Ceramide, Cholesterol, and Fatty acids : The Perfect Trio for Skin Barrier Care
Have you ever heard of ‘C.C.F.’? It may sound like a code, but it actually refers to key ingredients that help maintain a healthy skin barrier. The term ‘C.C.F.’ is a combination of the first letters of Ceramide, Cholesterol and Fatty Acids, which are essential components of the skin barrier that protect the skin and help retain moisture. These ingredients are commonly found in skincare products and are particularly effective in treating dry or sensitive skin. Especially when used together, they are known to have an excellent synergistic effect. So what exactly does ‘C.C.F.’ do for the skin and why is it getting so much attention? Let's take a closer look.
｜What is the Skin Barrier?
The ‘skin barrier’ typically refers to the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum.
It is composed of corneocytes and various lipid components. In order for the barrier to effectively protect the skin from environmental damage, these components must be present in a balanced state.
The ‘corneocytes’ form the skin's structure and keep it stable. Layered like bricks, they shield the skin from external irritants. But to keep these cells healthy within the barrier, they need the support of skin lipids, the components that make up the barrier together.
Inside the barrier, 'skin lipids' help fill the gaps between the cells, helping the skin to withstand external irritants and retain moisture. Skin lipids are made up of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids and are often referred to as ‘C.C.F.’ after the first letters of these three components. In particular, ceramides make up over 50% of the skin's lipid composition and play a key role in building and strengthening the skin barrier.
Cholesterol and fatty acids are also skin lipids that make up the skin barrier and help maintain a healthy barrier to protect the skin.
To maintain a healthy skin barrier, a proper balance of corneocytes and these three lipids is essential. When the corneocytes form the protective structure of the skin and the lipids fill the gaps in harmony, the skin is most effectively protected.
｜What Roles Does a Healthy Skin Barrier Play?
1. Moisture Retention
A healthy skin barrier is essential for maintaining skin moisture. Ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids that are tightly filled in the spaces between corneocytes prevent our skin's natural moisture from evaporating. They help balance the skin's moisture to keep it moisturized and healthy.
2. Protection from Damage
The skin barrier prevents harmful substances from entering the skin. Dust, bacteria, viruses, and more are dangerous factors that can penetrate the skin and cause irritation, inflammation, and skin trouble. A healthy barrier keeps your skin safe from these substances and helps prevent them from causing serious problems.
3. Reduced Sensitivity
A healthy skin barrier helps protect the skin from overreacting to external irritants. It protects the skin from overreacting to things that can irritate it, such as weather changes, sudden temperature differences, and allergic reactions. It prevents symptoms such as redness or itching from developing.
｜The causes of Skin Barrier Damage
The skin barrier, which provides strong protection from the external environment, can be damaged by several factors. When the skin barrier is damaged, the balance of the corneocytes and other skin lipids (ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids) that make up the barrier is disrupted, the skin’s ability to retain moisture is reduced, making the skin dry and more sensitive to external stimuli.
Ideally, the skin barrier would always remain healthy, but unfortunately, it is often compromised by various external stimuli and daily lifestyle habits.
1. Improper Cleansing Habits
Over-cleansing or harsh cleaning can damage the skin barrier. Washing with water that’s too hot or too cold, or using harsh cleansers, can damage the skin's natural lipid components, weakening the barrier function, making it easier for moisture to escape and leaving the skin dry and sensitive.
2. Environmental Factors
Cold winds and low temperatures in winter can dehydrate the skin and weaken its barrier. UV rays, regardless of the season, also damage the skin's barrier components.
3. Stress & Poor Eating Habits
Stress triggers inflammation. which damages the skin barrier and makes the skin more sensitive to external stimuli. Irregular eating habits also affect the barrier. Irregular or nutrient-poor meals can interfere with the supply of nutrients needed to keep the skin barrier healthy, weakening the barrier.
｜Skin Concerns Caused by Barrier Damage
1. Dry, Rough Skin
When the corneocytes and other lipids that make up the skin barrier are damaged and out of balance, the skin can easily become dry and rough. This is because the damaged barrier allows the moisture that our skin is supposed to retain to escape. Dry skin can cause irritation and sensitivity, which can make the skin more sensitive. If the skin is persistently dehydrated, it can lead to further problems such as skin trouble and inflammation.
2. Sensitive Skin
When the skin barrier is damaged, the skin becomes easily sensitive and reacts with redness and irritation. This is because a damaged barrier no longer protects the skin from irritants, such as air pollutants, UV rays, or chemicals. When these irritants come into contact with the skin, they can cause redness or inflammation. Redness, in particular, is the skin's response to irritation, and is more common in skin with a damaged barrier.
3. Troubled Skin
When the skin barrier is damaged, it becomes more susceptible to skin trouble. A weakened barrier allows bacteria, dust, and other irritants to penetrate the skin, triggering reactions such as inflammation, acne, pimples, or breakouts. In addition, skin trouble can also occur when the skin becomes dry due to a damaged barrier. When the skin’s natural oil and moisture balance is disrupted, it can lead to increased sebum production, which may cause the skin trouble.
｜What Efficacy Does C.C.F. Have?
To restore and maintain a healthy skin barrier, it is essential to replenish the key components that make up the barrier itself. Ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids are key ingredients that work synergistically to repair and strengthen the skin barrier, helping the skin to return to a healthier state. So how exactly does C.C.F. help damaged skin?
1. Damaged Skin Barrier Care
The C.C.F. helps replenish the essential components that make up the skin barrier, supporting the skin’s natural recovery process. According to preceding research, replenishing C.C.F. to the skin barrier damaged by aging significantly improves the barrier function and increases skin moisture. This lipid trio aids repair the damaged barrier, allowing the skin to restore and maintain its optimal health.
2. Skin Dryness and Moisture Care
When the skin barrier is damaged, its ability to retain moisture decreases, leading to dryness. C.C.F. helps restore the skin’s depleted lipid components, minimizing moisture loss and helping the skin to maintain its own moisture levels. More than just a temporary supply of moisture, the C.C.F. helps the skin recover its natural moisturizing ability, promoting healthy skin and hydration long-term.
3. Signs of Skin Damage Care
A weakened skin barrier can lead to visible skin symptoms such as redness, rough texture, and itching. If left untreated, these symptoms can lead to more sensitive skin. C.C.F. helps strengthen the barrier and supports the recovery of damaged skin, alleviating a range of skin concerns.
In particular, the combination of C.C.F. has shown positive effects on conditions such as atopic dermatitis. The preceding research has found that supplementing the skin with C.C.F. not only improves the skin barrier and moisture status but also helps to relieve dermatitis symptoms such as dryness and itching.
In this way, the C.C.F. helps to maintain healthier, more balanced skin by providing effective care that supports skin stability.
｜Why Is It Better to Use C.C.F. Together?
When it comes to maintaining a healthy skin barrier, many people tend to focus solely on ceramides. While many skincare products highlight ceramides as a key ingredient, it's important to supplement not only ceramides but also cholesterol and fatty acids to more effectively support and repair the skin barrier. Ceramides play a critical role in forming the skin barrier and retaining moisture, but they may not be enough to fully strengthen the barrier on their own. In contrast, C.C.F. enhances the function of ceramides, helping to build a denser and more resilient barrier that effectively protects the skin from external irritants.
In fact, a study has shown that using the C.C.F. combination is more effective in improving skin moisture and barrier function than using ceramides alone. In tests that treated damaged skin with either ceramides or the C.C.F. blend, the group that used the C.C.F. together experienced better moisture retention and a more significant improvement in barrier recovery. In short, the C.C.F. combination helps to restore and protect the skin barrier in a more balanced way than ceramides alone, helping to maintain healthy skin.
｜C.C.F., What Type of Skin Is Suitable For?
The C.C.F. combination is suitable for all skin types, including dry and oily skin. It's particularly beneficial for those who struggle with dryness or sensitive, reactive skin. Because these lipid components are found naturally in the skin, they are skin friendly and can be used without concern for irritation.
If your skin feels dry due to a weakened barrier, try products that contain the C.C.F. combination. This powerful trio helps repair the damaged barrier and locks in moisture, preventing further dehydration. The C.C.F. combination is also effective for sensitive, reddened, and troubled skin. It helps soothe and protect the skin by addressing the irritation caused by a damaged barrier.
Because it's a mild and low-irritation formulation, C.C.F. can be used by everyone from kids to adults. Especially, it's also suitable for those with sensitive or delicate skin, making it an excellent option for the whole family. If you're looking for a gentle yet effective skincare solution that everyone in the family can use, choose products formulated with C.C.F. With consistent use, it can help maintain a strong, healthy skin barrier for long-term skin wellness.
Ceramide, Cholesterol, and Fatty acids now available from COSRX
Reference
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 16, 587-594 (2002)
Journal of the American academy of dermatology. 37(3), 403-408 (1997)
British journal of dermatology. 133, 679-685 (1995)
Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 21, 23-27 (2010)
