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Diving a little deeper into ceramide-enhanced products

Your everyday moisturiser may do a wonderful job keeping your skin soft and supple, but it probably isn't restoring your skin to its optimal hydration. In a nutshell, the very top layer of your skin is the epidermis, and the topmost layer of that is the stratum corneum. This topmost layer forms a barrier, keeping moisture in and environmental irritants out. In itchy or dry skin, the topmost barrier is deficient in ceramides - so it can struggle to keep moisture in.2

But what if you could help replace those lost ceramides while moisturising your skin? That's the theory behind ceramide-containing moisturisers. They have all of the good things your regular moisturiser does, with the added benefits of ceramides.

The right ratio

The lipid matrix that holds the barrier layer together is made up of about 40-50% ceramides, but it also contains cholesterol (25%) and free fatty acids (10–15%).3 Research has found that you need all three ingredients in a moisturiser to get the desired effect on the barrier layer.4

Research has shown that adding ceramides to moisturisers and cleansers helps relieve dryness and itching

But do they do anything?

Studies have been trying to answer this question, with very promising results. One study investigated the use of a ceramide-containing moisturiser and cleanser.5 They were instructed to use both a ceramide-containing moisturiser and a ceramide-containing cleanser twice a day for six weeks. When they were assessed after six weeks their skin was significantly improved, with less dryness and itching than before the trial began.5

So, research has shown that adding ceramides to moisturisers and cleansers helps to helps support the skin barrier. Which is why Ego has worked so hard to develop a ceramide-containing moisturiser and cleanser specially formulated to help people with very dry and itchy skin.

  1. ASCIA, Information for patients, consumers and carers; Eczema (atopic dermatitis) [internet], 2015 [updated 2015; cited 2018 May 11]. Available from: https://www.allergy.org.au/images/pcc/ASCIA_PCC_Eczema_2015.pdf
  2. Sajic D, Asiniwasis R, Skotnicki-Grant S. A Look at Epidermal Barrier Function in Atopic Dermatitis: Physiologic Lipid Replacement and the Role of Ceramides. Skin Therapy Lett. 2012; 17(7):6-9.
  3. Zeichner JA, Del Rosso JQ. Multivesicular Emulsion Ceramide-containing Moisturizers: An Evaluation of Their Role in the Management of Common Skin Disorders. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2016;9(12):26–32.
  4. Man MQ M, Feingold KR, Thornfeldt CR, Elias PM, Optimization of Physiological Lipid Mixtures for Barrier Repair. J Invest Dermatol. 1996; 106(5):1096–1101.
  5. Lynde CW, Andriesson A. A Cohort Study on a Ceramide-Containing Cleanser and Moisturizer Used for Atopic Dermatitis. Cutis. 2014; 93:207-213.