Ceramides in Your Moisturiser: How to Read a Skincare Label and Know If the Hydration Claims Are Real

What ceramides actually are

Ceramides are lipids, fats, that make up roughly 50% of the skin's outermost layer, the stratum corneum. Think of your skin barrier as a brick wall: the skin cells are the bricks, and ceramides are the mortar. Without enough mortar, the wall lets water out and irritants in. Dry, tight, reactive skin is usually a mortar problem.