Sebum, it is constantly known as a nasty substance that builds up in your pores, causes your face to be really oily and greasy, and essentially causes your acne to get worse.  and to some degree, all of our sterotypes, stories, etc are true.  it is a waxy substance that can irritate the skin, clog pores, cause pimples, turn into blackheads, and it is generally comprised of a variety of different elements such as squalene, glycerides, fatty acids, and cholesterol.  When our hormones rage out of control, our sebum production goes up.

There are treatments such as Accutane that are known to reduce or stop oil production all together in the skin.  But it’s hard to do, being that oil is produced literally in every pore of the skin.  And it’s not necessarily all that beneficial, being that we actually need it.  As we age, oil production and moisture in the skin decreases.  this is one of the major factors responsible for the process of premature aging.  In addition, sebum in the right amounts actually protects your skin from losing water, infectious bacteria, and fungi.  it reduces body odor and even protects the immune system.  it is only when its production is too high and hormones are up that it becomes a problem. 

So instead of trying to stop sebum production all together ot letting sebum become the bain of your acne existence, try keeping it under control instead.  Try keeping your skin clean and eating a little less fatty foods.  This could help to keep your sebum levels under control rather than stopping them all together and damaging your skin as we have seen with Accutane