Ceramides in Skincare

If you take a look at the ingredient list on your favorite tub of moisturizer, there’s a decent chance you’ll find ceramide somewhere in the list. Lots of products boast that they include ceramides. You might think it’s just another filler ingredient that’s on-trend but doesn’t do much—but in this case, you’d be wrong. Ceramides are an important part of your skin’s natural state, and including ceramide products in your skincare routine is recommended by beauty gurus and dermatologists alike. Simply put, they deserve the hype they’re getting.

What Are Ceramides?

They’re actually a compound, specifically a fatty acid, that’s produced naturally by your skin. According to Rajani Katta, M.D, a board-certified dermatologist, ceramides and skin cells are like mortar and bricks. The stratum corneum, or the outermost layer of the skin, is a whopping 50% ceramides that hold skin cells together. They’re crucial to your skin biome and are a deciding factor in how your skin looks, feels, and reacts to external stressors.

What Do They Do?

Ceramides are a little bit of a wonder chemical. They fortify, hydrate, and restore the skin, and are all-natural and non-irritating. They’re shown to protect against transepidermal water loss (basically, lack of hydration), eczema, and atopic dermatitis, and a shortage of ceramides can leave the skin open to these skin woes and many more.

One of the most common issues people report with their skin is persistent dryness and flakiness, and that can be traced to a process called transepidural water loss (TEWL for short). Ceramides work as a kind of retention barrier that keep in hydration and prevent this water loss, leaving your skin more hydrated and less sensitive to irritation.

This same barrier fortifies your skin against damage by UV rays and free radicals, and can even reverse damage, fine lines and wrinkles. Your skin naturally starts producing fewer ceramides after about age 30, which leads to signs of aging, but adding ceramide products to your skincare routine can keep your skin biome healthy and erase wear and tear, making your skin look younger and brighter.

Ceramides, being a natural lipid compound, are also a universal aid to most skin issues and are suitable for even the most sensitive skin. There’s even evidence to suggest that sensitive skin may be strengthened by the addition of ceramides, and acne-prone skin might have fewer issues with clogged pores as ceramides balance the skin’s pH levels and sebum production.

Basically, you can’t go wrong with ceramide skin products. Your skin will be happier and healthier with a balanced biome. So, when you’re shopping with us at Keshoume, check our skincare for moisturizers with ceramides! Your skin will be sure to thank you.

Rowan Thompson - January 11, 2021

Sources:
Hunter, Anna. “Why Your Skin Desperately Needs Ceramides (Possibly More than Retinol).” Get The Gloss, 13 Mar. 2019, https://www.getthegloss.com/article/why-your-skin-desperately-needs-ceramides-possibly-more-than-retinol.

Jacoby, Sarah. “Why Just About Everyone Should Think About Using a Ceramide Cream.” SELF, 28 June 2019, https://www.self.com/story/ceramides-skin-care.