30g a day is the minimum amount I believe you need. And 5g saturated, although your body can create saturated fat from carbs.

30g a day is the minimum amount I believe you need. And 5g saturated, although your body can create saturated fat from carbs.

Bear in mind that this is the minimum. This amount can cause problems with hormones, etc. I would go for at least 40g.

From what I've read less fat consumed directly affects sebum production and the vicosity and stickyness of it, and if the only fats I'm getting are anti inflamitory then what my skin does produce should be thinner correct? Who knows, I'll update it if helps.

The viscosity & thickness is due to the type of fat consumed, other diet factors such as glycemic impact. And some identified genetic mutations that cause a deficiency of linoleic acid in the sebum which leads to skin problems in all mammals. topical application may help.

Thyroid hormone also affects lipid profile and is one possible way that both hyper & hypo thyroid conditions affect acne. Have you considered that?

Acne Prone Skin/sebum Deficient In Linoleic Acid, Possible Topical Solution

Acne is caused by elevated free testosterone and poor diet.

Dairy with yogurt being the biggest violator, chocolate sweets etc.

A make-shift paleo diet won't cut it. Get Loren Cordain's book on the subject, follow it precisely and make sure you eat 100% grass fed, organic meats.

Dropping fat will result in a potential hormone balance and could increase inflammation and glycation.

10 is very young. Did you experience precocious puberty?

Thanks everyone. alternativista I have not and will look into it. All I know for certain is that there is something wrong with my sebum being produced. I've tried topical oils in attempts to thin it out and it did not work. However they did not make my skin any worse. I've tried different ALA, coconut, jojoba, olive, hemp oil and a few others.

When taking pantothine I have the same amount of oil but its not as sticky and I break oil less. Probably due to the additional help metabolizing it.

My general diet has been very heavily fat based. I think I'll try to cosume as little fast as possible while getting my EFAs and see if that makes any difference In sebum production. I expect inflamation to go up though because my body doesn't handle carbs very well, who knows.

i've avoided animal fat for the past 3 years, and ate whatever i've considered healthy (mostly vegetarian and fish, a little bit of eggs, no oil), result: i've lost 30kg and maybe half of the inflamation is gone. but it did nothing to prevent whiteheads from appearing at least twice a day.

but it's been a week now in which the whitehead are 85% gone. and that i think it's because of washing (spraying) with: water + a lot of salt (with no iod)+ ~7%apple vinegar + a few drops of tea tre & lavander oil. twice a day (when it needs to be cleaned, if the skin get oily or dirty, or blody etc).

According to me, Do excercise on daily basis which is very beneficial for you....

Also, have you tried taking steps to improve fat metabolism?

Thanks everyone. alternativista I have not and will look into it. All I know for certain is that there is something wrong with my sebum being produced. I've tried topical oils in attempts to thin it out and it did not work. However they did not make my skin any worse. I've tried different ALA, coconut, jojoba, olive, hemp oil and a few others.

When taking pantothine I have the same amount of oil but its not as sticky and I break oil less. Probably due to the additional help metabolizing it.

My general diet has been very heavily fat based. I think I'll try to cosume as little fast as possible while getting my EFAs and see if that makes any difference In sebum production. I expect inflamation to go up though because my body doesn't handle carbs very well, who knows.

Androgen levels also affect sebum viscosity, hence the pantothine (vitamin B5, 5 alpha reductase inhibitor) helping. People on prescription anti-androgens or herbal anti-androgens have also noticed some degree of sebum thinning. However it's not always enough.

As far as oils, lately I've been interested in this fact: a LOT of people genetically lack delta 6 desaturase enzymes which convert ALA to DHA/EPA and also LA to GLA. DHA/EPA and GLA are generally more beneficial to the body. You also naturally lose delta 6 as you age anyway.

None of the oils you've used directly provide DHA/EPA or GLA. I think linoleic acid is important, alternativista has found numerous studies indicating acne patients typically have too much oleic and not enough linoleic acid. But I also wonder if our systemic/topical levels DHA/EPA and GLA (from a lack of delta 6 desaturase enzyme activity) also affects the lipid composition that makes our sebum too sticky.

Have you seen cvd's "Low Fat Primitive Diet" thread on here? She seems to be having a lot of success by lowering her fat intake and also changing what types of fat she consumes.

Hi Chris1337 --- I too struggled with very sticky sebum and lots of clogged up pores that resulted in bad acne for very long time. What I have had success with and have been doing for the past several months is an experiment to determine if following a very primitive whole foods diet that does not have any added oils (except for a minimal teeny tiny amount of olive oil for cooking) would make a difference.

It does!

This approach totally ignores all the omega controversy and paleo perspective since oils are rarely used and tubers and grains have been part of primitive diets for tens of thousands of years...since way back in early BC times. These peoples and ones that are still in a primitive state today did not have acne. They ate lots of vegetables especially greens, tubers, beans, wild meats, whole fruits, seeds, nuts, etc. They also ate minimal amounts of olive oil (oil was precious). Most all oils used today have been manufactured since the industrial age began...which is very recently (our bodies don't know what to do with it). And butter used today is rarely from grass-fed free range cows that are not exposed to toxins (toxins concentrate in fats). The butter recommended in paleo diets totally ignores the problem of naturally occurring hormones present in lactating cows and concentrated in butter...a problem for people sensitive to hormones...which acne-prone people are!

Up until the late 1800's and early 1900's people were still eating whole natural and free-range foods. Although starting in the late 1800's sugar became much more available and started to be overused. Strains of wheat were being changed for industrial needs to a soft variety with lots more gluten (inflammatory for everyone) and less protein. My late grandmother remembered eating course dark sour breads...not anything like you can usually get today. Plus there was a much greater variety of grains eaten...barley, oats, spelt, rye, etc. People today usually only eat soft wheat. Even italian pasta is better since it comes from hard wheat.

The key here is to return to a much more primitive diet. The paleo diet may work for some people but for people who produce too much sebum and with a sensitivity to androgens it may inflame acne.

Give it a try! I found my skin changing within a month. But you have to follow the diet carefully...and it is hard to do at first since everything seems to have added oils. But once you make the switch you will have better digestion, more fiber in your diet, more energy since you are eating more whole foods, etc. I have discovered a love for soups I make from scratch...they are more like stews actually...and this was a favority food of our ancestors. You saute garlic and onion in a teeny amount of olive oil with added water to prevent sticking. And then add diced vegetables of any combination (zucchini, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, celery, mushrooms, etc.) and some wild meat if you want. I like a bit of white turkey meat. Add water to cover, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, a drop or two of balsalmic vinegar, and bring to boil. Simmer on medium for 20 minutes and eat You can use this as topping for rice. I also add some beans like canned white cannelli beans.

Try to avoid eating too much flour product like breads and instead eat rice and potatoes. If you must eat bread go for rustic french breads because they rarely have added oils or sugars.

Hope this helps!