The simplest way to use cod liver oil for skin health is in the form of dietary supplements, such as capsules or cold oil preparations found packaged in bottles. Cod liver oil capsules are typically available in 1000 mg doses, while it is recommended to take 4 teaspoons (20 mL) doses of the oil itself. This nutritional supplement provides the skin with several important nutrients as well essential fatty acids. Each of these nutrients helps to protect already health skin and can be used to heal skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis. Most health experts recommend cold water fish supplements to people who do not eat an adequate supply of these types of fish in their diet.
Cod liver oil is rich in both vitamin A and D nutrients. These nutrients are vital to skin health, and often appear in preparations for promoting and healing the skin. The vitamin A component of cod liver oil for skin health treatments is responsible for encouraging new skin cell growth on the surface of the skin and limiting old skin cells from blocking pores, creating blemishes and dry skin. Vitamin D is ideal for protecting the skin due to its anti-carcinogen and antioxidant properties.
Healthy fats, such as omega-3 fats, are necessary for both healthy skin and overall good health, and may be found in many cold water fish extracts. Treatments containing cod liver oil for skin health naturally contain two types of essential fats, docosahexacnoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. These acids are responsible for creating prostaglandins that the body uses to control and reduce inflammation of the various tissues. When the body lacks these essential fats, skin cells often become dry, flaky, and irritated. The condition may change from simple dry skin to a more serious and chronic disease, such as eczema.
Capsules and supplements of cod liver oil for skin health are often very successful in treating eczema and psoriasis. Eczema is characterized by red, inflamed, and sometimes blistered skin that can be difficult to treat. All of the properties of cod liver oil, including the presence of vitamin A and D, as well as the omega-3 fats, lend themselves to reducing inflammation and aid in protecting the skin from further damage. Psoriasis is similar to eczema in that it creates red, itchy, painful lesion, though it manifests as thick, white layers of rapidly produced skin cells. The vitamin A found in cod liver oil prohibits the abnormally fast skin cell reproduction, and the vitamin D helps to heal the skin, promoting fewer, less severe outbreaks.