Ceramide 101: What’s it all about?

If you’ve never heard of “ceramide”, allow us to do the honours. For a few years now, this magic ingredient has been trending in a big way, with many luxe brands dedicating labs and lines to the cause.

Now, before you roll your eyes at another beauty hype-word (we’d totally do the same), – hold up – These suckers ain’t no marketing speak, they’re naturally occurring in our skin, and unless you own a time machine, it’s likely you need more of them in your life. Sorry guys, despite what the models say, great skin doesn’t just come from hot lemon water rituals…

Here’s the deal: Ceramides are essential “lipids, molecules that include fats, waxes, sterols and vitamins, hanging out in the outer layer of the skin. Together with a bunch of other ingredients, like fatty acids and cholesterol, they keep the skin hydrated, plump and purrfect, by preventing water loss. Think of them as the “mortar” of the building blocks of the skin and imagine that, as we get older, deteriorate and, ta-da! Hello wrinkles!

There’s something so magically smooth and plush about ceramide-happy products, and there’s plenty out there worth trying, from the high-end, super science-y to the more natural-based brands (like the mega awesome Dr Jart. Ceramidin oil-to-balm which we are OBSESSED with and started us on this ceramide crusade).

Because, you see, ceramide seems to just melt in like it’s the one ingredient your skin has been crying out for. And, let’s be honest, that’s probably because it has.