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Ceramides are waxy lipid molecules that make up 50% of the skin’s barrier, where they protect the skin, and help retain moisture. Your skin’s barrier may weaken if exposed to hot water, harsh soap, and certain chemicals, in which case you can restore it with some help from ceramides. They come in many beauty products such as cleansers, lotions, and creams.
They help you restore your skin’s barrier, which gives it increased protection from environmental factors, and makes your skin less dry. The result is youthful-looking skin. If you have been experiencing dryness, tight skin, redness, and irritation, ceramides may be the answer to your problems.
If you have acne-prone skin, certain products may worsen the problem. Make sure you choose a light, oil-free product rather than a thick cream, which can clog your pores. Another downside is that ceramides aren’t particularly stable, and they degrade with exposure to light and air. Get the product in an opaque, airtight pump for the best results.
Oily skin occurs when the sebaceous glands in the pores are producing more oil, or sebum, than necessary. Sebum is natural in all skin as it keeps the skin moist and healthy. Over production of sebum can be caused by hormones, genetics or could even be a result of dry skin over-compensating by producing extra oil, in order to retain some measure of moisture.
Oily skin can also be caused by using the wrong products for your skin type. For example, if you are using overly drying soaps and astringents for your skin type, your skin may respond by over producing oil to compensate, as mentioned above. This can create an unfortunate cycle of using harsh soaps to eliminate oils, but instead exacerbating the problem.
On the other hand, overly oily makeup and products can also cause oily skin.
Ingredients that help exfoliate dead skin cells to keep pores unclogged and increase new skin cell production, such as Vitamin A/Retinol, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid, are good for treating acne as well. Benzoyl peroxide is a topical agent for fighting bacteria and unclogging pores. It is one of the longest-used medications to keep oily pores clean and healthy. Jojoba oil is also good for fighting bacteria trapped in oily skin and maintaining a moisture barrier to prevent over-production of sebum.
ceramides may be effective for oily skin, but there are many other factors that may affect whether this ingredient would work on your skin or if there are better ingredients that may work for you. Take this skin quiz to find the best ingredients for your skin and build your skincare routine.
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