less likely to clog pores and cause blackheads and pimples) as well as increase the skin's resilience to bacteria [8].

Sun Damage and Melanoma

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is associated with excessive UV (ultraviolet) light exposure that results in sunburn and damage to skin cells [9]. However, melanoma rates increased during the 20th century, even as people used more sunscreen and spent less time outside in direct sunlight than ever before [9].

According to population-wide observational data, the increasing incidence of melanoma (and other cancers, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and bladder cancer) starting in the middle of the 20th century reflects increasing intakes of omega-6 linoleic acid [10].

The Takeaway

Your diet can have a significant impact on your skin health through its effects on inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormones.

The well-known advice of limiting your intake of sugar and junk food and focusing on plenty of real, whole foods for healthier skin still holds true.

Along with a healthy, balanced diet, it's also vital to limit inflammation by reducing your omega-6 intake from vegetable oils like soybean, sunflower, and corn oil. You can further improve your skin health by getting plenty of omega-3 fats from wild-caught seafood.