Before we go into how fish oil can help, you need to understand about the causes of acne.
Put simply, acne is a blockage or an infection of the pilosebaceous unit (hair follicle).
There are 3 reasons why acne occurs:
Retention keratosis - where skin cell get caught or won’t shed normally. Things that can cause this are incorrect skincare or makeup containing comdedogenic ingredients or pore-clogging ingredients and the obvious dead skin.
Incorrect PH in the skin. By keeping a PH level of 4.5-6.5 in the skin it creates an acidic environment which helps to keep P-acne bacteria away.
Quality of the sebum. What we want is very thin free flowing sebum to flow up the hair follicle to the surface of our skin to keep it hydrated and protected. When the sebum becomes thick and gluggy it causes blockages in the follicle.
For acne to be present means that at least one or all of these issues are occurring in the skin. We can address 2 of these issues with cosmeceutical skincare. There are 3 main ingredients that will help to bring back balance within the skin:
Salicylic Acid. This is a common ingredient in cleansers as its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and its attracted to oil. So this acid goes down into the skin looking for the oils that are causing the blockages. (Find it in Medik8’s Clarifying Foam or Surface Radiance Cleanse).
B3 Niacinamide. This restores the PH of the skin which stimulates natural exfoliation of the skin while helping create a luminous complexion. (My personal favourite Medik8's Clarity Peptides).
Vitamin A. This wonder vitamin regulates sebum production, speeds up healing, stimulates stem cells, treats and prevents scarring. There are many different forms of Vitamin A but the most effective I have found for treating acne is Crystal Retinal. This comes in varying levels which actively helps reduce blemish-causing bacteria to keep skin clear and balanced. In just 4 weeks, skin is noticeably younger, smoother and undeniably radiant.
There is one more piece of the puzzle though that needs addressing; quality. They say beauty starts on the inside and there is one way we can change the quality of sebum that is pouring through and that’s through what we eat! Fish oil is made up of Omega 3’s which correct the quality of our sebum. Omega 3 also reduces inflammation in the skin and helps the sebum become more free flowing!
How much fish oil should we be having?
For maintenance of general skin health we should be having around 3000mg per day. Grade 2-3 acne 6000mg per day and grade 4 or severe acne 10,000mg per day. Aside from the skin benefits, omegas have an overall health benefit by improving our mental well-being, joint function and a healthy heart. So what’s not to love about fish oil! You can get your daily dose in with the latest range to hit the salon shelves. JS Health Fish oil+ triple strength is in stock now for just $39.95 for 60 capsules. These items are so hot we can't even put them on our website so drop in or pick them up at your next appointment.