Flaxseeds For Sensitive Skin Instead of treating sensitive skin topically, with lotions and creams, why not treat it from the inside out with diet? About half of the American population says they have sensitive skin, defined loosely as tingling, chafing, burning, itching sensations when exposed to various environmental factors. A similar high prevalence has been reported throughout Japan and Europe, and it appears especially prevalent among women. Often there are no obvious signs, so it was dismissed as a “princess and the pea” phenomenon by the medical community. Now it’s largely recognized as a genuine physiological phenomenon, thought to arise from a breakdown of the skin barrier that allows potentially irritating substances to penetrate the skin and generate an inflammatory reaction. So what can we do about it? In 2011, a paper was published entitled “Supplementation of Flaxseed Oil Diminishes Skin Sensitivity and Improves Skin Barrier Function and Condition.” In a randomized double-blind 12-week study, researchers gave women about a half teaspoon of flaxseed oil a day versus safflower oil as a control. That’s the amount of oil found in about a teaspoon and a half of flax seeds. To measure skin sensitivity they painted an irritant chemical on their forearms, and after three months there was significant decrease in skin reddening in the flax group compared to the safflower group. Their skin ended up significantly better hydrated, had significantly better barrier function, was less rough, less scaly, and was smoother.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 10:45:53 +0000
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