How Skin Oils Protect You: Sebum's Role in Skin Health

The oils produced on human skin can create a barrier that helps protect the skin, to a degree, from harsh external factors.

Sebum is a mixture of oils, wax esters, squalene, and other lipids produced by the sebaceous glands. It helps repel water and dirt, acts as a waterproofing barrier that aids in the repelling of pollutants, pathogens, and water and keeps skin moisturized, reducing the effects of water evaporation from the skin.