When it comes to human health, the omega-3s EPA and DHA are most closely linked to heart health and brain health. However, recent research by GOED and Nutrition Business Journal has found that the #1 reason consumers take omega-3 supplements is to benefit their skin health. Let’s take a deep dive into what recent research says about the skin health benefits of EPA and DHA.

Reducing Acne Severity

Acne is a frustrating and painful experience for many people. However, new research has found correlations between increased omega-3 levels and reduced symptoms of both noninflammatory acne (whiteheads and blackheads) and inflammatory acne (papules, pustules and cysts).

A 2024 study measured the omega-3 levels of people with mild and moderate acne and then observed how their symptoms changed after they were given a 900 mg EPA+DHA supplement daily for 8 weeks, and a 1,200 mg EPA+DHA supplement for another 8 weeks. After 16 weeks, the participants’ average omega-3 index increased from 4.9% to 8.3%. In that time, the percentage of those with intermediate severity acne dropped by 75%.

Additional findings included:

• Those with milder acne had higher omega-3 indexes.
• There were significant improvements in both inflammatory and noninflammatory acne.
• There were particularly significant improvements in body acne—the occurrence of chest acne dropped from 48% to 11%, and the occurrence of back acne dropped from 58% to 13%.
• The percentage of people with 26 or more total noninflammatory acne lesions dropped from 42% to 2%.
• The percentage of those with 21 or more inflammatory lesions dropped from 15% to 0%, and those with 10 to 20 dropped from 47% to 13%.

Other studies have had similar findings. An earlier double-blind study found that acne sufferers who took 2,000 mg of DHA+EPA for 10 weeks saw significant improvements in their inflammatory and noninflammatory acne symptoms.

Improving Skin Hydration & Smoothness

A key measure of skin health is the rate at which moisture in the skin evaporates away, known as transepidermal water loss (TEWL). The higher the TEWL, the more severe the loss of skin moisture. Excessive TEWL results in dry skin and contributes to conditions such as dermatitis and psoriasis, with TEWL increasing as these conditions worsen. This makes TEWL useful for measuring both skin health and the severity of such skin conditions.

A recent study examined how taking krill oil—a source of the omega-3s DHA and EPA—affected TEWL. It found that the more the omega-3 indexes of participants increased, the more their TEWL improved. Skin hydration and elasticity also improved. A Japanese study found similar results, with omega-3 supplementation correlating with improved TEWL and reduced skin pore size.

While most skin health research has focused on DHA and EPA, another study found that taking flaxseed oil, which is rich in the omega-3 ALA—widely found in plants—correlated with reduced TEWL, skin roughness and scaling, and increased skin smoothness and hydration.

As noted above, high TEWL contributes to skin conditions like dermatitis and psoriasis. Given the potential connection between omega-3s and improved TEWL, it’s not surprising that a recent study found that increased omega-3 levels correlated with a reduced risk of eczema (atopic dermatitis) and a reduction in the severity of eczema symptoms.

Hydrated skin is happy, healthy skin.

Reducing Skin Photoaging

While basking in the sun can feel wonderful, it’s not great for your skin. As it turns out, 90% of visible skin damage is due to sun exposure. This sun-related damage is known as “photoaging.”

In addition to the visible light that the sun emits, it also produces invisible ultraviolet rays, known as ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). While visible light rays mostly bounce off our skin, UVA and UVB penetrate the skin’s surface.  This provokes several inflammatory responses, resulting in spots, wrinkles and sagging.

Multiple studies have found that the inherent anti-inflammatory nature of the omega-3s DHA and EPA help protect against photoaging in many ways. While the processes by which this occurs are too technical to detail here, it appears that omega-3s thwart the body’s usual response to sun-provoked skin damage.

Typically, when the skin begins to burn, the body responds by converting arachidonic acid (AA), a pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid, to produce various compounds which provoke the inflammation common to sunburn. But when someone has high omega-3 levels, DHA and EPA take the place of AA, and the body mounts a more anti-inflammatory, less damaging response.

In addition to reducing the consequences of excessive sun exposure, it’s been found that people who are especially photosensitive can tolerate more sun exposure when they increase their omega-3 levels.

Skin Health is Complex; Omega-3s Can Help

This article isn’t intended as medical advice. If you’re experiencing a severe skin condition, talk to your general practitioner or dermatologist.

Skin health is affected by many factors, including age, diet, stress, sleep, and weather. However, the science shows that increasing your intake of DHA, EPA and ALA can potentially support your skin health, and the health of your body as a whole.

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