How to Use sebum in a Sentence

sebum

noun
  • Your hair can become oily if your scalp makes too much sebum.
    — Brittany Loggins, Health, 26 May 2024
  • Clogged pores are caused by excess sebum and dead skin cell build-up.
    — Sarah Han, Allure, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Each day, your scalp produces oil, sebum and other gunk as well.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 12 Nov. 2023
  • The new skin swab test collects this sebum from patients’ backs.
    — Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Sep. 2022
  • Too little sebum means dry, flaky skin, like patches of eczema.
    — Isabella Cueto, STAT, 23 July 2022
  • As for why some people tend to produce more sebum than others?
    — Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 5 Oct. 2023
  • The oil mimics your skin’s natural sebum, which in turn keeps your face smooth and soft.
    — Ashley Weatherford, The Cut, 30 Mar. 2018
  • These skin types tend to overproduce sebum, which leads to clogged pores and breakouts.
    — Lacey Muinos, Health, 4 Aug. 2023
  • Hormonal changes affect the amount of oil (sebum) on the skin.
    — Carrie Madormo, Rn, Mph, Verywell Health, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The key is to then find a way to whisk off the oil, with your own sebum and impurities in tow.
    — Sable Yong, Teen Vogue, 10 Sep. 2018
  • Without sebum, hair could feel very dry and break easily.
    — ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • On top of this, a nasty combination of dead skin cells, sebum, and dirt builds up in pores over time.
    — Deanna Pai, Glamour, 4 Sep. 2019
  • On the other hand, if your skin is oily, that’s because your skin produces too much oil (sebum).
    — Jenn Sinrich, SELF, 13 Mar. 2019
  • That gunk comes from blackheads, a type of blemish that happens when sebum and dead skin cells clog up an open pore.
    — Kara Wahlgren, Seventeen, 25 Oct. 2017
  • Those with an oily skin type tend to have excess sebum, which can lead to buildup under the skin, and thus, acne.
    — Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2022
  • Those with an oily skin type tend to have excess sebum, which can lead to buildup under the skin, and thus, acne.
    — Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2022
  • Finding the right face wash can be a game-changer for those dealing with excess sebum oil and shine.
    — Sarah Bradley, Health, 8 Aug. 2023
  • However, your hair can start looking overly shiny when there’s a buildup of sebum.
    — Kayla Blanton, Health, 25 Apr. 2023
  • For those who want a lightweight oil that removes sebum and grim while soothing the skin, look no further.
    — Rosa Jisoo Pyo, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Rice starch is the star here, absorbing sebum, soaking up oil, and dulling excess shine.
    — Sarah Felbin, SELF, 19 Sep. 2024
  • In shaving cream, this degreaser breaks down sebum, the oil your skin produces.
    — Wired Staff, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2006
  • Squalane is derived from squalene, a lipid that’s part of our skin’s natural sebum.
    — Melanie Rud, Peoplemag, 11 May 2023
  • These glands secrete sebum (oil) through the pore opening, which helps keep your skin soft and protected.
    — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, 31 Oct. 2019
  • Excess sebum isn’t always the only reason for clogged pores, though.
    — Twiggy Jalloh, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Acne forms as a result of a hair follicle that’s been clogged due to excess sebum and dead skin cells.
    — Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2021
  • The clog starts with dead skin cells that get trapped together inside a pore by sebum, oil that keeps your skin from drying out.
    — Korin Miller, SELF, 25 Jan. 2018
  • These stains are typically caused by dirt and soil, or by the skin and sebum rubbing off on pressure points.
    — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
  • The same is true for dry scalp, though aging causes the body to produce less sebum, which can result in dryness.
    — Sarah Bradley, Health, 13 Feb. 2025
  • The scalp produces far more sebum—the natural oils that Farel mentioned—than the rest of the body.
    — Adam Hurly, GQ, 12 Jan. 2018
  • The buildup of bacteria, sebum, and skin cells into the skin causes pimples.
    — Amelia MacIntyre, Verywell Health, 12 Sep. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sebum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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