What are ceramides and what do they do for your skin?

Ceramides are skin-proper substances, which decrease around the age of 30, but can be replenished with the help of skincare products or diet.

Until your thirtieth birthday it is all right with ceramides. Then you're really dependent on tubes and jars, because your skin makes them then almost no longer.
Ceramides are like the glue that holds your skin together. They are lipids (fats) that occur naturally in your skin. More than 50% of your skin is composed of ceramides, so it's not surprising that they play an important role in protecting your skin from environmental damage and helping it look healthy.

The many benefits of ceramides

1. Restores the skin barrier.
Our skin acts as a barrier: it wants to keep all the good things like moisture in and all the environmental influences and irritants out. This skin barrier can weaken or be damaged. A loss of ceramides, for example due to aging, the overuse of exfoliants or anything else, causes that deterioration and allows bacteria to enter through tiny cracks and cause irritation. Replenishing the ceramides keeps the barrier healthy and functioning properly.

2. Retains moisture
A healthy skin barrier seals in moisture and prevents water loss, which causes dry skin.

3. Protects the skin
Ceramides work to protect the skin from environmental influences and pollution, which can cause irritation.

4. Reduces visible signs of aging.
After the age of 30, the skin's barrier function weakens, leading to moisture loss. Because this vital function is impaired, the skin is less able to protect itself from the external factors that cause the dryness caused by aging. This dryness increases as we age and small cracks and wrinkles on the surface of the skin become more visible. Over time, these gradually deepen and increase in number. Ceramides provide natural support for the renewal of the skin barrier and thus reduce the visible signs of aging.

5. Helps with inflammatory skin conditions.
When the barrier function is altered our skin becomes drier, more sensitive and can, for example, develop inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, acne and psoriasis.

6. Softens and evens out the skin
Common features of a compromised skin barrier are dryness, flaking and fine lines caused by dehydration. Restoring lost lipids (fats) can increase skin hydration and improve the overall look and feel. Serums like Routinely's Barrier boost B3 serum instantly even out your complexion. If you use them more often, they regulate pigmentation. Your complexion becomes more even and glowing.

Did you know you can also replenish your vitamin levels through diet?

By adding lots of lean proteins, leafy vegetables, wheat, beets, rice and good oils, such as coconut and avocado oil, to your diet, you can boost your ceramide levels from the inside out. The effect takes a little longer than with a serum or cream, but every little bit helps. (Source: Women's Health US, Dec 31, 2019)

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