Ce
Ceramides
Ceramide NP · Ceramide AP · Ceramide EOP · Ceramide 3 · Ceramide NG · Ceramide 2 · Ceramide 6 II · Ceramide 1 · Ceramide EOSBarrier
Fats that make up about half of what holds skin’s outer layer together. Harsh cleansing strips them away.
What it does
They’re about half the fats between your skin cells. They drop with age and get stripped by harsh cleansing or strong ingredients. In studies on damaged skin, mostly in mice, they helped repair it when paired with cholesterol and a fatty acid; one or two of the three alone slowed it.
The evidence, graded
moderateIn a test on healthy skin run by its maker, one application of a cream with ceramides, cholesterol and a fatty acid raised skin hydration for 24 hours. Water loss through the skin fell by about a quarter from its starting level. The cream also held glycerin, dimethicone and niacinamide, so the test cannot credit the ceramides alone.Spada 2018 · Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology ↗
expert consensusFine together. In the one trial Drop has read, one coat of a ceramide cream raised skin hydration and cut water loss for 24 hours, in people with normal skin. No source here applied one with a retinoid or an acid, so using it to ease an active is a habit rather than a measured result.Draelos 2018 · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology ↗
emergingCeramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids are three lipids the skin barrier needs. In studies on damaged skin, mostly in mice, putting on one or two of them slowed repair, while equal amounts of all three let it recover normally. Raising any one of the three, up to three times the others, sped repair further. Early tests on damaged human skin looked similar.Man 1996 · Journal of Investigative Dermatology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
Pairs worth knowing
Read more
How Drop works · 5 minNatural Ingredients Can Still Irritate Skin — and Often Do'Natural' tells you almost nothing about how skin tolerates an ingredient. Here is which natural ingredients are common irritants and why labels mislead.Routines · 5 minOil Cleansing for Non-Acne-Prone Skin: Does It Work?Oil cleansing has a clearer case for dry and normal skin than for acne-prone. Here is when the method helps, when it does not, and how to pick an oil.Routines · 5 minSkincare for the Gym: Before, During, and After SweatSweat plus sunscreen plus friction is a recipe for breakouts and irritation. Here is what to do before a workout, during, and after to keep skin clear.How Drop works · 5 minWhen Cheaper Skincare Products Work Just as WellDrugstore ceramide moisturizers and niacinamide serums often match luxury equivalents. Where premium pricing is justified is narrower than marketing implies.
Browse all 1238 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.
This page is public so a shared ingredient card always has its sources behind it — and so you can check them without an account.
Want more like this?
Every evidence-based flag cites its source, Drop tells you when your routine is complete, and it helps you simplify — instead of selling you more. The app launches on iOS and Android in October 2026. Rate my routine works today at /rate — no sign-in.