Hey guys! It’s Stephanie here, one of the skin therapists from Chantal Louise Skin!
If you’ve ever come to see us you may know just how obsessed we all are here with Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) Supplements!
And we know, it sounds weird but we promise there is a rhyme to our reason…
One thing you might not have known is that our brain is actually made up of 70% Essential Fatty Acids! How crazy is that?
But there are loads more benefits and skin-related reasons for our EFA obsession 👇
What foods are these Essential Fatty Acids in?
EFAs are mostly found in fish and nuts. But there are a variety of foods you can eat to up your EFA intake.
- Avocado
- Fish like Salmon, Tuna, Sardines, Mackerel, Herring
- Flaxseed Oil, Soybean Oil, Canola Oil
- Nuts and seeds like Chia Seeds, Flaxseed, Walnuts
- (Or, you can cheat with a supplement)
Australians typically don’t get a lot of these though
The western diet that most of us Australians tend to eat actually means we lack a lot of those essential fatty acids that our body needs.
This actually means that our brain can’t function at its optimal level and also links back to why one in three people have some kind of mental illness such as depression, anxiety, or high stress levels.
So, you can basically conclude that pretty much everyone could 100% benefit from an EFA supplement. If you think about it, if we were to correctly fuel our body with the correct amount of EFAs, then imagine what a difference it would make to our brain and our mental health!
The benefits of incorporating Essential Fatty Acids into your diet
All of the brain benefits
Upping your Essential Fatty Acid intake can improve mental clarity, lower stress levels, and allow your brain to better communicate with the rest of your body.
As an example, sometimes pigment is released from our melanocytes cells (pigment cells) because the cells have mistaken heat for light.
By strengthening and fuelling our brain with more of the components it needs, you can allow the brain to better communicate to its cells and prevent these mishaps.
Let’s cut to the chase though, EFAs are brilliant for your skin
As good as EFAs are for the brain, they are also incredible for our skin — no surprises there!
EFAs actually thin the consistency of the oil that our oil glands produce for us. In turn, this thinning reduces the amount of congestion in our skin, reducing the breakouts we experience, as well as the excess oil we would find on our skin.
As well as that, every single one of our skin cells is coated in a film of essential fatty acid. The cell is kept there until it reaches the surface of the skin and turns into a dead skin cell.
Once this process in the cell cycle occurs, the EFA films around the skin cell push it out, this creates part of our skin barrier.
Yep, our skin barrier is purely made up of EFA, oil and sweat. This means the EFAs we consume play a massive part in having a strong and healthy barrier!
A reminder on the importance of your skin barrier
If you’re a part of the Chantal Louise Skin family, we’re sure you know exactly how vital a healthy skin barrier is. But, in case you need reminding, your barrier is responsible for the health and strength of your skin, as well as the hydration, plumpness, and that general youthful look.
Now, when it comes to waiting to get those visible results, we usually say to wait at least three months. It’s not until this point that you’ll start to really see a difference.
In saying this though, everyone’s skin is so so different — you may see results sooner or maybe a little bit later. It depends on your body’s absorption of the EFA and of course, your skin.
Let’s talk about EFA Supplements
Something to keep in mind is that EFAs are a long term thing. It’s not a quick treatment, it’s a fundamental part of your skin’s health. So, if you start taking the supplement now, in just a few years, you’ll be so glad you started when you did.
Here at Chantal Louise Skin, we stock the Natural Nordic Essential Fatty Acid supplements in both liquid and tablet formation.
We do tend to recommend the liquid supplement as it has a higher mg content but we know this isn’t for everyone. The tablets are a great alternative option that both your skin and brain will love you for!
If you are a loving Chantal Louise Skin Fan, you can purchase your Essential Fatty Acid supplements here. Ready to chat with one of our skin therapists? Book a consultation.