What does ceramide do for your skin?

What Is Ceramide?

Ceramides, also known as brain amides, are a type of sphingolipid composed of sphingosine long-chain bases and fatty acids.

Ceramides are mainly found in animal gray matter, bone marrow, etc., and are an important component of human stratum corneum lipids. Ceramides have a variety of structures, and the difference lies in the difference in fatty acids. The distribution of fatty acids in human ceramides is: 24-carbon fatty acids are the most, followed by 16 carbons, and then 18 carbons, etc. Animal ceramides can be extracted directly from animal gray matter or from piglet skin.

Ceramides are a very important component of the skin barrier. Ceramides account for the largest proportion. In addition to ceramides, there are also triglycerides, phospholipids, squalene, and cholesterol.

In terms of skin structure, human skin is composed of epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue, and only the epidermis is related to cosmetics. The outermost layer of the epidermis is also called the stratum corneum.

Ceramide is something between the stratum corneum cells, accounting for about 50%. When ceramide and cells are arranged regularly, the stratum corneum is a complete and strong structure, which can lock in moisture, protect from external stimuli, and make the skin look tender and flawless.

Therefore, adding ceramide to cosmetic formulas cannot directly participate in the reconstruction of the barrier. The mechanism of its skin care effect is more to form a protective layer on the surface of the skin, and indirect ways, let the skin self-renew to form a new and better skin barrier.
What Are The Functions Of Ceramide?
Maintaining the skin barrier: Ceramide can tightly bind cells together, enhance the barrier function of the skin, reduce the entry of harmful substances into the skin through pores and sweat glands, improve the skin's ability to resist stimulation, and improve allergic skin.

Moisturizing: Ceramide has two long-chain hydrocarbon groups, which are hydrophobic. The amide bond is hydrophilic, which can not only capture skin moisture, but also capture nutrients in cells, reduce the loss of skin moisture and nutrients, maintain skin elasticity and moisture, repair and rebuild cell adhesion, and quickly repair dry and damaged skin.

Anti-aging: Ceramide can stimulate fibroblast proliferation, and fibroblasts can produce a large amount of collagen and elastic fibers to maintain the youthful state of the skin. At the same time, ceramide can inhibit the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (the main function of this enzyme is to degrade collagen and elastin in the dermis, causing the skin to sag and age), so ceramide has a certain anti-aging effect.

Whitening: Studies have shown that ceramide inhibits melanin synthesis and has a certain improvement effect on pigmentation caused by wounds or inflammation.

What Is The Application Of Ceramide?

Ceramides are widely used in the cosmetics industry, mainly as moisturizing and repairing ingredients. They have excellent moisturizing, repairing and anti-aging functions, can deeply nourish the skin, improve the skin's water retention capacity, and effectively improve skin dryness, desquamation and other problems. Ceramides can also repair damaged skin, promote the production of collagen, and make the skin smoother and firmer. Therefore, ceramides are widely used in cosmetic products such as skin care products, shampoos, and sunscreens. In addition, as consumers pay more and more attention to the transparency and safety of cosmetic ingredients, ceramides, as a natural, gentle and efficient ingredient, have also been favored by more and more consumers.

In the oral beauty food industry, ceramides are also valued. Especially in Japan, although hyaluronic acid has become a new food raw material and a large number of products focusing on "moisturizing and hydrating" have emerged in an endless stream, ceramides still maintain their position, especially in oral beauty foods. As a functional ingredient for hydrating and moisturizing, it is on par with hyaluronic acid and has become a popular raw material in the oral beauty industry.