What are ceramides exactly?
Picture the tiles in a shower. Those are your skin cells. Now, picture the grout in between the tiles that holds them together - those are ceramides. If there isn’t enough grout between the tiles on your shower floor, water will leak out of the shower. Ceramides keep your cells arranged into a matrix rather than a messy jumble, and they keep all the hydration from leaking out.
Ceramides are also responsible for keeping your skin bouncy, supple, and youthful. Unfortunately, when we reach our 30s, our skin begins to thin, ceramides levels begin to drop, and those little long-chain lipids vanish. By the time you reach your 30s, you have lost roughly 40% of your skin’s natural ceramides, and by your 40s, you have lost about 60%. Thinning of the skin is a direct result of this decline. In turn, this affects the elasticity and toughness of the skin, which results in the heightened appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Bummer.
So, what can I do about this?
Well, you can’t stop it altogether. However, skincare products with ceramides built-in are proven winners! Any applied ceramide may have a benefit, even if the amount is slight. In fact, a Japanese study showed an increase in skin moisture content of more than 100% with ceramide use! Products with ceramides can be applied night or day, typically after you’ve applied serum.
You probably already guessed it! SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore ($125, 1.7 oz) is packed with not only ceramides, but essential lipids like natural cholesterol and fatty acids to support elasticity and hydration. It also contains vitamin E to support natural cell repair and reproduction and essential oils to defend the skin against free radical and environmental damage. Before you know it, your winter skin will be supple, healthy, and radiant.
SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore
