What to Look for in the Ingredients List When Choosing a Ceramide Cream

With ceramide creams, it’s a good idea to look at the combination of surrounding lipids rather than just the ceramide name alone. Check whether ceramides such as Ceramide NP appear alongside Cholesterol and fatty acids (e.g., Stearic Acid) in the ingredients list. If you want a feel that comfortably envelops the skin’s surface, moisturizing and emollient ingredients like Squalane or Dimethicone are also worth considering.

However, it’s hard to determine the concentration or effects based on the ingredients list alone. In particular, it’s difficult to estimate the concentration of small-amount ingredients from their order of listing, and having several types of ceramides doesn’t automatically mean it will suit you better. If you’re sensitive to fragrance or essential oils, check whether those ingredients are present, too, and try it on a small area first to see how it feels.

Ultimately, more practical things to check than “how many types of ceramides” are whether the texture suits your preferences and whether it’s formulated with moisturizing ingredients. What do you look at first in the ingredients list when choosing a cream?