Why your skin needs ceramides, quite literally
Suffering from dry or dehydrated skin even when you’ve already applied a plethora of products? Or suffering from skin sensitivity or flare-ups? Ceramides are gonna be your skin saviour.
Ceramides are lipids (fats) that can be naturally found in the body, on the uppermost layers of the skin. It makes up to over 50% of the skin’s composition and is part of the fat/lipids family called sphingolipid. Ceramides are considered “skin-replenishing” or “skin-identical” ingredients, and are vital in determining how your skin will look and how it reacts to environmental threats.
Ceramides work to hold the skin together, forming your skin’s protective layer that limits moisture loss and guards against environmental stressors like pollution from causing visible damage on the skin. A representation one can off it to think of a brick wall, a brick wall stacked up is useless unless there is a layer of cement in between to seal and hold everything together. The bricks represent skin cells, and the cement represents the ceramides in our skin. So when there are little ceramides, it’s easier for our skin to break down.
A common question regarding ceramides skin care products is 'if our body already has and produces ceramides, why do we need to add them to our skincare regime?'. Read on below to find out the benefits and why we should.
Benefits
Skin barrier protector
- Increasing age, free radicals and various environmental factors like UV rays, pollution and cigarette smoke can deteriorate the skin’s natural ceramides which will lead to a weakened skin barrier. Resulting in drier and rougher skin, irritations, premature ageing skin, and signs of dehydration, all of which makes the skin appear less healthy.
- In providing the skin with more ceramides, think of it like applying more cement to a cracking brick wall. It seals all the tiny cracks that can cause irritation and moisture loss, and allows the barrier to function properly.
Retain moisture
- A common effect of a stronger skin barrier is that the skin will definitely be more hydrated as there will be fewer chances of moisture loss and TEWL (transient epidermal moisture loss).
Firms and plumps the skin
- With increased hydration and moisture, the skin will appear plumper and smoother, with lesser visibility of fine lines and wrinkles. Resulting in younger-looking skin.
Lessens sensitivity
- A weakened skin barrier is more prone to inflammation and irritation because more harmful substances from the environment can easily permeate the skin and cause sensitivity reactions, bacterial growth and more. By strengthening the barrier, there will be fewer chances of irritants penetrating the skin, reducing sensitivity.
- After prolonged use of ceramides, your skin will also be more tolerable to active ingredients such as AHAs, BHAs, retinol and other ingredients are known to cause irritation.
- Ceramides are suitable for all skin types and even recommended for those with eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and atopic dermatitis.
What to note?
- Ceramides are suitable to be used in conjunction with almost all ingredients, it works especially well with cholesterol and fatty acids, which are considered lipids as well.
- When looking at ceramides products you may find yourself faced with various names (ceramide AP, ceramide EOP, ceramide NP) as there are 9 different ceramides that differ in their carbon chains. But don’t fret, they all function pretty much the same.
Products we recommend
CeraVE
A majority of CeraVE products are formulated with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, a divine combination to help hydrate, nourish, soothe and heal any skin types. Below are just its staple products, they also have serums targeting different concerns.
Daily Moisturising Lotion - suitable for those who prefer a lighter consistency than creams
Dr.Jart
This entire Ceramidin collection works to deliver deep moisture to restore and repair the skin barrier and has become one of Dr.Jart’s most popular and raved about products.
A balancing cream that is formulated with ceramide to strengthen the skin’s barrier, as well as, hypoallergenic formula to soothe and replenish the skin.
COSRX Moisture Power Enriched Cream
A moisturiser containing vitamin B5, propolis and ceramide that intensely hydrates, leaving the skin to feel smoother and more supple.
The INKEY List Ceramide Night Treatment
An overnight treatment containing 3% ceramides and 2.5% hyaluronic acid is designed to replicate the ceramides found in your skin, this treatment empowers the natural protective layer responsible for retaining moisture within your skin cells.
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