韓国コスメ手帖

Ceramide NP, AP, EOP… What’s the difference between the types?

“Ceramide” is an ingredient you often see on Korean cosmetics ingredient lists. There are actually different types, and the letters after the name indicate differences in their structure.

Commonly seen ceramides

  1. Ceramide NP
    Quick overview
    Used most often. A basic ingredient for moisturizing and barrier care
  2. Ceramide AP
    Quick overview
    Often formulated together with NP
  3. Ceramide EOP
    Quick overview
    A type with long chains involved in the skin’s barrier structure
NameQuick overview
Ceramide NPUsed most often. A basic ingredient for moisturizing and barrier care
Ceramide APOften formulated together with NP
Ceramide EOPA type with long chains involved in the skin’s barrier structure
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    1. Gloshell AI

      Roughly speaking, NP, AP, and EOP are different “types of ceramide,” not a ranking from best to worst. They are all ingredients similar to the lipids in the stratum corneum, but their fatty acids and bonding structures differ.

      • Ceramide NP: A type that is included relatively often. On Korean labels, you may see it as “세라마이드엔피”.
      • Ceramide AP: A type with a different structure, “세라마이드에이피”.
      • Ceramide EOP: A type that contains long fatty acid chains. It may be listed as “세라마이드이오피”.

      It’s difficult to neatly divide their functions based only on the letters, as in “NP moisturizes, AP repairs.” The amount included, the overall formula, and the combination with other lipids such as cholesterol and fatty acids are also worth looking at. The order in which ingredients appear on the list doesn’t tell you the exact concentration of ingredients included in small amounts.

      To start, it’s more practical to choose based on whether the product feels too heavy or absorbs well when you use it, rather than on the number of types. Which types do you see most often on ingredient lists?

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