Ceramides are the lipids that keep our skin barrier strong & hydrated.
The skin barrier is the outermost layer of our skin. Our skin cells are held together by a mortar of oils (lipids) that seals moisture in and keeps irritants, pollution and bacteria out. Ceramides make up about half of that mortar.
But our ceramide levels can be affected by the environment, especially during cold, dry and windy weather, and they can also decline as we age. When this happens our skin starts to feel extra dry, sensitive and reactive, so adding ceramide-rich skincare to your routine can help rebuild and strengthen that barrier.
The ceramide types to know
It helps to know a few names when you are reading a label. Ceramide NP (also called ceramide 3), ceramide AP (ceramide 6) and ceramide EOP (ceramide 1) all occur naturally in your skin, so they are the ones that slot back in most easily. These three do the real work in your barrier, holding moisture in and keeping pollution and irritants out. Below are my picks for every step of your routine.
Cleansers with ceramides
MooGoo Ultra Gentle Cleanser with Ceramides
A good ceramide routine starts at the sink. The MooGoo Ultra Gentle Cleanser with Ceramides is sulphate-free and made for hypersensitive, fragile or eczema-prone skin, with an irritation score MooGoo measured at 75% lower than a standard SLS wash. Its ceramides are Ceramide 3 and 3B, the types closest to the ones already in your skin, so they slot straight back in as you cleanse.
A Bit Hippy Face Cleanser
The A Bit Hippy Face Cleanser is the creamy option, a sulphate-free milk with hyaluronic acid and ceramides and a soft scent of bergamot, rosewood and patchouli. It suits normal to dry skin that wants a gentler cleanse.
Serums with ceramides
Weleda Skin Food Super Serum
The Weleda Skin Food Super Serum carries ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a light layer under the brand’s calendula and chamomile blend. In Weleda’s testing, 100% of users felt instant hydration after one use, and it layers under any moisturiser.
100% Pure Watermelon Cucumber Water Locking Serum
The 100% Pure Watermelon Cucumber Water Locking Serum is the fresher, fast-absorbing one, hyaluronic acid and a rice bran ceramide with watermelon and cucumber waters and a triple-acid plumping complex. Good for thirsty skin that wants a quick drink of water.
Day creams with ceramides
MooGoo Ultra Hydrating Face Cream
The MooGoo Ultra Hydrating Face Cream is the everyday all-rounder, with skin-identical Ceramide 3 and 3B alongside hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, aloe and five fatty-acid-rich oils. It suits most skin types and sits well under sunscreen or makeup.
KORA Organics Plant Stem Cell Retinol Alternative Moisturiser
The KORA Organics Plant Stem Cell Retinol Alternative Moisturiser pairs ceramides with a plant-based retinol alternative for firmer, plumper-looking skin without the irritation. In KORA’s trial, 96% saw no irritation and 85% found it more effective than the retinol they had used before.
Night creams with ceramides
Mukti Queen of the Night Crème
The Mukti Queen of the Night Crème is the rich night option, built on Mukti’s signature ceramide complex with antioxidant Queen Garnet plum for mature skin. In Mukti’s trial of 50 users, 98% saw an improvement in moisturisation and smoothness.
Vanessa Megan AEON Azure Regenerative Cream
Vanessa Megan’s AEON Azure is the award-winner of the group, a ceramide-rich regenerative cream for mature and sensitive skin. Its standout is a hibiscus oligopeptide made from okra fruit, a plant-based peptide that softens the look of expression lines without anything drastic. Ceramides support the barrier, colloidal gold and blue tansy give it that unmistakable colour, and the whole thing is gentle enough for reactive skin.
Madara SOS Rich Hydra-Barrier CICA Cream
The Madara SOS Rich Hydra-Barrier CICA Cream is a rich, comforting rescue cream. Alongside ceramides and hyaluronic acid it leans on centella asiatica, the herb better known as cica. Cica has been used in skincare for years to calm redness and soothe reactive, irritated skin, which is why it turns up in so many barrier creams. This one is made for dry, stressed and easily-upset skin.
Sunscreens with ceramides
Little Urchin Tinted Face Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50+
UV is one of the fastest ways to run ceramides down, so it makes sense to finish your morning routine with an SPF that has some in. The Little Urchin Tinted Face Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50+ uses non-nano zinc for SPF 50+, with a light-medium tint that evens skin tone and leaves a warm glow. Fragrance-free.
Little Urchin Natural Face Clear Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50+
The Little Urchin Clear Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50+ is the no-tint version, the same non-nano zinc that rubs in clear and sits under makeup without a cast.
Lip care with ceramides
INIKA Organic Tinted Lip Serum Peptide + Ceramide
Your lips have a barrier too, and it is thinner than anywhere else on your face. The INIKA Organic Tinted Lip Serum brings Ceramide NG, a plant-derived lipid, and peptides to the one spot most routines forget, in a cooling applicator with a sheer wash of colour. There is a clear version if you would rather skip the tint.
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