Ceramide 1 and ceramide 3 act synergistically on skin hydration and the transepidermal water loss of sodium lauryl sulfate‐irritated skin

Abstract Background Stratum corneum intercellular lipids, such as ceramides, play an important role in the regulation of skin water barrier homeostasis and water‐holding capacity. Aim To evaluate the potential water retention capacity of control emulsion and three oil‐in‐water (o/w) emulsions containing ceramide 1, ceramide 3, or both. Methods Fifteen healthy Asian women (age, 20–30 years) with healthy skin, pretreated with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), applied the tested emulsions twice daily over a period of 28 days. Skin hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) values were measured on the indicated days with a Corneometer®825 and a TEWAMETER TM210, respectively. Results The maximum increase in skin humidity was reached after 4 weeks, with values of 21.9 ± 1.8% and 8.9 ± 0.9% for emulsion C and control emulsion, respectively. The maximum decrease in TEWL was also reached after 4 weeks, with values of 36.7 ± 4.7% and 5.1 ± 0.8% for the same emulsions. Conclusions It can be concluded that all the tested ceramide‐containing emulsions improved skin barrier function when compared with untreated skin. There was some indication that ceramides 1 and 3 contained in emulsion C might exert a beneficial synergistic effect on skin biochemical properties, such as skin hydration and TEWL, and play a key role in the protection mechanism against SLS irritation.