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Ketosis is basically when one consumes very low carbohydrates and high protein and moderate fats, forcing the body to use fats instead of carbohydrates for energy.
If the body was in ketosis wouldn't sebum be reduced since the body would be using the sebum it would have released on the skin for energy instead?
Sebum, is, afterall, basically "fat".
Sebum will be reduced but not because of the reason you mention. Ketosis is not the same as starvation (that's when you cannot waste that fat). You can be in Ketosis and not be starving, just eating a really high fat diet (Eskimos, meat only, etc). After some weeks in being in Ketosis, if you are not starving yourself, you will bump out of ketosis even if you are not eating carbohydrates. This happens after your body gets more efficient at glycogeneisis and creates enough out of protein to fuel your brain with it.
The reason why being in Ketosis will reduce oil in skin is because you will stabilize your insulin level since you are eating really high fat without carbs. Insulin is a hormone that starts a cascading effect, one of the spill-offs is oily skin (more IGF-1, less IGFBP3 triggers more production of sebum in skin, along with other processes that create acne, as delayed apoptosis (programmed cell death) in keratinocytes).
Source of ideas in last paragraph: The Dietary Cure for Acne
Anything's possible, but nothing is proven along these lines AFAICT. But in a related note, on the ability of a low GI diet to influence the composition of the sebum:
The reason why being in Ketosis will reduce oil in skin is because you will stabilize your insulin level since you are eating really high fat without carbs. Insulin is a hormone that starts a cascading effect, one of the spill-offs is oily skin (more IGF-1, less IGFBP3 triggers more production of sebum in skin...).
Source of ideas in last paragraph: The Dietary Cure for Acne
Exactly how and why does insulin (or more IGF-1) trigger more sebum production? Does your source (The Dietary Cure for Acne) say anything specific about that?
It's kind of common sense that ketosis would reduce sebum. If spiking insulin causes a rise in sebum, then eliminating all types of carbohydrates, even complex ones, would result in a drastic reduction of insulin in the body, therefore much less sebum on the skin.
For the past 2 days I've been following a ketogenic diet (partly for bodybuilding and partly for acne) and I've noticed that my acne is starting to clear up and my face doesn't seem as oily. All I've been eating is eggs, chicken, vegetables, and vitamin/mineral juice so I am not deficient in any important vitamins/minerals, especially those which aid in helping acne.
At the beginning of a ketogenic diet I believe my skin actually started to break out on my shoulders (but quickly cleared it up with Protex soap). Maybe it was all the sweating at the gym?
Anyway it's not a healthy diet for the long-term. I only did it to get very toned for modelling. I follow a reasonably low BAD carb diet. Meaning I eat good carbs, like brown rice, sweet potato, vegetables and fruit.