Glue for Your Skin: The Unauthorized Ceramide Biography

What is it?

A ceramide is a type of lipid (known more colloquially as fat) that helps the skin bind together and retain moisture. Ceramides make up over 50% our skin, so they’re necessary to keep an eye on, and as we age, ceramides tend to diminish,

Benefits:

Internal

Ceramides are commonly applied topically but in this age of getting your skincare from the inside out, there are ceramide supplements, but why spend your coins on supplements when ceramides naturally occur in delicious foods. You can also boost your ceramide intake by chompin’ down on rice, wheat, sweet potatoes, corn, and soy.

External

When applied to the skin, ceramides help reinforce the skin’s barrier and increase hydration. There is no such thing as a skin type that doesn’t benefit from ceramides. Whether you’re oily or even suffer from eczema, ceramides not only protect the skin, they prevent aging. (Click to Tweet) Adding a ceramide product into your routine is one of the best anti-aging steps you can take since aging and sun exposure can break down the skin’s natural ceramides.

Love this type of content? Subscribe to our sassy, no-bullshit skincare newsletter and never miss a post.

Risks:

No major plot twist here, folks: there aren’t any risks to ingesting or applying ceramides. Of course, if you have an allergy to any of the cerammide-rich foods, please avoid!

How does it work?

Ceramides are fatty long-link acids that literally bind your skin cells together. Think about when your skin is dry–it’s flaky and irritated. Now think about your skin when it’s feeling its best–hydrated and smooth. When your skin’s ceramides are down, the natural barrier of your skin is depleted and the cells are coming apart, hence the croissant-like flakiness. (Click to Tweet) When your ceramides are thriving, you look like the dewy angel of dreams!

Is the hype real?

Ab-so-lutely. This can only go great for you and your skin. Especially now that winter is around the corner, ready to suck all the moisture out of your face and body (that’s right, your body skin needs ceramides too!). Incorporate a ceramide-rich cleanser, serum or moisturizer to lock it all in and keep your skin a supple dreamscape.