Ceramide NP

Ceramide NP — formerly ceramide 3 — is the most abundant ceramide in healthy human skin and the most widely used ceramide in barrier-repair skincare. Together with cholesterol and free fatty acids in roughly a 1:1:1 molar ratio, it forms the lamellar lipid sheets of the stratum corneum that lock moisture in and keep irritants out. Topical ceramide NP at 0.1–0.5% measurably reduces transepidermal water loss and restores barrier function in dry, eczema-prone, or retinoid-stressed skin. Because ceramide levels fall by more than a third with age, replenishing them is a cornerstone of evidence-based anti-aging. Ideal in creams and serums alongside cholesterol and fatty acids for the full lamellar effect.