Sebum is produced by sebaceous glands from the skin. Sebum has a complex composition that is different from epidermal lipids found anywhere in the human body, for example, squalene and wax esters are only found in sebum. Triglycerides and fatty acids, taken together, account for the predominant proportion (57.5%), followed by wax esters (26%) and squalene (12%). The least abundant lipid in sebum is cholesterol, which with its esters, accounts for the 4.5% of total lipids.
