Ask any skin expert about ceramides, and they will sing praises of this ingredient for helping maintain healthy and calm skin, and also reducing visible signs of ageing effectively. They will also fill you in on the fact that ceramides exist in your body naturally, and that they make up at least half of your lipid skin barrier. But if this powerhouse skincare ingredient already exists in your body, why do you need to add them to your skincare routine separately? We found the answer to that question and several other inquiries about this highly praised, but not fully-understood skincare ingredient.
First Up, What Are Ceramides?
Ceramides are essential lipids naturally found within your body, which help maintain the integrity of your skin barrier and hold hydration in your skin. One of the most important things about ceramides that you should know—its presence within your body decreases in the 30s and 40s, and hence, you need to replenish it by adding ceramide-infused skincare products in your routine, so that your complexion looks fresh, youthful, and healthy.
You will find ceramides in liquid form, most often in moisturisers, but they are also used in cleansers, toners, and serums, where they are paired with other active ingredients like glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, and bakuchiol. Using ceramides in serum or moisturiser form may probably be the most effective, as they allow the ingredient to absorb deep within your skin layers and soothe irritation and inflammation to reveal a naturally glowing and radiant complexion.
Benefits Of Ceramides For Skin
Ceramides play an incredibly crucial role in improving your skin health and radiance. Some of the major benefits offered by this powerhouse skincare ingredient include:
- It helps restore your skin barrier: A loss of naturally occurring ceramides in your body, whether due to ageing, or overuse of harsh soaps and exfoliants can compromise the protective barrier of your skin, and allow bacteria to enter through the tiny cracks and cause irritation and swelling. Replenishing those ceramides via skincare can help keep your barrier healthy and functioning properly.
- It helps lock in moisture: A healthy and strengthened skin barrier helps lock in all the moisture and prevent transepidermal water loss.
- It protects your skin: Ceramides work to protect your skin against environmental stressors, such as pollution and harsh rays of the sun. When paired with antioxidants like vitamin C, ceramides can also effectively prevent free radical damage in the skin.
- Ceramides make your skin more tolerable to active ingredients: Ceramide is the ultimate skin soother, which protects your skin from any possible irritation caused by other skincare actives and chemicals.
- It reduces visible signs of ageing: As you age, your skin loses a lot of collagen and elastin, and your skin’s protective barrier weakens too. This further leads to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles on your face. But regular usage of ceramides can help encourage steady collagen and elastin synthesis, and also maintain a strong protective barrier to prevent ageing signs.
- It helps treat inflammatory skin conditions: As established earlier, ceramides have skin-soothing properties, which make them beneficial for calming and treating inflammatory skin conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea.
- It helps soothe and soften your skin tone: Ceramides support your skin barrier and replenish lost lipids to increase hydration in your skin and improve its overall look and feel. It also keeps skin conditions like dryness and flakiness at bay.
Are There Any Side Effects Of Ceramides?
The best part about ceramides is that they have no known side effects, and they are suitable for all skin types. However, it’s always wise to conduct a small patch test to determine if you have any allergic reactions to the use of the skincare ingredient. If your skin becomes red, itchy, and irritated, then it’s better you steer clear of this ingredient.
How To Use Ceramide In Your Pregnancy Beauty Routine?
You can use ceramides in the form of a serum or moisturiser. It works best when applied immediately after a shower to lock in all the moisture. Also, it is advised to use your ceramide-infused skincare products twice daily for maximum hydration, but during which step depends on the product of your choice. Use your cleanser first, and then follow it up with your toner and serum, and save the ceramide-based moisturiser for the final step at night, or just before applying your SPF in the morning.
Now that you know all the benefits of ceramides for the skin, we hope that you will definitely add this powerhouse skincare ingredient to your pregnancy beauty routine. Just make sure that the product you’re using is pregnancy-safe and doesn’t contain harmful ingredients like retinol, which are considered unsafe for the growing baby. Apart from that, make sure to be consistent with your ceramide-infused skincare routine and use it daily to achieve smooth, relaxed, and nourished skin.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do ceramides really help decrease wrinkles?
Yes, ceramides do help decrease your wrinkles. As you age, you may lose the naturally occurring ceramides in your skin. But replenishing them using ceramide-infused skincare products can help restore the protective barrier of your skin and reduce the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles.
Are ceramides useful for acne-prone skin?
Yes, ceramides are useful for acne-prone skin as well. They may, in fact, protect your skin from breakouts by strengthening the natural barrier and fighting acne-causing bacteria.
What foods contain ceramides?
Food items such as sweet potatoes brown rice, and eggs can help increase your skin’s ability to produce more ceramides.
Also read:
What is slugging: Check out this post to learn more about slugging and how to do this skincare trend with pregnancy-safe products.
Jello skin trend: Know all about the jello skin trend in this post, and how to achieve it with pregnancy-safe products.
Moisture sandwich to beat dry skin during pregnancy: Here’s the ultimate solution to your dry skin woes during pregnancy.
Featured image: Freepik.com
