ACNE = Linoleic-Acid DEFICIENCY? Corn Oil For Acne?

[SOMO]

Note: This topic is NOT about the CONSUMPTION/INTERNAL use of unsaturated fats. I do not believe anyone should consume vegetable oils due to their inherent stability , but this topic deals with the TOPICAL administration of these oils directly to the skin. I also don't believe applying topical oils will make anyone "fatter" by increasing the amount of total fat in the body.
___________________________________

I believe it has been shown with some certainty that topical (to the skin) application of FATTY ACIDS PENETRATE THE SKIN and can enter systemic circulation (or, at a bare minimum the epidermal top skin layer.) Different fatty acids penetrate the skin with different strength, with Oleic Acid being the best penetration enhancer and is commonly used in beauty products/cosmetics/skincare products/etc.

Ray Peat on his topical administration of lipid compounds (Vit D in this case) :
"Some people with very sensitive thin skin might absorb as much as 30 or 40 percent of what they put on...and yeah in the winter I try to do it every day."

In AV, increased sebum flow dilutes linoleic acid resulting in a relative deficiency which may play a role in comedogenesis.
Acne Vulgaris and the Epidermal Barrier: Is Acne Vulgaris Associated with Inherent Epidermal Abnormalities that Cause Impairment of Barrier Functions? Do Any Topical Acne Therapies Alter the Structural and/or Functional Integrity of the Epidermal Barrier?

There is research dating back decades that acne = LINOLEIC-ACID DEFICIENCY (Different than an Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency.) I repeat, an LA deficiency in the SKIN (if it exists) is different than a systemic EFA deficiency. The sebum of acne-sufferers. Nobody is more attractive because of acne and subconsciously when we see someone with acne, we are seeing how dysregulated that person's biology/health is. Acne is a serious health problem that manifests as an aesthetic issue and our society is concerned with appearance so it is reasonable to assume that if someone has acne they would want to get rid of it. Topical application of oils could potentially "Cure", not just "Reduce" acne.

I've read many anecdotes of people reducing skin issues (acne or hair/scalp problems) by TOPICAL application of these unstable unsaturated oils. Ray Peat talks about the body producing "Mead Acid" (an omega-9), so I speculate that people with messed up lipid peroxidation (if your skin is acne-prone it's almost certainly an issue of lipid peroxidation within your skin.)

In this diagram of the skin-layers, there is a lot of "room" between the blood-vessels and the epidermis. There are numerous opportunities for the skin-cell shedding cycle to screw up along various phases of the shedding "cycle". Eating a clean diet itself can usually ward off acne in those that are acne-prone. Dairy is commonly linked with acne: (Acne and dairy products in adolescence: results from a Norwegian longitudinal study. - PubMed - NCBI)

Healing fats of the skin: the structural and immunologic roles of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
Linoleic acid (18:2omega6) and alpha-linolenic

acid (18:3omega3) represent the parent fats of the two main classes of polyunsaturated fatty acids: the omega-6 (n-6) and the omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, respectively. Linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid both give rise to other long-chain fatty acid derivatives, including gamma-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid (omega-6 fatty acids) and docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid (omega-3 fatty acids). These fatty acids are showing promise as safe adjunctive treatments for many skin disorders, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne vulgaris, systemic lupus erythematosus, nonmelanoma skin cancer, and melanoma. Their roles are diverse and include maintenance of the stratum corneum permeability barrier, maturation and differentiation of the stratum corneum, formation and secretion of lamellar bodies, inhibition of proinflammatory eicosanoids, elevation of the sunburn threshold, inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, and interleukin-12), inhibition of lipoxygenase, promotion of wound healing, and promotion of apoptosis in malignant cells, including melanoma. They fulfill these functions independently and through the modulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated and Toll-like receptors.
Healing fats of the skin: the structural and immunologic roles of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. - PubMed - NCBI

Is it possible that Linoleic Acid, functioning as an IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE, is "quieting" or silencing the inflammatory reaction in the skin?

Oils/Fatty Acids and Effects of Topical Administration.​

Oleic Acid: (found in Olive Oil)

The use of microemulsions is advantageous not only due to the facile and low cost preparation, but also because of the improved bioavailability. The increased absorption of drugs in topical applications is attributed to enhancement of penetration through the skin by the carrier. Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids serving as an oil phase are frequently used as penetration enhancers. The most popular enhancer is oleic acid. Other permeation enhancers commonly used in transdermal formulations are isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, triacetin, isostearylic isostearate, R(+)-limonene and medium chain triglycerides.
Microemulsions as transdermal drug delivery vehicles. - PubMed - NCBI

With the exception of Limonene, I believe all the other chemicals are lipid-like or derived from lipids.

Oleic acid was found to be the most effective enhancer tested, increasing the percutaneous absorption of DHE by 208-fold.
Influence of oleic acid and other permeation promoters on transdermal delivery of dihydroergotamine through rabbit skin - ScienceDirect

For example, oleic acid is a constituent of an estradiol transdermal formulation Vivelle® acting as a permeation enhancer in the presence of propylene glycol (propylene glycol itself is also a penetration enhancer and is slightly oily in texture so it is considered a "moisturizer".)
Efficiency of Fatty Acids as Chemical Penetration Enhancers: Mechanisms and Structure Enhancement Relationship

---

Ricinoleic Acid: (found in Castor Oil)

Castor oil and Ricinoleic Acid can enhance the transdermal penetration of other chemicals.Final report on the safety assessment of Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE, ... - PubMed - NCBI

Mixture additives inhibit the dermal permeation of the fatty acid, ricinoleic acid. - PubMed - NCBI

---

Linoleic Acid: (Any Vegetable oil basically, including soy and corn. )

There was a significant effect of topically applied linoleic acid on the size of follicular casts and microcomedones, an almost 25% reduction in their overall size being achieved over a 1-month treatment period. In contrast, no change was found at placebo-treated sites
Digital image analysis of the effect of topically applied linoleic acid on acne microcomedones. - PubMed - NCBI

Linoleic Acid/Pumpkin Seed Oil:
Used for Androgenic Alopecia, indicating it is blocking DHT. Regardless of the mechanism, it seems to be absorbed enough to affect the scalp cells.
Effect of Pumpkin Seed Oil on Hair Growth in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Linoleic Acid/Corn Oil:

In vivo studies were conducted with curcumin (15 mg) suspended in vehicle (100 μL corn oil) for oral gavage feeding or suspended in a vanishing cream paste (15 mg/100 μL cream) for topical administration provided by our study compounding pharmacist (DB).
Topical corn oil in the management of essential fatty acid deficiency. - PubMed - NCBI

Gamma-Linoleic Acid: (Hemp Oil/Evening Primrose Oil/Borage Oil)

There is a greater antipruritic effect of GLA based on evaluation with both the VAS and PS. There is persistence of a residual effect into the second treatment period after GLA treatment.

Therapeutic effect of topical gamma-linolenic acid on refractory uremic pruritus. - PubMed - NCBI

-------------
Alternavista from acne.org (original topic: Acne Prone Skin/sebum Deficient In Linoleic Acid, Possible Topical Solution)
has compiled an impressive resource showing that Acne-prone skin (the sebum component of skin specifically) uses OLEIC ACID (an Omega-9, like Mead-Acid which Peat believes is naturally produced and resistant to lipid-peroxidation. Olive Oil is high in Omega-9 oleic acid.) instead of LINOLEIC ACID (Safflower/Soybean/Corn Oil) leading to hyperkeratinazation and "stickier" or more "rigid" sebum. This rigid sebum is then speculated to get "stuck" in the skin/hair follicle, leading to a buildup of cellular debris and eventually a localized minor irritation and/or infection, which rises to the epidermis and causes a visible whitehead. She has compiled the information in a more organized manner than this topic, and I recognize this topic will not change anyone's mind. But I do think it is possible that these oils may have benefits, as long as they are not consumed. I also noticed much of the research is focused on "receptors" and I don't think that's going to provide any solutions for people who actually suffer from acne right now.


-------
Oils and fatty acids are definitely absorbed through the skin to some degree and they seem to benefit vulnerable populations (with skin issues.)
Acne is an indicator that something in the person's diet or biology or both is irritating their skin. Topically applied oils do not seem to irritate skin, but orally ingested oils do for many people.
What are some DOWNSIDES of applying fats/oils/fatty-acids topically?

 

[MrThyroid]

Acne is mostly due uncoupled liver function. Why do you think almost all heavy **** abuser get acne because they burn so fast pufas with **** that liver cant detox the pufas fast enough then your skin gets inflamed duethe toxic pufa metabolites. Also scin acne is way to detox if your liver have high burden.
Milk (milk peptide/amino acids/proteins) and sugar increase acne due their insulogenic impact which is anabolic and starts reducing bodyfat which is burning pufa which leads then to imflamed skin.
sorry bad english not native speaker

All those pufa oils reduce thyroid which will lead to reduce anabolic hormones particularly DHT which burnsBodyfat extremely fast also acts like duretics.
And when you have lesser anablic, androgens in your body the lesser is your metabolism and body burning fat (pufa)

 

[Vinero]

Won't these PUFAs get into your bloodstream if you put them on your skin?

 

[MrThyroid]

Won't these PUFAs get into your bloodstream if you put them on your skin?

yes obviously in first place they will improve the case but in longer case you re go worse with them

 

[SOMO]

Won't these PUFAs get into your bloodstream if you put them on your skin?

If you look at the corn oil study, it seems the patients were NOT "cured" of their EFA deficiency by topical administration.
Link: Topical corn oil in the management of essential fatty acid deficiency. - PubMed - NCBI

So either the effect is negligible in comparison to dietary consumption or EFA-status simply can't be changed through topical administration. I'm leaning more towards the former, meaning that EFA status can be affected by topical administration, but dietary is still a more potent and more direct method of altering EFA status.

 

[SOMO]

yes obviously in first place they will improve the case but in longer case you re go worse with them

Have you ever used lotion? Either face lotion or body lotion?


If so, you've likely used these fatty acids or the whole oils themselves.

By what mechanism are topically applied oils beneficial in the short-term but damaging in the long-term?



Ray Peat also recommends applying Olive Oil to the scalp because it is "regenerative to the skin."

 

[MrThyroid]

Ray Peat also recommends applying Olive Oil to the scalp because it is "regenerative to the skin."

because due the vitamin e in olive and other substances

but in the end you have to experiment with it i think

 

[SOMO]

I'm currently reading Ray Peat's "Nutrition For Women" and on Page 25 he acknowledges

"..we believe to be a satisfactory alternative to the injection or implantation of progesterone, namely, a solution of progesterone and VEGETABLE OIL in a lotion or cold cream base for transdermal use...animal experiments revealed that progesterone in VEGETABLE OIL was absorbed effectively through the skin..."

Later in the same section on page 26, he suggests:
"...dissolved in warm olive or ALMOND OIL for transdermal use in patients who react to other solvents."

Apparently Peat isn't too concerned or hasn't directly spoken on the matter of topical application of vegetable oils (or isolated unsaturated fatty acids.)

Summary:
1. Peat suggests and does not discourage use of vegetable oils on the skin.

2. Peat claims these fats ARE absorbed transdermally.

3. FFA (Free Fatty Acids) in the skin may behave differently than fatty acids absorbed through by pancreatic lipases and normal digestion.
Also relevant is the state in which topically-absorbed lipids exist within the cell. I believe they exist as FFAs. It's totally possible that FFAs absorbed transdermally are not immunosuppressive or inflammatory.

 

[Herbie]

I'm currently reading Ray Peat's "Nutrition For Women" and on Page 25 he acknowledges "...animal experiments revealed that progesterone in VEGETABLE OIL was absorbed effectively through the skin..."

Later in the same section on page 26, he suggests "dissolved in warm olive or ALMOND OIL for transdermal use in patients who react to other solvents."

Apparently Peat isn't too concerned or hasn't directly spoken on the matter of topical application of vegetable oils (or isolated unsaturated fatty acids.)

Ray Peat published Nutrition for Women in 1980 it's worth finding out if his views have developed further.

 

[Stramonium]

Acne is mostly due uncoupled liver function. Why do you think almost all heavy **** abuser get acne because they burn so fast pufas with **** that liver cant detox the pufas fast enough then your skin gets inflamed duethe toxic pufa metabolites. Also scin acne is way to detox if your liver have high burden.
Milk (milk peptide/amino acids/proteins) and sugar increase acne due their insulogenic impact which is anabolic and starts reducing bodyfat which is burning pufa which leads then to imflamed skin.
sorry bad english not native speaker

All those pufa oils reduce thyroid which will lead to reduce anabolic hormones particularly DHT which burnsBodyfat extremely fast also acts like duretics.
And when you have lesser anablic, androgens in your body the lesser is your metabolism and body burning fat (pufa)

What does **** stand for?

 

[SOMO]

Ray Peat published Nutrition for Women in 1980 and it might be worth finding out if his views have developed further.

I agree, I also read that RP became more vocal against PUFAs as time went on and his views/knowledge developed.

Also people in this thread had some success with topical unsaturated oils, which seems to be common.

Is any acne benefit solely from the immunosuppression of the skin, reducing breakouts which are an inflammatory process?

 

[benaoao]

What does **** stand for?

I'd guess AAS as in Anabolic+Androgenic Steroids.

The PUFA toxicity makes a lot of sense when it comes to acne, vitamin E works like magic in that sense. I'm quite sensitive skin/hair wise, mostly skin when I eat trash (which doesn't happen anymore though). Vitamin E means not one single zit ever, I could eat all the worst chicken wings and fries and whatever in one sitting and it wouldn't show on the skin. A few weeks ago I had a bit of pasta in pesto sauce, couple of nice pimples 2 days later.

Lastly whatever raises triglycerides is going to increase acne

 

[lollipop]

Lastly whatever raises triglycerides is going to increase acne

This is very interesting.

 

[MrThyroid]

I'd guess AAS as in Anabolic+Androgenic Steroids.

The PUFA toxicity makes a lot of sense when it comes to acne, vitamin E works like magic in that sense. I'm quite sensitive skin/hair wise, mostly skin when I eat trash (which doesn't happen anymore though). Vitamin E means not one single zit ever, I could eat all the worst chicken wings and fries and whatever in one sitting and it wouldn't show on the skin. A few weeks ago I had a bit of pasta in pesto sauce, couple of nice pimples 2 days later.

Lastly whatever raises triglycerides is going to increase acne

yes and increasing triglycerides in blood is due the higher metabolism due the hormones like i mentioned above because those hormones burning so effective your bodyfat then its circulates in your bloodstream as triglycerides

 

[Richiebogie]

Linoleic Acid/Pumpkin Seed Oil:
Used for Androgenic Alopecia, indicating it is blocking DHT. Regardless of the mechanism, it seems to be absorbed enough to affect the scalp cells.
Effect of Pumpkin Seed Oil on Hair Growth in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

This is actually a study on internal consumption of 400mg pumpkin seed oil each day for 12 weeks helping to reverse male pattern baldness!

That may be equivalent to eating 1 pumpkin seed per day!

This small amount of oil also increased testosterone in the study group!

Not sure if there is any benefit to people already eating leafy greens, fruit and dark chocolate.

I wouldn't want to take any more than 1 seed per day!

 

[Richiebogie]

Pumpkin seeds are high in gamma tocotrienols - a form of vitamin E.

I wonder if that is the reason for the hair improvements - not the pufas!

 

[lollipop]

Pumpkin seeds are high in gamma tocotrienols - a form of vitamin E.

I wonder if that is the reason for the hair improvements - not the pufas!

Hmmm...that seems more likely.

 

[Ras]

Did anyone here ever experiment with this?

 

[ilovethesea]

I believe it has been shown with some certainty that topical (to the skin) application of FATTY ACIDS PENETRATE THE SKIN and can enter systemic circulation (or, at a bare minimum the epidermal top skin layer.) Different fatty acids penetrate the skin with different strength, with Oleic Acid being the best penetration enhancer and is commonly used in beauty products/cosmetics/skincare products/etc.

I came across this study about topical PUFAs changing the body’s fatty acid profile according to blood samples. This was on babies though so not sure if would do the same on adults?

Transcutaneous absorption of topically massaged oil in neonates - PubMed

This study shows that topically applied oil can be absorbed in neonates and is probably available for nutritional purposes. The fatty acid constituents of the oil can influence the changes in the fatty acid profiles of the massaged babies.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Oleic acid is bad to use topically.
“Oleic acid causes barrier disruption and eventually induces dermatitis under continuous topical application”

Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils

Plant oils have been utilized for a variety of purposes throughout history, with their integration into foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. They are now being increasingly recognized for their effects on both skin diseases and the restoration ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[ilovethesea]

There is research dating back decades that acne = LINOLEIC-ACID DEFICIENCY (Different than an Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency.) I repeat, an LA deficiency in the SKIN (if it exists) is different than a systemic EFA deficiency. The sebum of acne-sufferers. Nobody is more attractive because of acne and subconsciously when we see someone with acne, we are seeing how dysregulated that person's biology/health is. Acne is a serious health problem that manifests as an aesthetic issue and our society is concerned with appearance so it is reasonable to assume that if someone has acne they would want to get rid of it. Topical application of oils could potentially "Cure", not just "Reduce" acne.

I've read many anecdotes of people reducing skin issues (acne or hair/scalp problems) by TOPICAL application of these unstable unsaturated oils. Ray Peat talks about the body producing "Mead Acid" (an omega-9), so I speculate that people with messed up lipid peroxidation (if your skin is acne-prone it's almost certainly an issue of lipid peroxidation within your skin.)

In this diagram of the skin-layers, there is a lot of "room" between the blood-vessels and the epidermis. There are numerous opportunities for the skin-cell shedding cycle to screw up along various phases of the shedding "cycle". Eating a clean diet itself can usually ward off acne in those that are acne-prone. Dairy is commonly linked with acne: (Acne and dairy products in adolescence: results from a Norwegian longitudinal study. - PubMed - NCBI)




Is it possible that Linoleic Acid, functioning as an IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE, is "quieting" or silencing the inflammatory reaction in the skin?

I think the linoleic acid is displacing the oleic acid which is thick and sticky. So the oil is then able to flow out of pores more easily rather than getting stuck.

Here it says that sebum is 45% saturated, 45% MUFA and 10% PUFA but that oilier areas of the body have a higher composition of MUFA.

The Fatty Acid Composition of the Skin Surface Fat (‘Sebum”) of Normal Human Subjects

www.sciencedirect.com

Here’s another one specific to acne patients.
“Compared to control female subjects, female patients showed increased levels of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) from both facial areas, whereas decreased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from chin areas were observed.”

Fatty Acid Profiling in Facial Sebum and Erythrocytes From Adult Patients With Moderate Acne

Fatty acid (FA) metabolism has been involved in acne vulgaris, a common inflammatory skin disease frequently observed in adolescents and adults, but it remains poorly defined whether the distributions or location of FA in facial sebum and those in the ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Another factor that probably impairs healing is that linoleic acid is a building block of ceramides (component of skin barrier) and acne patients are low in ceramides.

Seasonal changes in epidermal ceramides are linked to impaired barrier function in acne patients - PubMed

Acne skin demonstrates increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) compared with healthy skin, which may be due, in part, to altered ceramide (CER) levels. We analysed ceramides in the stratum corneum of healthy and acne skin, and studied seasonal variation over the course of a year. Using...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov