Lipids in Your Skin & Skincare

How Do Lipids Affect Our Skin

We often hear about the importance of keeping collagen and elastin proteins strong in the skin. Lipids also live in the various layers of the skin. In the epidermis, they act as a protective barrier that prevents the absorption of impurities and dirt. Lipids, which are natural fats for the skin, also prevent sun damage, promote moisture retention, and aid skin that needs healing from a scrape or cut.

In a nutshell, lipids are skin’s natural fats. They are essential components of skin and play a crucial role in maintaining the strength of the skin’s protective barrier, which holds moisture, protects the skin from damage and keeps dirt and impurities out. They also aid the skin’s natural repair process.

While there are many types of lipids, these three are the most prevalent—and important—for the skin.

• Cholesterol is a lipid that helps the skin’s protective barrier to recover quickly. When there is a cholesterol deficiency, the skin may be less elastic.

• Fatty acids support the retention of other lipids to support healthy cellular behavior and younger-looking skin.

• Ceramides are lipids that increase the hydration of the skin to boost plumpness and prevent flaking and rough texture.

Topical Lipids Build Resilient Skin

When we are young, the skin is nourished by an abundance of naturally-occurring lipids. Factors such as sun damage and biological age can cause the production and uptake of natural lipids to decline. This is one of the reasons our skin may become dry and rough and why we look dull and deflated in certain areas. Dry skin often has a compromised skin barrier, which can leave it susceptible to irritation. Using a topical lipid serum can counter these effects.

Why Should You Use a Combination of the Three?

While using each component on their own is great, when you combine ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol together, they work in tandem to maintain optimal moisture barrier balance and health. These three compounds play a crucial role in cell turnover, barrier function, and cellular repair. While dry skin is shown to be ceramide deficient, aging skin exhibits a cholesterol deficiency, so it is important to include all of these ingredients in your skin care to maximize the hydration and antiaging benefits that come from protecting your moisture barrier.