Does fish oil help with skin disease? What the research does and doesn't show

The evidence doesn't support fish oil as an established remedy for eczema or acne. Two small pilot trials found a benefit, but at doses far above a typical softgel — 5.4 grams of DHA a day for eczema, 2 grams of combined EPA and DHA for acne — each in fewer than 55 people, not a confirmed finding.

What the evidence doesn't support

It doesn't support fish oil at typical over-the-counter doses as something that improves eczema or acne — the trials that did find a benefit used doses several times higher than a standard softgel serving. It doesn't support omega-3 as an established treatment for either condition; each finding below comes from a single small trial, not a body of confirming research. It doesn't support a claim that fish oil causes acne either — no trial reviewed here reported that as a side effect.

What the trials found

A 2008 randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in the British Journal of Dermatology gave 53 adults with atopic eczema either 5.4 grams a day of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) alone or an isoenergetic control of saturated fat, for 8 weeks. The DHA group had a significant improvement in eczema severity score (SCORAD), while the control group did not. The DHA group also showed a drop in a lab marker of allergic antibody production. The trial's own authors called the results a pilot finding that needed confirmation in a larger study — which, as of this writing, doesn't appear to exist.

A 2014 randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in Acta Dermato-Venereologica gave 45 people with mild to moderate acne either 2 grams a day of combined EPA and DHA, 400 mg a day of gamma-linolenic acid (a different fatty acid, from borage oil), or a control, for 10 weeks. Both the omega-3 group and the gamma-linolenic acid group had a significant decrease in inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesion counts, along with a reduction in a marker of skin inflammation on tissue samples. No severe side effects were reported.

Questions people ask

Does fish oil help with eczema?

One small pilot trial found a benefit at 5.4 grams of DHA a day — roughly 20 to 45 times a typical over-the-counter softgel's combined EPA and DHA content — over 8 weeks. That's a single trial in 53 adults, not a confirmed or repeated finding.

Do fish oil supplements cause acne?

No trial reviewed here reported omega-3 causing or worsening acne. The one dedicated acne trial found the opposite direction — fewer lesions after 10 weeks of supplementation — though at a dose several times higher than a standard softgel.

Can fish oil help acne?

One small trial (45 people, 2 grams a day of combined EPA and DHA, 10 weeks) found fewer inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions compared with a control group. It's a single positive trial at a high dose, not an established finding.

When to talk to a doctor

Eczema, acne, psoriasis or rosacea that's persistent, widespread or affecting quality of life is worth a dermatologist's evaluation rather than a supplement search alone. Fish oil is not an established treatment for any diagnosed skin condition, and nothing in the evidence above supports using it in place of what a dermatologist prescribes. If you take medication, or are pregnant or nursing, talk to a doctor before adding any supplement.

Related reading: fish oil applied to skin or hair, instead of swallowed, types of fish oil compared, and how much fish oil should you take a day.