Derms Call Ceramides ‘The Best Ingredient for Strengthening Skin,’ and This Body Cream Has Five Different Types of ‘Em
Strong skin is healthy skin. A well-fortified barrier retains hydration, maintains elasticity, and better resists injury, all of which are critical for keeping your skin functioning properly as the first line of defense against the elements. During the winter months, the cold, dry air works overtime to weaken this system, which is why ceramides—aka dermatologists' favorite skin-strengthening ingredient—should be considered a non-negotiable part of your routine. Thankfully, the new body cream from Nécessaire contains five different types of 'em.
“Ceramides are naturally occurring lipids found in our skin that help our skin cells in the topmost layer of our skin, the stratum corneum, to seal in moisture,” says Tiffany Jow Libby, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Rhode Island. And according to a small 2021 study out of the Journal of Dermatologic Therapy, ceramides as the best ingredient for strengthening skin. It was performed on 24 people, all of whom had mild-to-moderate dry skin. Researchers tracked how ceramides performed on their skin after 24 hours, seven days, and 28 days, and found that it significantly increased hydration, pH balance, and barrier strength.
All ceramides essentially do the same thing: help to fill the gaps between skin cells to strengthen the skin barrier. However, each one works in a slightly different ways, so using a formula that contains five different ones helps to ensure you're covering all your bases.
- Hadley King, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University
- Ivy Lee, MD, board-certified dermatologist
- Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology and associate professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital
- Tiffany Libby, MD, board-certified dermatologist in Rhode Island
In addition to containing a quintuplet of ceramides, In addition to containing five different types of ceramides, Nécessaire The Body Cream ($45) includes colloidal oatmeal, 5 percent niacinamide, and 1 percent linoleic acid. Colloidal oatmeal helps to soothe and strengthen the skin barrier by creating a protective layer around it. "Oat extract forms a protective and hydrating seal over the surface of the skin and contains anti-inflammatory avenanthremides," says board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD.
Niacinamide has a soothing and hydrating effect, and it decreases "the oxidative stress and damage that we get from environmental factors, like UV radiation from being outside, pollution, and smoking," says Ivy Lee, MD, a board-certified-dermatologist in Pasadena, California. It also helps to gently brighten discoloration.
Linoleic acid is an essential omega-6 fatty acid that "helps to support and repair the skin barrier, increasing skin's moisture and increasing elasticity and softness,” says Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in NYC. It also works with niacinamide to increase cell turnover, helping to brighten dark spots and hyperpigmentation.
So if you want to make your skin stronger, more supple, even-toned, and hydrated, Nécessaire's The Body Cream is exactly what your skin needs.
Learn more tips to care for dry winter skin:
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