Omega-3 for Acne & How to Use Fish Oil Properly (essential reading!)

Have you been taking a capsule a day of fish oil religiously to no effect?

Perhaps your facialist has recommended that you get on the Omega-3 fatty acids… stat!

So what is with the hype around fish oil for acne and are you wasting your money on rancid oil!?

The long and short of it is… healthy fats help inflamed skin to calm the f*ck DOWN!

Acne is an inflammatory condition & some of the most ANTI-inflammatory nutrients in our acne fighting arsenal are the Omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Skin cells have a lipid (fat) membrane ~ if they were a peach then the skin is the membrane. This membrane NEEDS fatty acids & cholesterol to be strong and to keep the contents of the cell INSIDE THE CELL. Deficiency can lead to leaky compromised cells & congestion in the skin.

Essential fatty acids keep skin cells plump, juicy and functioning well.

Essential meaning our bodies cannot make them! They must be consumed through food.

Signs that you’re lacking in EFAs:
🐟 Dry skin & hair
🐟 Red inflamed skin
🐟 Dehydrated skin
🐟 Thick copious earwax
🐟 Brittle nails & peeling cuticles

Many women are not meeting the requirements for Omega-3 even if they do eat tuna & salmon 🍣

Those on a vegan or vegetarian diet will have to work extra hard and I would go as far to say that you will not be able to achieve a THERAPEUTIC dose of omega-3 in your diet or even with an algal oil.

The human body has to convert plant fatty acids into the form usable by our cells & the conversion rate is approximately 20%

In acne I often prescribe doses of high quality fish oil (refrigerated) in the range of 4-8g a day to see any noticeable change in the skin!

Change = less inflammation and redness, softer more supple skin, reduced congestion, faster healing time, reduced pain & frequency of pimples.

Best sources of Omega-3 fatty acids:

🐟 SMASH fish (sardines, mackerel, anchovy, salmon, herring) @fish4ever_recipes and @goodfishproject for sustainable (as possible) fish
🐟 Fish oil @nordicnaturals
🥩 Grass fed & finished organic meats @hagensorganics
🥑 Avocado
🫒 Olives & Olive Oil
🌰 Nuts & Seeds
🍳 Organic pasture raised eggs

Why is refridgerating your fish oil SO important?

🐟 Omega-3 fatty acids (the key therapeutic nutrient in fish oil supplements) on a chemical level are made up of double bonds ~ this holds them together.

⚡️These double bonds are damaged by exposure to heat, light and air. They OXIDISE and this destabilises the fatty acid chains, turns the healthy fats rancid 🥲

Rancid oils are NOT anti-inflammatory ~ so they lose their nutritional benefits & over time will contribute to oxidative stress & inflammation in the body 😭

❌ Kind of against the point of taking fish oil in acne ~ we want the anti-inflammatory skin loving benefits!

SO can you be sure that the fish oil you have purchased has:
• Been manufactured with this in mind
• Been stored properly both in store and at home
• Been refrigerated once opened & exposed to heat, air & light ???

👉🏼One way to tell if your fish oil is good:

Take a pin and puncture a capsule over the sink (take care because when I did this it squirted onto my clothes and hair and NOTHING gets fish oil out…)
❌ If the oil smells rancid & off, chuck them all out.

✅If it smells like you’d still want to swallow it, it’s still good!

Quality matters when it comes to fish oil supplements. I have my own practitioner-only prescription favourites & you can book a 20 minute acute consult to get your mitts on the good stuff I keep out back!

👉🏼 Go to www.lexiemcphee.com/book

🐟 Retail wise I recommend @nordicnaturals

Want to learn even more of my clear skin secrets?