Over the past years, Ceramides popularity as a skincare ingredient has grown tremendously.
And why wouldn’t it?
It’s an active skincare ingredient that’s also essential to skin health![1]
That’s right!
Ceramides are lipids (fatty molecules) that makes up almost 50% of all the oils in the skin.[1]
With such a huge presence in the skin, it’s worth knowing what Ceramides actually does and why it’s such an important skincare ingredient for healthy skin.
What are Ceramides and how does it affect my skin?
What exactly makes the skin strong and healthy?
Well, it turns out there’s a lot of little things that work together!
For example, Collagen keeps the skin tight and elastic while Retinoids helps maintain youthful skin.
Vitamin C brings various support to keep the skin healthy.
However, something needs to hold these different pieces together.
The perfect task for Ceramides[2].
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Not only do these oily molecules bind different molecules together, they actually improve the skin barrier and keep moisture in![1]
Remember, the skin is constantly changing.
It’s a non-stop 28 day[1] cycle of new skin becoming old outer layer skin before finally peeling.
It is estimated that the skin synthesizes 100–150 mg of lipid per day to replace the lost lipids. Therefore, it represents one of the most active sites of lipid production in the body
Vollmer, West & Lephart, 2018
In other words, the skin needs an enormous supply of Ceramides!
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Does Ceramides in skincare products really work?
Let’s quickly review some ways to moisturize the skin[3]:
- Occlusives– Water proof barrier over the skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
- Ex: Oil based creams & Petroleum Jelly
- Humectant – Draw in moisture from the surrounding.
- Ex: Hyaluronic Acid & Glycerin
- Emollient – Fortify empty space between skin cells to create a better moisture barrier. Typically results in softer skin with more elasticity, known as “skin slip”.[3]
- Ex: Ceramides
Yes, Ceramides in skincare products are an active moisturizer!
As for the effectiveness of Ceramides in skincare products, an important scientific study made the following interesting discoveries[3]:
- Ceramides increase skin moisture levels.
- Skin barrier and function improved when using Ceramide infused moisturizers.
- Water loss significantly decreased, even after 24 hours after applying Ceramide cream.
Skincare products containing Ceramides are an excellent way to strengthen the skin with extra Ceramides.
However, it’s not the only way!
Remember, Ceramides are naturally occurring and Niacinamide stimulates the body to produce more Ceramides.[2]
The increase in ceramide synthesis has been confirmed in an in-vivo trial after topical application of 2% niacinamide emulsion for four weeks applied twice daily.
Levin & Momin, 2010
This incredible trait makes Niacinamide and Ceramides a great combination in skincare products.
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Who benefits the most from using Ceramides in skincare products?
Although Ceramides are an excellent addition to any skincare routine, Ceramides can actually help improve some skin conditions!
Skin lacking lipids cannot form a proper moisture barrier[1] and leads to common skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and xerotic skin[3]
As a result, the skin becomes dry, cracked, itchy and irritated.
Fortunately, scientists found that using Ceramide skincare products “help replace the deficient lipids in some skin diseases characterized by barrier impairment.”[3]
Use of the ceramide cream resulted in a 100-percent improvement… in overall subject skin assessment scores after four weeks of use in individuals with sensitive skin conditions.
Draelos & Raymond, 2018
Ceramides in skincare products not only helps, but actively restores the moisture barrier in unhealthy skin![3][5]
It’s always tempting to try active ingredients that promise fantastic results.
However, don’t forget the fundamentals in any skincare routine is keeping the skin hydrated!
Ceramides are an excellent foundation to include in skincare routines.
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Sources:
- Vollmer, D., West, V., Lephart, E. (2018). Enhancing Skin Health: By Oral Administration of Natural Compounds and Minerals with Implications to the Dermal Microbiome
- Levin, J., Momin, S. (2010). How Much Do We Really Know About Our Favorite Cosmeceutical Ingredients?
- Spada, F., Barnes, T., Greive, K. (2018). Skin hydration is significantly increased by a cream formulated to mimic the skin’s own natural moisturizng systems.
- Draelos, Z., Raymond, I. (2018). The Efficacy of a Ceramide-based Cream in Mild-to-moderate Atopic Dermatitis.
- Ceramides are important components of the intercellular lipids that are necessary to link the protein-rich corneocytes into a waterproof barrier that is capable of protecting the underlying skin tissues and regulating body homeostasis.