Will a high-fat diet benefit my skin?
Once synonymous with weight gain, dietary fat is now being dubbed the ultimate beauty food. Laura Tilt gets under the skin of these claims
Fat must have one hell of a spin doctor. The stuff your mum used to swear off while uttering some iteration of ‘a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips’ has undergone a resurgence that would make a Bros brother proud. And it’s now being talked about in beauty circles with the same enthusiasm as retinol and 12-step regimens. All of which might come as a surprise to anyone who’s ever witnessed the impact of a
Dairy Milk-heavy diet on their complexion.
So how can fat be good for the skin? Your skin has two main layers, the dermis (base layer) and the epidermis (outer layer). A sheet of fat cells covers the epidermis like a blanket, locking in water. Essential fatty acids, or EFAS (you’ll know them as omega-3 and 6), are a crucial part of this lipid matrix and help form your skin’s structure and function. And since your body is unable to manufacture EFAS, they must come from your diet. Dietary fat also helps you absorb vitamins A, D and E – micronutrients vital for healthy skin.
But while fats play a role in skin hydration, quality research showing a direct link between the two is lacking, and existing evidence linking fat intake with skin health is contradictory, depending on which markers you look at. In one study of 300 healthy adults, higher fat intakes were linked with lower skin hydration levels. However, higher fat intakes have been associated in other research with better skin elasticity but also an increased likelihood of wrinkles.
What seems more important is the of fat you consume. As anyone who’s ever felt the need to justify their avocado habit will know, not all fats are created equal. Higher intakes of monounsaturated fat (MUFA to its mates) – the kind you’ll find in olive oil, nuts and, yes, avocados – have been linked with protection against photoageing, or skin damage caused by sun exposure. In one study, French researchers found the lowest risk of severe photoageing in those consuming the highest levels of MUFA, specifically from olive oil. Positive effects have also been shown on skin elasticity, and higher intakes of EFAS have been linked with less agerelated dryness in older skin.
Favouring fats with a specific skin complaint in mind? Several studies have shown that high-dose omega-3 supps can lead to improvements in inflammatory conditions like psoriasis, eczema and acne, which is likely down to the inhibiting effects of omega-3 on inflammatory hormones.
The skinny? If you’re not eating for a specific skin condition, you should be able to get all the fats you need from a balanced diet. Omega-6 deficiencies are rare, but omega-3 is less abundant, the richest source being fatty fish, especially salmon. Since plant-based diets are on the rise, supplementing is smart if you’re going fishfree, as the conversion of plant-based omega-3 (from foods like walnuts and chia seeds) to longer chain anti-inflammatory omega-3 is poor.
The skin-quenching truth is that there’s scant evidence that a diet particularly high in fats can be recommended as a treatment for skin health. But research does complement existing dietary advice like olive oil atop a tricolore salad; a moderate fat intake focused on MUFA and EFAS alongside a high intake of colourful fruit and veg (for those fat-soluble vitamins) is most likely to protect your skin. In the spirit of Baz Luhrmann, if I could offer you only one tip for the future, wear sunscreen.