Sometimes, some retinol products make my skin dry and sensitive. Then I apply the ceramide capsules of Elizabeth Arden or CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM with ceramides. They instantly give my skin a nice texture. They say that American women like quick and visible results. Ceramides provide exactly such results. But ceramides are not good for everyone. If you do not have very dry skin or eczema, don’t use products loaded with high concentrations of ceramides every day and let me explain why.
First, ceramids are well known to be lipids naturally existing in skin. Having correct levels of ceramids and other lipids in skin is a sign of healthy skin barrier, which keeps water inside the skin from leaching out. So when the skin barrier is damaged, for example, in the case of eczema, topical application of ceramides helps restore this barrier function. But if your skin is already oily, there is no reason for you to apply more fat on your skin. It can break you out.
Second, researchers have realized that ceramides play a signaling role, regulating cells’ life-cycles. In this process, ceramides are closely related to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Basically, the oxidative stress, for example, UV irradiation, generates ROS. ROS results in an increase of ceramide production. The increase of ceramides, in turn, generates more ROS, which causes skin aging. Topical application of ceramides increases the ceramide level of skin. Whether this will also contribute to generation of ROS is not demonstrated, but the association between ceramides and ROS scares me a little bit. And I want to wait for more research before I put a lot of ceramides on my face.
What do you think and what is your experience with skin care products loaded with ceramides?