Benefits
Minimises moisture loss through the day
Supports barrier repair after damage
Protects deeper skin layers from environmental stressors
Supports collagen synthesis
Strengthens hair as well as skin
Best For
Dry skin
Sensitised skin
Compromised skin
Mature skin
Over-exfoliated skin
Hair as well as skin
What Is Ceramides?
These natural fats make up around half of the skin's lipids, forming the barrier that keeps moisture in and irritants out. When ceramide levels drop, that wall starts to crumble, and skin becomes dull, dry, and prone to cracking over time.
How It Works
Ceramides slot in between skin cells to rebuild and reinforce this protective barrier, helping regulate transepidermal water loss (TEWL), the technical term for moisture escaping through skin. The stronger that barrier, the better skin holds onto hydration and holds off everyday stressors.
They act as the structural "mortar" between cellular "bricks" (keratinocytes), rebuilding the stratum corneum and helping to control this moisture loss from within.
Why Formulation Matters
Most ceramides are naturally waxy, which means they don't just dissolve into a formula. If formulated incorrectly, they can crystallise or sit unevenly on skin instead of actually working with it.
For the Ceramide Essence, Nourish London chose a different route: a phytoceramide, derived from rice glycosphingolipids, that's readily water-soluble, unlike many conventional ceramides. This means it disperses evenly through the formula and actually gets to work on skin, rather than remaining inert on the surface. Alongside this, it's paired with fatty acids in a ratio that mirrors skin's own natural composition, because ceramides alone don't do the full job.
Formulated properly, ceramides help stop skin acting like a leaky bucket, keeping essential hydration exactly where it belongs.
Scientific Notes
Skin's outer layer is roughly half ceramides, a quarter cholesterol, and the rest fatty acids, a composition that's taken into account when formulating. Ceramides aren't just one ingredient either; skin contains around 25 different types, which is part of why matching the right ceramide matters for real barrier support, as outlined in Feingold's (2007) review of epidermal lipids and barrier homeostasis.
The rice-derived phytoceramide used in Nourish London's formulations also supports collagen synthesis, adding an anti-ageing benefit alongside barrier repair.
