Ceramides Are Exactly What Your Skin Barrier Needs—Here's Why

In the past, it seemed all anyone needed to worry about was whether their skin was dry or not. Now, we know all about the importance of maintaining the skin's moisture barrier and even preventing transient epidermal water loss (TEWL). Of course, with knowledge comes great responsibility but, luckily, taking full ownership of our skincare habits is easier than ever. When it comes to overcoming dehydrated skin and all things related to the skin barrier, ceramides reign supreme. But they're not particularly foreign or new. The body naturally produces ceramides, and in fact, they make up half of your lipid skin barrier naturally. So, is adding a ceramide moisturizer for dry skin or other skin conditions even necessary?

We reached out to two leading dermatologists for their take on ceramides in skincare products and how to add them to your routine.

What Are Ceramides?

“Ceramides are known to be part of this complex family of fats or lipids called a sphingolipid,” dermatologist, Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, says. One of the best ways to understand how ceramides function is to imagine your stratum corneum (the outermost layer of your epidermis) made up of bricks and mortar. “The skin cells are essentially the brick, and the lipids or the fats are in between, and that’s what we call the mortar,” Dr. Levin explains. Similar to how a stack of bricks wouldn’t be as effective at protecting without the mortar sealing everything in place, neither are your skin cells without ceramides. “It’s incredibly important for the structure of your stratum corneum to remain intact because it serves as a barrier to protect the rest of your skin and keeps all that hydration in,” she says.

Ceramides are naturally derived from our skin but can also be made synthetically for use in skincare products to replenish what you’ve lost. According to Dr. Levin, you lose an increasing amount of ceramides in your 30s and 40s. In other words, adding ceramides into your skincare routine as you age is necessary for maintaining skin that looks and feels healthy. Dr. Levin says you’ll find them in liquid form and most often in moisturizers, but they’re also used in cleansers, toners, and serums with active ingredients like retinoids and glycolic acid, which are meant to allow for deeper penetration of the ceramides. They may be most effective in vacuumed packaging, like containers with pump dispensers, which prevent air from entering and keep the formula stable.

Ceramides can appear on a product label under many different names (for example, ceramide AP, ceramide EOP, or ceramide NP), which understandably causes confusion when shopping for products. According to dermatologist, Debra Jaliman, nine different ceramides are found in the skin, and the difference is based on how long the carbon chains are. But, although the structure of ceramides may differ, she says their function is pretty much the same and nothing to stress over.

Benefits of Ceramides for Skin

Ceramides play an incredibly crucial role in the barrier function of the skin.

• Restore the skin barrier: A loss of ceramides, whether due to aging, the overuse of exfoliants and harsh soaps that strip the skin, or something else, causes a compromised stratum corneum—or the protective barrier of the skin—and allows bacteria to enter through tiny cracks and cause irritation. Replenishing those ceramides will keep the barrier healthy and functioning correctly.
• Lock in moisture: A healthy skin barrier seals the moisture in and prevents water loss from occurring, (it's water loss that is responsible for dry skin). Ceramides can help lock in moisture and prevent it from being lost.
• Protect the skin: Ceramides protect the skin against environmental aggressors and pollution, according to Dr. Jaliman.
• Make skin more tolerable to active ingredients: Ceramides also protect from the chemicals we put on our skin that tend to irritate, according to Drs. Jaliman and Levin.
• Reduce visible signs of aging: As Dr. Levin explains, the thinning and aging of the skin are not only due to the loss or breakdown of collagen and elastin (proteins in your dermis), but your skin barrier (your epidermis) is also significant in protecting and maintaining the rest of the skin.
• Help with inflammatory skin conditions: According to Dr. Levin, when the skin’s stratum corneum isn't working correctly, the skin can get dehydrated, leading to transient epidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes the skin dry, inflamed, and at risk for inflammatory conditions like eczema, rosacea, acne, and psoriasis.
• Soften and smoothes the skin: Common traits of a compromised skin barrier are dryness, flakiness, and fine lines from dehydration. Restoring lost lipids may increase hydration in the skin and improve the overall look and feel.
• Reduce redness and swelling: If you have inflammatory skin or acne, ceramides can help by reducing redness and swelling. This may be beneficial for anyone with sensitive skin, rosacea, acne, or skin redness.
• Improve acne-prone skin: Skin can become acne-prone when the skin's barrier is compromised and becomes sensitive and easily irritated, leading to overproduction of oil and breakouts. Ceramides can combat these effects to help keep skin clear. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology recommends adding ceramides to acne treatment regimens to help prevent dryness that can occur from traditional acne treatments.

Potential Side Effects of Ceramides

Ceramides have no known side effects. However, you can avoid allergic reactions and product sensitivities by testing a small amount on your skin first. 

Ceramides vs. Other Fats

“There are three big classes of lipids: ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids,” Dr. Levin explains. "There are certain ingredients that work better when they’re paired with ceramides, and that’s really that trifecta of your natural skin barrier. We always say 1:2:1 (one cholesterol, two ceramides, and one fatty acid), which is the ratio of these lipids for the natural skin barrier."

Ceramides vs. Hyaluronic Acid

When it comes to battling dry skin, ceramides and hyaluronic acid are at the top of the skincare ingredient list. While the two may have a common enemy, they work in very different ways to combat parched skin. As we mentioned, ceramides are essentially fats that restore and protect the skin barrier by locking in moisture. Hyaluronic acid is a hydrator. It draws out moisture from the external environment to give the skin the replenishing drink it needs, helping it retain moisture. Both ceramides and hyaluronic acid are produced naturally by the body and, despite their differences, the two work famously well together.

How to Use Ceramides

As a moisturizer, ceramides may work best when applied immediately following a shower to lock in extra moisture, and Dr. Jaliman suggests using the product before bed as well. Both dermatologists recommend applying your ceramides twice daily. Use your cleansers first, followed by toners and serums, and save the moisturizer for the final step at night or right before your SPF if it’s during the day.

One of both Drs. Levin and Jaliman’s favorites, this oil- and fragrance-free face and body moisturizer promises to soothe dryness and itchiness and restore hydration in even the driest skin. “This moisturizer is great because it has three types of ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid,” Dr. Jaliman says. “All very good ingredients that will help with dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.”

This moisturizer is another favorite of both dermatologists (and many others, Dr. Levin adds) for its combination of cholesterol, hyaluronic acid, five different ceramides, and enzymes meant to help soften fine lines and wrinkles for an overall smoother, healthier complexion. It also comes packaged in an airtight bottle with a pump applicator to keep the formula protected from light, air, and outside contaminants.

Dr. Levin recommends this formula to her patients who are interested in anti-aging products. "I call it a smart moisturizer,” Dr. Levin says. “It has ceramides and a unique peptide, which are small protein molecules that signal the skin to do very specific things.” The blend of peptides, ceramides, and antioxidants in this formula promises to plump and protect the skin, even skin tone, and smooth texture from fine lines and wrinkles.

For those with very dry skin, Dr. Jaliman recommends this drugstore formula for the body that contains ceramides and oat flour meant to hydrate and soothe the skin. And with the added benefit of being fragrance-free, it's also a safe choice for those with sensitive skin.

Dr. Jaliman is also a fan of this formula, which is full of five ceramides, panthenol, and sodium hyaluronate meant to make the skin plump, smooth, and supple. This liquid can be used as a lightweight moisturizer or worn as a toner and followed with a thicker moisturizer.

According to the brand, the synthetic ceramides in this Byrdie editor-approved formula are bioidentical to the ceramides that naturally exist in your skin. The combination of these with cholesterol and fatty acids promises to greatly improve the condition of the skin barrier and the appearance of your skin.

Final Takeaway

Whether you're battling dry skin or a compromised skin barrier, ceramides are exactly what the doctor ordered to replenish, restore, and protect the skin. Do ceramides come free of cost via the body's natural processes? Yes. But we produce less and less of them as we age, meaning adding ceramides into your skincare routine is absolutely necessary for maintaining skin that looks and feels healthy—both in the moment and for years to come.