Ceramides are essential for normal organising tissues into structures responsible for maintaining your skin’s barrier function, keeping it protected, supple, and moist. Their signalling functions include regulating skin cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Ceramides are a skin-identical ingredient found in your skin at about 50% by mass; they play a vital role in the integrity of the epidermis (your outer layer of skin) by serving as the primary storage area for linoleic acid, which is abundant in your skin’s tissue and plays a crucial role in your barrier function.

Ceramides decrease as we age; clinical studies have found that we lose so much by the time we reach the age of 50 that our skin can be 30% thinner, which is why it is so important to replenish them topically. If your skin experiences a significant drop in ceramides, it can lead to dry, flaky skin conditions and sensitivity, impairing your protective barrier. For this reason, you can find them in high concentrations in our Barrier repair duo, our Ceramide barrier repair balm, and our A+ skin shot.