Ch
Cholesterol
CholesterolBarrier
One of the three barrier fats, with ceramides and fatty acids. Research on it in people is small.
What it does
In studies on damaged skin, mostly in mice, putting back only one or two of these fats slowed repair. Equal amounts of all three let skin recover normally. Using up to three times as much of any one of them sped repair further.
The evidence, graded
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
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