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Ceramides are one of the most amazing ingredients for repairing & replenishing the moisture barrier. Read this post to learn about ceramides benefits for your skin and why everyone should have ceramide products in their skincare routine.
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Ceramides are some of the most important skin-identical ingredients. These skin-identical ingredients can be found in our skin naturally or mimic the substances found in the natural makeup of our skin.
Skin-identical ingredients are typically categorised into two groups:
- NMFs (Natural Moisturising Factor): NMFs are found inside the keratinocytes (skin cells) and help our skin to bind water. Glycerin or hyaluronic acid are well-known NMFs. They play a key role in keeping our skin nicely hydrated.
- Stratum Corneum (SC) Lipids: SC Lipids are the substances that are found between the skin cells also called the extracellular matrix. It consists mainly of lipids and is essential for a healthy skin barrier. Ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids are all SC lipids found in our skin.
In this post, we are going into great detail and answer some basics such as what are ceramides, ceramides research on optimal ratio and percentage to look for in skin care products and how ceramides benefit your skin in several ways.
What are ceramides?
Ceramides are naturally occurring waxy substances that, in part, make up the “mortar-like” barrier in between the “brick-like” corneocytes that prevent skin from losing water (transepidermal water loss, or TEWL). The other major components are cholesterol and free fatty acids. Together, these components form a liquid crystal structure that is very efficient at preventing water loss.
The application of this would be for skin
- suffering from atopic dermatitis, or
- adjusting to retinoid usage, or
- stripped by aggressive treatments or environmental factors (aggressive acid treatments, stripping cleansers, very cold or dry weather, etc.).
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What are ceramides’ benefits for our skin?
Ceramides help create a barrier to prevent permeability. This locks moisture into your skin, which helps prevent dryness and irritation. It may also help protect your epidermis from environmental damage. These benefits may have anti-ageing effects.
Ceramides’ benefits are not only barrier-repairing but are incredibly anti-ageing too. With regular use of ceramides for about 4- 12 weeks, you can start seeing the anti-ageing benefits and smoother, plumper skin.
What is the latest ceramides research?
- The ideal ratio of ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids for barrier repair
The ceramide research indicates that a 1:1:1 to 3:1:1 molar ratio of any of the components works to repair the barrier. Some research shows different populations benefiting more or less from ceramide, cholesterol or free fatty acid-dominant blends.
For example, aged skin benefits more from a cholesterol-dominant ratio, while infants benefit more from a free fatty-acid dominant ratio, and eczematic skin benefits more from a ceramide-dominant ratio.
Most ceramide research also indicates that all three combinations work for irritant contact dermatitis (caused by aggressive treatments, weather, friction, etc.).
- The ideal percentage of ceramides is useful to the skin
The ceramide research by Mao-Qiang and Feingold shows that a total combined concentration of 1% to 1.6% of ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids is capable of repairing the barrier. When examining the optimal 3:1:1 molar ratio, researchers tested a total concentration of 1%-1.2%.
That means at an optimal 3:1:1 molar ratio at a concentration of 1-1.2%, with any component being dominant, the ceramide concentration needs to be .3%-.7%.
It’s useful to note, that at this concentration, the lipid mixture outperformed petrolatum by the 2-hour mark, which is impressive since petrolatum is often considered the gold standard in preventing transepidermal water loss.
- A ceramide, cholesterol, free fatty acid combo in comparison to an occlusive such as petrolatum
Petrolatum acts as a physical barrier to moisture loss (occlusive) and provides about a 50% recovery from baseline immediately upon application to the skin. Over an 8-hour period, this stays pretty consistent, with just a minor drop by the 8-hour mark.
A proper blend of ceramides/cholesterol/free fatty acids, however, does not provide an immediate physical barrier to water loss. Instead, these lipids get incorporated into the skin’s natural pool of lipids, which then are incorporated into the liquid crystal structure that forms the skin’s natural barrier. This takes time, which means that the benefit is delayed.
However, by the 2-hour mark, an optimal 3:1:1 blend outperforms petrolatum, providing a 55% recovery (vs 50% for petrolatum), and by the 8-hour mark, the difference is even more dramatic (90% recovery vs 40% recovery for petrolatum). It’s notable that combining the two strategies provides the benefits of both immediate partial relief and long-term recovery for a damaged barrier.
How to identify ceramides in skincare products?
Most companies that claim to have ceramides actually use two ceramides “soups” of the purported “ideal” ratio of ceramides/fatty acids, which contain actually very, very little ceramides. Unfortunately, such a low % of ceramides won’t really do many wonders for your skin’s moisture barrier.
But the research for actually using an efficient amount of ceramides is apparently very good for barrier repair.
There are a number of products that contain ceramides, however, they don’t always appear as “ceramide”. These have various names because they are either pseudoceramides and/or a part of a patented biomimetic system or delivery method.
Some examples of ceramide variations are:
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide MEA, Cetyl-PG Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, etc.
Top Skincare products containing ceramides (Asian and European)
We have created a comprehensive list of products that are easily overlooked when searching for ceramide skincare because many customers only look for the word “ceramide” in the ingredients list.
CERAMOL 311 Base Cream – 1,7 oz/ 50ml – $15~40
Curél Intensive Moisture Facial Cream – 1.4 oz/40 g – $24~30
Water/Aqua, Glycerin, Cetyl-PG Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Squalane, Risiloxane, Dimethicone, PEG-3 Dimethicone, Allantoin, Magnesium Sulfate, Butylene Glycol, Isostearyl Glyceryl Ether, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Succinic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Bis-Methoxypropylamido Isodocosane, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract (stimulates natural ceramide production according to manufacturer), Tocopherol, Methylparaben.
Curél Moisture Facial Milk – 4 oz/120 mL – $20~30
Water/Aqua, Glycerin, Cetyl-PG Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Squalane, Polysorbate 60, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Stearate, Cholesterol, Cholesteryl Isostearate, Allantoin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Stearyl Alcohol, Succinic Acid, Bis-Methoxypropylamido Isodocosane, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract (stimulates natural ceramide production according to manufacturer), Methylparaben.
ILLIYOON – Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream 200ml – $18.83
Retail Price: $25.10
You Save: $6.27
from: YesStyle.com
Purified water, butylene glycol, glycerin, cetylethylhexanoate, pentaerythritol tetraisostearate, stearic acid, cyclopentasiloxane, palmitic acid, behenyl alcohol, hydroxypropyl bispalmitamide M Ceramide pc-104 6310ppm), Ginseng Extract, Chinese Magnolia Flower Extract, Cholesterol, Perilla Extract, Lactobacillus / Soybean Fermented Extract, 1.2-hexanediol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, C14-22 Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dimethiconol, mannitol, cyclohexasiloxane, silica, arachidylglucoside, arachidyl alcohol, acrylate/ammonium methacrylate copolymer, ethexyl glycerine, polysorbate 20, polyacrylate-13, polyisobutene, propanediol
There is also a lotion version, and a gel version, but ceramides are listed higher in the cream version.
innisfree – Derma Formula Green Tea Probiotics Cream 50ml – $22.80
from: YesStyle.com
Water, Butylene Glycol, Squalane**,** Glycerin**,** Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea (16,000 Ppm)****, C14-22 Alcohols, Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea (14,000 Ppm)****, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Palmitic Acid**,** Cholesterol**,** Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dextrin, Ceramide NP (80 Ppm), Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Phytosphingosine, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Lecithin**,** Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Glucose**,** Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate (10 Ppm)****, Tocopherol**.**
Zeroid Intensive Oint Cream – 2.7 oz/80 mL – $27.20
Water/Aqua, Theobroma cacao (Cocoa) seed butter, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cetearyl alcohol, Cocoglycerides, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea) butter, Polyglyceryl-10 distearate, Sorbitan stearate, Panthenol, Glyceryl stearate, Squalane, Stearic acid, Camellia oleifera seed oil, Caprylyl methicone, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phytosterols, Tocopheryl acetate, Myristoyl/palmitoyl oxostearamide/arachamide MEA, Euphorbia cerifera (Candelilla) wax, Zinc gluconate, Methyl caprooyl tyrosinate, Tetracarboxymethyl palmitoyl dipeptide-12, Xanthan gum, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Madecassoside, Caprylyl glycol.
Zeroid Soothing Lotion (200 mL – $24)
(Lotion) Water/Aqua, Glycerin, Propanediol, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Sorbitan stearate, Cetearyl alcohol, Carthamus tinctorius (Safflower) seed oil, Glyceryl stearate, Dimethicone, Stearic acid, Myristoyl/palmitoyl oxostearamide/arachamide MEA, Methyl caprooyl tyrosinate, Phytosterols, Tocopheryl acetate, Bisabolol, Xanthan gum, Sodium hyaluronate, Carbomer, Arginine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl glycol, Tropolone.
Zeroid Intensive Cream (2.7 fl oz/80 mL – $25.60)
(Cream) Water/Aqua, Propanediol, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Glycerin, Squalane, Cetearyl alcohol, Polyglyceryl-10 distearate, Glyceryl stearate, Stearic acid, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Myristoyl/palmitoyl oxostearamide/arachamide MEA, Phytosterols, Tocopheryl acetate, Canola oil, Olea europaea (Olive) fruit oil, Cetyl palmitate, Sorbitan palmitate, Sorbitan olivate, Bisabolol, Methyl caprooyl tyrosinate, Xanthan gum, Sodium hyaluronate, Carbomer, Arginine, Caprylyl glycol.
Zeroid Pimprove Toner Moisturizer – 3.38 fl oz/100 mL – $24
Water/Aqua, Methylpropanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Capryloyl salicylic acid, Glycolic acid, Lactic acid, Citric acid, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, Betaine, Zinc PCA, Sodium citrate, Myristoyl/palmitoyl oxostearamide/arachamide MEA, Disodium EDTA
Zeroid Pimprove Moisturizer – 6.76 fl oz/200 mL – $24
Water/Aqua, Glycerin, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Myristoyl/palmitoyl oxostearamide/arachamide MEA, Phytosterols, Stearic acid, Oleamide MEA, Methylbenzyl methylbenzimidazole piperidinylmethanone, Tocopherol, Polyglyceryl-10 distearate, Beta-glucan, Sodium hyaluronate, Allantoin, Sodium polyacrylate, Carbomer, Arginine
Physiogel Calming Relief Restoring Lipid Balm – 1.7 oz/50 mL
Purified Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Palmitoyl Palmitamide MEA, Betaine, Caprylyl Glycol, Squalane, Sarcosine, Acetamide MEA, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Carbomer, Ceramide NP.
Physiogel Daily Moister Therapy Cream 150 ml
Purified Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Xylitol, Nylon-6/12, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Isostearyl Isostearate, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acetamide MEA, Palmitoyl Palmitamide MEA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Niacinamide, green tea, mannitol, squalane, ascorbyl palmitate, allantoin, cholesterol, vitamin e, phytosphingosine.
Glycerin, Squalane, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea, mannitol, cholesterol, allantoin, phytosphingosine, glucose, palmitic acid, oleic acid, vitamin E.
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