They are rich in foods such as walnuts, seafood, fatty fish and some seeds and vegetable oils. They are divided into three types: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Omega-3 fats are known for their distinct health benefits, including their ability to fight depression, reduce inflammation, and reduce markers of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, one lesser-known benefit is that they can benefit your skin and hair (, , , ).
Here are 6 science-backed benefits of omega-3s for your skin and hair.
May protect against sun damage
Omega-3s can protect against harmful ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays that come from the sun.
Research has shown that taking a combination of DHA and EPA—two long-chain omega-3s—can reduce skin sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) rays ().
In one small study, participants who consumed 4 grams of EPA for 3 months increased their resistance to sunburn by 136%, while no significant changes were observed in the placebo group ().
In another study, participants who applied EPA- and DHA-rich sardine fat to their skin after UV exposure experienced 25% less skin redness compared to the control group. However, other types of omega-3s did not have the same effect ().
There is some evidence that after exposure to ultraviolet light, omega-3s may also reduce the severity of symptoms of some conditions associated with photosensitivity, including skin rashes or fluid-filled blisters ().
However, there is little research on this topic and more research is needed before conclusions can be drawn.
Summary:
Omega-3s can improve your skin's resistance to sunburn, reduce the severity of skin redness after UV exposure, and relieve the symptoms of some conditions associated with photosensitivity. However, more research is needed.
May reduce acne (pimples and acne)
A diet rich in omega-3s may help prevent or reduce the severity of acne.
Omega-3s have been shown to reduce inflammation, and new evidence suggests that acne may be caused primarily by inflammation. Therefore, omega-3s may indirectly fight acne (,).
Several studies have reported a reduction in acne with omega-3 supplementation, either alone or in combination with other nutrients (, , , ).
Omega-3 supplements also appear to reduce the side effects of isotretinoin, a drug commonly used to treat severe or resistant acne ().
However, few studies have observed the effects of omega-3s alone—rather than in combination with other compounds—and the effects appear to vary among different people. Therefore, more research is needed.
Summary:
Omega-3 supplements, taken alone or in combination with other supplements, may help prevent acne (pimples and pimples) or reduce their severity. However, more research is needed to confirm these effects.
Storage and use of fish oil
Fish oil is the basis for the preparation of various types of serums and creams for problematic, aging facial skin.
To prevent hypervitaminosis A, D, you need to take breaks between courses of treatment. For example, it is not recommended to take the product during periods of increased concentration of sunlight (May-August). Masks and serums from this product must be used 2-3 times a week (not more often) for a month. Then take a break for 1-2 months. Apply masks and serums from the medicinal product only to a thoroughly cleaned surface (first with a cleansing tonic, then again with warm water).
The drug should be stored, regardless of packaging (liquid, capsules), in a dark, cool place.
May protect against dry, red or itchy skin
Omega-3s can hydrate the skin and combat redness, dryness, or itching of the skin caused by skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.
This is due to the fact that omega-3s improve the protective functions of the skin, moisturize and prevent irritation (,).
In one small study, women who consumed about half a teaspoon (2.5 ml) of omega-3-rich flaxseed oil daily experienced a 39% increase in skin hydration after 12 weeks. Their skin was also less rough and sensitive than the skin in the placebo group ().
High omega-3 intake was also associated with a lower risk of atopic dermatitis in children and improved psoriasis symptoms in adults. However, other studies have failed to replicate these results (, ,).
Different doses and delivery methods used between studies may partly explain the conflicting results ().
Therefore, more research is needed before conclusive conclusions can be drawn.
Summary:
Omega-3s can hydrate your skin and protect it from irritants and skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. However, more research is needed to confirm these effects.
Recipes for masks with fish oil
There are quite a lot of recipes for masks with fish oil. Each of them is effective in its own way. We suggest you familiarize yourself with the common ones in the table.
Anti-wrinkle (mask with honey)
You should prepare one teaspoon of fish oil, one tablespoon of boiled water (from the tap will not work) and one teaspoon of honey.
All ingredients should be mixed until smooth. Then the resulting mask should be carefully applied to the skin of the face, avoiding the area around the eyes. After fifteen minutes, you can wash off the product with warm water. Finally, rinse your face with cool water.
There is an improvement in complexion and inflammation is reduced.
Rejuvenating (with sour cream)
You will need one chicken yolk, one tablespoon of sour cream and one teaspoon of fish oil.
All components of a homemade cosmetic product must be mixed until smooth. The mask should be left on the face for half an hour, and then washed off with chamomile decoction (it should be slightly warm).
This composition helps restore skin elasticity and smooth out wrinkles.
With parsley or lemon
You should take equal proportions (one teaspoon will be enough) of fish oil, cream and lemon (or parsley) juice.
The mixture must be prepared by mixing the ingredients. The composition should be left on the face for 20-30 minutes and then washed off with cool water.
This combination of ingredients can lighten pigmentation and freckles, and the mask also perfectly nourishes the skin.
Honey and fish oil – the proportions are equal.
Both components need to be mixed together, applied to the skin of the face and washed off after 10 minutes using warm water.
You will need sour cream, fish oil, lemon juice and low-fat cottage cheese. All ingredients are taken in the amount of one teaspoon.
All ingredients must be mixed together until smooth, cover the skin and leave for 15 minutes. Additionally, you can add chopped parsley to the composition.
Restoring the tone of aging skin.
You should prepare two teaspoons of dry kelp and a tablespoon of fish oil.
The algae must be ground to a powder and then mixed with fish oil. The exposure time of the mask is thirty minutes. Then the composition is washed off with green tea or chamomile decoction.
Facial skin rejuvenation.
You should use 15 drops of calendula tincture, three capsules of fish oil and 10 grams of clay (gray and black are suitable).
The mixture should be mixed until smooth and applied to the face for 15 minutes. Apply with light massaging movements and rinse off after the specified time.
Skin restoration and lifting effect.
You will need one tablespoon of starch, a teaspoon of fish oil and a little ginger essential oil.
It is necessary to pour starch powder into the container, and then add aroma oil and vitamin liquid into it. The product should be applied to the facial skin after steaming, gently smoothing with massage movements. You need to rinse off after one hour, washing with warm water.
Refreshes the complexion, quickly restores the dermis, smooths out wrinkles, prevents the formation of wrinkles (expression lines) and age spots, protection from UV radiation.
For the skin around the eyes
You will need 3 sprigs of parsley and 5 ml of fish oil.
The greens should be chopped and mixed with vitamin preparation. Next, you need to wash off the makeup from your eyes, soak cotton pads in the resulting solution and place them on your eyelids. You can remove the cotton wool after half an hour, and you can simply blot off the excess with paper napkins.
Nourishes the skin around the eyes.
For dry skin
You will need 10 grams of sour cream, 5 capsules of fish oil and one quail egg.
The quail egg needs to be cooled and then beaten with a mixer, mixed with sour cream. Next, add liquid from fish oil capsules to the composition. After mixing, the composition is applied to the face, preferably in 2-3 layers. After 30 minutes, the residue must be carefully removed using a cosmetic disc.
Combating dry skin, replenishing vitamin deficiencies and lack of moisture.
To restore elasticity
You will have to arm yourself with 10 grams of honey, 5 ml of pharmaceutical product, 3-4 drops of jasmine essential oil.
All components must be mixed together and applied to the skin of the face, which has been previously cleansed and steamed. It is preferable to apply using a sponge. The action time of the product is 15-20 minutes, and then it needs to be washed off (a decoction of lingonberry leaves is excellent for this).
The mask can refresh the appearance of the skin, have a rejuvenating effect, and restore elasticity.
The product is especially useful in combination with facial massage. As a result, it is possible to prevent the appearance of early age-related changes.
It is worth preparing 50 ml of water and 10 ml of fat.
You need to add the medicine to a bottle of water and put it in the refrigerator to cool. Then you need to soak a paper towel folded in half with the mixture and place it on your face. After twenty minutes, you can remove the paper and wipe off the residue with a dry cloth.
With the help of a mask, you can get rid of traces of puffiness and smooth out static and expression wrinkles. In addition, the composition generally helps to improve complexion and strengthen blood vessels.
With lemon and cocoa
It is worth taking 10 grams of cocoa, 5 ml of fish oil, 5 ml of lemon juice.
Add lemon juice (freshly squeezed) and fish oil to dry cocoa powder. Next, the composition is well mixed, the facial skin is cleansed and a mask is applied to it along the blood flow line in an unbroken layer. After 25 minutes, wash off the product using a decoction of coltsfoot.
It is possible to speed up metabolism in cells, saturate the skin with vitamins and nourish it with the required substances, and also normalize oxygen respiration.
4–6. Other Potential Benefits for Skin and Hair
Omega-3s may also provide additional benefits.
- May speed up wound healing . Animal studies suggest that omega-3s delivered intravenously or topically may speed wound healing, but human studies are needed ().
- May reduce the risk of skin cancer . Eating foods rich in omega-3 may prevent the growth of tumors in animals. However, human studies are needed to confirm this (,).
- Can stimulate hair growth and reduce hair loss . Test-tube and animal studies show that omega-3s may stimulate hair growth. More research is needed into the effects of omega-3s on hair growth and hair loss in humans (, ).
It is important to note that only a small number of studies have examined these beneficial effects in humans. Additionally, studies often used multiple supplements at the same time, making it difficult to determine how effective omega-3 supplements were among other supplements. Therefore, more research is needed.
Summary:
Omega-3s can speed up wound healing, promote hair growth, reduce hair loss, and even reduce the risk of skin cancer. However, more research is needed to confirm these beneficial effects.
Contraindications
Fish oil should not be used by people who are allergic to this product. Diseases accompanied by bleeding disorders may also be a contraindication to the use of this substance.
Fish oil is strictly contraindicated in case of chronic diseases of the thyroid gland, kidneys or stomach, or with increased calcium levels in the body. And pregnant women and nursing mothers should use it only after consulting a doctor.
If you decide to take fish oil internally or externally, strictly follow the dosage. This product is a real storehouse of vitamin D, which, of course, is very necessary for the human body, but in large quantities it poses a serious danger - it has a detrimental effect on the kidneys and liver.
Summarize
- Omega-3s are healthy fats found in fish, seafood and plant foods such as walnuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds.
- In addition to their distinct health benefits, these fats can benefit your hair and skin. Although research is limited, they appear to increase your skin's resistance to sunburn, reduce acne, and protect against dry, red, and itchy skin.
- Overall, these healthy fats are an easy and worthwhile addition to your diet, as they benefit not only your hair and skin, but your overall health.
Tags: Hair health, Skin health, Omega-3
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If you want to be healthy
In the Soviet country, every child was spoon-fed and force-fed this “food of the northern gods” - few people liked the thick oil that smelled of fish. It was believed that such enhanced nutrition should help future builders of communism to grow strong and healthy.
And now, many years later, doctors have been able to explain all the beneficial properties and why fish oil helps maintain health. Delighted cosmetologists proclaimed in unison that a cure for old age had once again been found and began making masks with it.
What is the reason for such usefulness of fish oil? Well, of course, in its composition. Having examined it in more detail, we will see that it is simply a storehouse of rare vitamins.
- Fat-soluble vitamins are our favorite revivers of tired and dry skin A and E. Among other things, they also have an excellent effect on the liver (when taken orally, of course). And improved liver function is directly related to improved skin condition. The liver is also responsible for complexion, the level of sebum formation, the absence of pimples, acne, inflammation, and skin rashes.
- Vitamin D. It is responsible for bones, teeth, skin, its (that is, skin) protection and generally for health (by the way, children in the USSR did not suffer from rickets).
- Vitamin F. What kind of miracle is this? Have you heard of this? It's simple: doctors sometimes call vitamin F a mixture of essential fatty acids - exactly those that our skin needs (they also fight “bad cholesterol” and improve heart function) - Omega-3 and Omega-6.
And fish oil easily (much easier than other oils, even than the record holder in this regard - flaxseed oil ) passes through cell membranes - which means it is well absorbed by the skin. In general, I won’t go into details, I have on the benefits and harms of fish oil on my blog, I advise you to go to it. By the way, you can also decide which drug is suitable for your skin.
