Sebum (Latin, meaning fat or tallow) is an an oily/waxy secretion of the sebaceous glands made of fat (lipids), wax, and the debris of dead fat-producing cells, that lubricates the skin and hair of mammals. It may sound gross yet it is a gift from nature. Microscopic glands in the skin secrete sebum as a natural protection and preservative. It is normally found in greatest abundance on the face and scalp yet these microscopic glands are none the less distributed throughout all skin sites except the palms and soles. In the eyelids, meibomian sebaceous glands secrete a special type of sebum into tears.
Sebum itself is odorless, but its bacterial breakdown does produce odors. Sebum is manifest in "oily" hair and skin. Earwax is, at least partly, composed of sebum. Excessive sebum can cause acne (among other enemies of a clear complexion) and has been linked to eating red meats, fried, oily or other foods, but these studies are not conclusive.
In Western Culture there has existed a tradition of waging war on Sebum perceiving it of little or no value and even worse... uncleanly, disgusting and repugnant.
Should we consider, in the light of 4.5 billion years (give or take) of planetary evolution that nature has created sebum for a valid reason and our current opinions my be, to say the least, misguided?
We are acutely aware of the perceived adverse effects of an over-production of sebum and only now beginning to understand the effects of too little. We bring a wide range of drug, steroids and cleansing agents to bear in an effort to control the production of or remove sebum and have done so with too little concern, I believe, for the adverse side-effects of reducing and/or eliminating sebum and sebum production.
Globally, we spend an estimated $24 Billion on skin care products and it can be argued that the most expensive of these, the most natural of these, work to return many of the characteristics to our skin that are provided by, well, sebum. The stuff we work to scour away daily. I get wrinkles just thinking about this.
Now, get me started on the adverse effects of aluminum in deodorants. | |
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