Podcast: Episode 10, ceramides

Listen to the audio episode on ceramides, this anti-aging ingredient 🎧

• Available on : Episode 10: Ceramides
• Also to be found on Spotify, Apple Podcast et Google Podcast

Why are ceramides good for the skin?

Ceramides are ingredients that we find in anti-aging and anti-wrinkle cosmandics. What are they ? Are they good for the skin? Are they made for you? 👇

1. Ceramides, what are they?

Ceramides are lipids, i.e. fat. They are naturally present in the skin and in the body hair (hair, beard, andc.).

2. To what are ceramides used for in our skin?

In the skin, ceramides are found in the extracellular matrix of the stratum corneum, the most superficial layer of the skin, the one that is in direct contact with our environment. They are also the main group of lipids in the stratum corneum (it also contains cholesterol and fatty acids).

The stratum corneum, mentioned in theepisode 9:

• keeps the organs hydrated by preventing water loss through the epidermis (in cosmandology, it is said to help reduce TEWL for transepidermal water loss)
• prevents contamination
• regulates molecules entering and leaving the skin

3. Why incorporate ceramides into a beauty routine?

As we age, the amount of ceramides decreases in our skin. Ceramide levels peak in our 20s, drop by a third in our 30s and another third in our 40s.

Seasonality also influences the amount of ceramides in our skin. In winter, our skin can contain more than half as many ceramides as in summer.

By impacting the quantity of ceramide, aging and climate then impact the quality of the extra-cellular matrix. However, the extra-cellular matrix maintains the adhesion of skin cells, in particular at the level of the stratum corneum which limits water loss and regulates incoming molecules. Ceramides play an important role in maintaining hydration and blocking pollutants, irritants and allergens.

4. How do ceramides maintain hydration and block pollutants?

The superficial layer of the skin is organized like a brick wall: the bricks being the cells of the skin and the cement being the extra-cellular matrix.

A quality cement allows the bricks to stay in place and the wall to be solid, protecting the inside from the outside. On the contrary, a poor quality cement limits the adhesion of the bricks resulting in a fragile wall. With moving bricks, the wall is not as permeable as it could be.

Similarly, poor quality extracellular matrix leads to skin cell disorganization and poor barrier function. The skin is more permeable: external pollutants and allergens can penandrate the skin more and water from the skin can evaporate more.

5. Are ceramides studied in medicine?

Studies have shown that ceramides are also involved in immune regulation. The disruption of these implies an exacerbated immune response of the skin which would actively participate in the appearance of certain skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Certain skin diseases, such as psoriasis or atopic dermatitis, are also characteristic of a decrease in ceramides.

6. Do I need ceramides in my facial beauty routine?

Ceramides are excellent active ingredients for the skin. Especially for skins:

• dehydrated because they help to limit water loss from the skin
• sensitive because they limit the absorption of pollutants and allergens
• matures because they help maintain their quantity in the skin despite a decrease with age. They reinforce the barrier function of the skin, and therefore they help the skin to stay hydrated and to protect itself from environmental aggressions.

7. To what are ceramides in hair, beard and facial hair used for?

Ceramides are present in the hair, the beard and in general in the body hair.

The hair can be represented as a rod surrounded by 6 layers of scales called cuticles. These cuticles are held together by a "cement" rich in ceramides, reminiscent of the organization of skin cells. The inside of the stem is called the cortex and is made up of cells also held together by a cement rich in lipids including ceramides.

Ceramides play a key role in the cohesion of the hair. Indeed, a good quality "cement" allows the scales to be better organized to form a less permeable surface, less detached from the hair shaft.

Studies also show that ceramides protect the hair fiber against mechanical and thermal aggression. Their applications reduce hair breakage and repair the internal structure of discolored hair.

8. Do I need ceramides to take care of my beard or my hair?

Ceramides are perfect for dry, coarse beards that lack softness.

• dry beard : ceramides help tighten hair cuticles. The bristles are more waterproof and retain moisture better.
• thick beard, lack of softness : ceramides tighten hair cuticles, leaving a softer surface (open pinecone vs closed pinecone)

The mechanism of action is the same whatever the hair (beard, hair, body hair, etc.)

Episode Notes

• Website : MastelCosmetics
• The Instagram account: @mastelcosmetics
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