Ceramides and the 3:1:1 barrier ratio
Your skin's outer wall is built from specific lipids in specific proportions — and you can replace them.
The outermost layer of skin works like a brick wall: cells are the bricks, and a mortar of lipids holds it watertight. That mortar is mostly ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids — and when it's depleted, skin gets dry, reactive and easily irritated.
Why the ratio matters
Research suggests these three lipids work best when replaced together in roughly a 3:1:1 ratio of ceramides to cholesterol to fatty acids. A formula with that balance repairs the barrier faster than ceramides alone — and an unbalanced blend can even slow recovery.
Who needs them most
If your skin stings easily, flakes, or reacts to actives, a ceramide-rich moisturiser is the single most useful thing you can add. It also makes stronger treatments — retinoids, acids — far more tolerable by keeping the barrier intact underneath them.
