A Comprehensive Guide To Ceramides In Skin Care

In our overzealous yet uninformed attempts at skincare, we have been steadily destroying our skin barrier. Suddenly, a whole lot of us are walking around with red blotchy patches and sensitised skin. What’s coming to the rescue? Ceramides—the pockets of fat on the skin’s topmost layer that help repair and soothe the damage of our misplaced faith in ‘lockdown skincare’.

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It's no wonder that ceramides are now present in formulations of cleansers, serums, moisturisers, sunscreens, and products for the face, body and even hair, alike. If you’re confused, remember that it’s one of the safest ingredients to be found in skincare products and incorporating it in any which way will work wonders. Have itchy skin? Use a ceramide. Red and inflamed? Use a ceramide. Dry patches? You guessed it—a ceramide moisturiser to the rescue. But is this wonder ingredient really all that it’s hash-tagged up to be?

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We’ve formulated the ultimate guide on ceramides so that you can make an informed choice for your skin.

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What are ceramides? 

“Ceramides are essential fatty acids that make skin soft and supple,” explains dermatologist Dr Rashmi Shetty, founder and chief dermatologist at Ra Skin and Aesthetics, Mumbai. “They are an integral part of your skin that are there naturally and normally.”. Ceramides have often been compared to the mortar between the bricks that are your skin cells. With excessive usage of skincare products, the mortar gets eroded. Also, as we age, the ceramides tend to disappear. Considering these fatty lipids also known as ceramides make up almost 40 per cent of our epidermis, which is the outer layer of our skin, even a slight loss can be a significant one. The good news? It’s possible to get back at least a part of all that mortar to rebuild and strengthen our defenses. Topical application of ceramides creams, and formulations that contain lipids, are proven to help repair skin. Studies have also shown significant improvement in skin hydration when using moisturisers with ceramides.

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Where are ceramides found?

“They are found in your skin itself”, says Dr Shetty. “When ceramide production goes low, that’s when your skin feels dry, and conditions like atopic dermatitis get triggered. You need ceramides to get that softness of skin, to keep it healed, and hydrated.” These fatty cells are what help retain moisture, strengthening the skin’s outer layer and protecting our body from invasion of germs and pollution. They are also present in hair, as a natural component of the hair cuticle, strengthening the hair shaft and keeping moisture intact, just as it does on skin. Some natural oils such as hemp, jojoba and grapeseed, are rich in ceramides. Both coconut and rosehip oil are rich in linoleic acid, that’s also found in natural ceramides. Laboratory produced ceramides mimic the effects of natural ceramides, which is one of the reasons why it’s such a prized ingredient.

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What are the benefits of ceramides?

What we did during lockdown to distract ourselves from the inevitable lack of control in our lives was unleash ourselves on our skincare barrier. Over-use of exfoliants, uninformed use of retinol, and excessive use of vitamin C—all they did was eat away at our wonderful, fatty ceramide cells. Serving as the first line of defense for your skin, these fatty acids create a barrier on your skin against germs, pollution, and sun damage while locking in moisture and preventing your skin from getting dry. Hydration also helps maintain firmness and suppleness so ceramides for skin can prove to be effective in anti-ageing as well. In fact, ceramides are so versatile that they help mitigate the more irritating effects of harsh actives like retinol—so always look for retinol products that are also infused with ceramides.

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What’s the best way to use ceramides?

Most brands are now creating products with ceramides as one of the main ingredients, if not ceramide-focused skincare lines. Ceramides work well with products containing glycolic acids or retinol, with the latter getting rid of the layer of dead skin cells to allow the ceramide to penetrate the rest of the skin. Topical application has been proven to be the most effective if used consistently. As with all moisturising products, use your favourite ceramide product on damp skin—this helps to lock in the moisture and keep your skin hydrated. You can also consume ceramides in the form of supplements, although a natural intake through soybeans, dairy, eggs, sweet potatoes, wheat germ, corn and brown rice might be healthier in the long run. Keep an eye on the packaging when buying your ceramide products. A lot of products lose their efficacy when exposed to light, air or sunlight. Pick products packaged in opaque bottles, ideally with pumps or airtight dispensers.

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Who should avoid ceramides?

Ceramides are skin-identical ingredients – mimicking something that is already found in your skin – hence there are minimal chances of irritation or allergies when applying a ceramide-rich product. This makes it ideal for everyone. “It’s one of the best things for everyone to use. It’s a hero ingredient and everyone should use it in some form,” claims Dr Shetty. Because ceramides are healing, those with itchy, sore, uncomfortable skin, or those suffering from eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, or a

compromised skin barrier leading to dryness, will benefit the most from the topical application of ceramides. If you’ve been skipping sunscreen and have sun-damaged skin, pile on the ceramide along with aloe vera and oils like jojoba and coconut.

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