The role of ceramides, and how you can protect your plump skin allies from the inside out.
WHY OUR SKIN NEEDS PROTECTION
Just like the heart, the lungs, and the liver, our skin is an organ. But the difference between skin and our other organs is that skin is external. That means it gets the brunt of the stress, playing defense to UV exposure, environmental pollution, winter dryness, and all of that unfun stuff we encounter on a daily basis. Eventually, the effects of these external factors compound, resulting in skin that becomes too dry, too oily, inflamed, irritated, and generally out of balance.
The long-term effects of these various skin conditions influence how our skin reacts to the natural process of chronological aging. This is why striving for balance and calm in the gut and skin microbiome is important. Our skin is the external barrier that works to protect what lies on the inside. Naturally, an inside-outside approach to protection not only makes logical sense, but it’s proving its efficacy through science.
WHAT ARE CERAMIDES?
To understand the role of ceramides, let’s reveal the layers below the skin that we can see. Working from the inside-out, you’ve got the hypodermis, the dermis, and externally, the mightly epidermis. The epidermis is the defensive layer, so anything we can do on the inside to support its strength, well, that’s a win both long-term and short-term. The better balanced it remains, the less susceptible to the elements it becomes over time.
Making up 50% of the skin's epidermis, ceramides are a critical skin building block. They’re basically fats in our outermost layer of skin, and they play a key role in keeping our skin firm, protected, and moisturized.
The fatty cells within the epidermis are called corneocytes, and you can think of them as the bricks that make up the protective wall. Lipids are what’s holding those bricks together, and the tighter the lipids, the stronger the wall. One of the most important of these lipids is…you guessed it, ceramides. They account for up to 50% of the lipids in your epidermis. Along with cholesterol and free fatty acids, these are the mortar to your bricks. If that mortar doesn’t hold strong, even as it naturally ages over time, weaknesses in the mortar result in deeper lines and more visible valleys in the epidermal layer.
This happens not only as we age, but it’s visible during dry winter months or for anyone living in a dry climate. Lack of moisture and a decreased ability to hold moisture result in visibly dry, cracked skin. For anyone who has suffered this, whether as a result of where you live, a dry place you’ve visited, or due to a skin condition like psoriasis or eczema, you know it can be a really uncomfortable experience.
The good news is that finally, something has come galloping in from across that dry, desert-like horizon. Who’s in the saddle of that majestic white stallion? It’s sexy science, to the rescue!
HOW CERAMIDES WORK
We now know that loss of ceramides is a key culprit behind the weakening of the barrier between corneocytes, or bricks, of skin cell blocks. If they were provided with more internal support, they could effectively work better to keep skin hydrated by retaining more natural moisture. Instead of sagging and cracking from dryness, they could stay plump and hydrated. Sounds good, right? How do we do that?
When you support your skin from the inside out by supplementing it with ceramides, you’re boosting the power of that brick-clenching mortar. One of the most effective ways to supplement your ceramide power is by taking them orally through a supplement. Daily Glow Probiotic Supplements contain a potent dose of protective ceramides that’ll support your skin by holding that juicy moisture on the inside, rather than allowing it to slip through the cracks. Best of all, you’re doing it naturally.
HOW ARE CERAMIDES MADE?
Ceramides are an extract that’s usually derived from plants these days. In the early days, they were sometimes sourced using bovine cells, but thankfully, making them synthetically from plants was proven to be equally effective and less expensive to source. They can be made from wheat, rice sweet potatoes, and yeast.
CERAMIDE SUPPLEMENTS
As a microbiome-focused skincare company, we’ve put a lot of sweat equity into research. Layers founder, Rachel Behm, spent a decade deep-diving into the science behind why the microbiome is such an important element of skincare and overall health. So, it’s no surprise that we’re tap-dancing gleefully along the cutting edge of ceramide skincare science.
And, what did we discover on that cutting edge? Ceramosides. We like to think of them as “better than ceramides”. These are natural compounds extracted from wheat that boost ceramide activity by improving the metabolism and absorption of ceramide cells. This special combination is more effective than ceramides alone at keeping the skin hydrated, working faster and more efficiently at lower doses than ceramides alone.
THE PROOF IS IN…THE PROOF
In clinical studies, 80% of women noticed their skin appearance had improved and they felt less uncomfortable pulling. Additionally, 85% noticed a reduction in dry scales and smoother, softer skin after only 2 months of use. Our Daily Glow Probiotic Supplements contain 70mg of Ceramoside™ ceramide extract per capsule, along with a proprietary blend of good-for-you bacteria in the form of probiotics.
Ceramides are the ultimate moisturizer, scientifically proven to effectively retain moisture and strengthen the epidermal layer from the inside out. Taken orally just once a day, the difference will have you grinning at your reflection after only 15 days of daily use.
