Report

XXX
Blackwell
Oxford,
International
IJD
©
1365-4632
0011-9059
2008 The
UK
Publishing
International
Journal Ltd
of Dermatology
Society of Dermatology

Ceramide 1 and ceramide 3 act synergistically on skin

Ceramides
Huang
Report andand
Chang
skin barrier function

hydration and the transepidermal water loss of sodium

lauryl sulfate-irritated skin
Huey-Chun Huang, PhD, and Tsong-Min Chang, PhD

From the Department of Medical Laboratory Abstract

Science and Biotechnology, China Medical Background Stratum corneum intercellular lipids, such as ceramides, play an important role
University, and Department of Applied in the regulation of skin water barrier homeostasis and water-holding capacity.
Cosmetology and Graduate Institute of
Aim To evaluate the potential water retention capacity of control emulsion and three oil-in-water
Cosmetic Science, Hungkuang University,
Taichung, Taiwan (o/w) emulsions containing ceramide 1, ceramide 3, or both.
Methods Fifteen healthy Asian women (age, 20–30 years) with healthy skin, pretreated with
Correspondence sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), applied the tested emulsions twice daily over a period of 28 days.
Tsong-Min Chang, PhD Skin hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) values were measured on the indicated
Department of Applied
days with a Corneometer®825 and a TEWAMETER TM210, respectively.
Cosmetology and Graduate
Institute of Cosmetic Science Results The maximum increase in skin humidity was reached after 4 weeks, with values of
Hungkuang University 21.9 ± 1.8% and 8.9 ± 0.9% for emulsion C and control emulsion, respectively. The maximum
No. 34, Chung-Chie Road decrease in TEWL was also reached after 4 weeks, with values of 36.7 ± 4.7% and 5.1 ± 0.8%
Shalu for the same emulsions.
Taichung County
Conclusions It can be concluded that all the tested ceramide-containing emulsions improved
Taiwan 43302
E-mail: ctm@sunrise.hk.edu.tw 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.

of hydroxy acid often used in many moisturizing formula-

Introduction
Human skin has the largest surface area in the body and is the
body’s barrier to the external environment, protecting the
body from invading microorganisms, mechanical damage,
and radiation. Moreover, the skin also plays a pivotal role in
regulating body temperature and controlling water retention.
The skin is composed of an epidermis and a dermis. Cells in
the basal layer of the epidermis proliferate, differentiate, and
migrate in the direction of the skin surface. The viable cells are
transformed into dead corneocytes at the interface between
the stratum granulosum and stratum corneum. The corneo-
cytes have multilamellar structures consisting of intercellular
lipids in the extracellular matrix.1 The stratum corneum
provides mechanical protection and shows water barrier func-
tion.2 Ceramides are the major lipid components in the stratum
corneum.3 Depletion of ceramides may cause skin dryness4
and barrier disruption.5
The term “moisturizer” denotes substances applied to the
skin to add water and/or retain water in the stratum corneum.
Many skin moisturizers are known to have other effects on
812 stratum corneum function. For example, lactic acid is a type
tions; however, it also acts as an exfoliant to promote skin
desquamation. Another mechanism of moisturizers is to
provide a barrier to water loss, so that water is retained in the
stratum corneum. The measurement of the transepidermal
water loss (TEWL) is a well-established method to assess the
integrity of the skin barrier in vivo.6 An increase in TEWL
reflects an impairment of the skin water barrier.7 In other
words, when the skin is damaged, its barrier function is
impaired, resulting in higher water loss.
It has been reported that the lipid components of the stratum
corneum, such as cholesterol,8 free fatty acids,9,10 and cera-
mides,11 play an important role in skin barrier homeostasis. In
particular, a decrease in the amount of ceramides within the
intercellular lipid lamellae of the stratum corneum is believed
to be one cause of dry skin.12 The stratum corneum ceramides
are composed of at least six different fractions (ceramides 1–6)
that differ from each other in terms of the head group struc-
ture and the mean fatty acid chain length.13 It has been
reported that ceramide 1 is very important for appropriate
barrier function of the stratum corneum14 and for the mole-
cular organization of stratum corneum lipids.15 In addition,

International Journal of Dermatology 2008, 47, 812–819 © 2008 The International Society of Dermatology
Huang and Chang Ceramides and skin barrier function Report 813

lipid-rich emollients containing ceramide 3 may be of benefit
in skin barrier disruption following tape stripping.16 Cera-
mides are extremely water-insoluble compounds, which can
form a water-impermeable barrier in the skin. Therefore, it
is possible for ceramides to replace the depleted stratum
corneum lipids via a topical route. The problem with the
topical application of skin care products, however, is how to
deliver the active ingredients, such as ceramides, in sufficient
amounts to the target site.17
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cera-
mides 1 and 3 on skin properties, such as skin hydration and
TEWL, in healthy Asian women. In addition, the relationship
between the types of ceramide in cosmetic formulations and
the barrier function of the stratum corneum was examined.
Materials and Methods
Materials
Sorbitol, glycerine, phenoxyethanol, citric acid, benzyl alcohol,
sodium hydroxide, sorbic acid, stearyl alcohol, caprylic/capric
triglyceride, dextrin, squalane, phytosphingosine, cholesterol,
glucose, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and sodium lauroyl lactylate
were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich, Deisenhofen, Germany;
cyclomethicone, ceramide 1, ceramide 3, and carbomer were
purchased from Elgin Co., Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan; petrolatum, sucrose
stearate, sucrose distearate, dimethiconol, tromethamine, sodium
hydroxymethylglycinate, and xanthan gum were provided by LICA
Enterprises Corp. Co., Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan; hydrogenated vegetable
oil was supplied by ESSENCE PLUS Co., Ltd., Hsin-Chu, Taiwan.
Production of ceramide-containing emulsions and control
emulsion
Stable (for 15 months) oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions incorporating
ceramide and phytosphingosine or phytosphingosine alone were
successfully developed in our laboratory and designated as
emulsion A, emulsion B, emulsion C, and control emulsion.
Emulsion A contained ceramide 1, emulsion B contained ceramide
3, and emulsion C contained both ceramides 1 and 3. The control
emulsion was produced by the same process, but ceramides 1
and 3 were not included (Table 1). The preparation of the above
emulsions was performed as follows. The aqueous phase
[containing glycerine (5.0%), sodium hydroxymethylglycinate

Table 1 Composition of the emulsions in this study. Emulsion A, ceramide 1-containing emulsion; emulsion B, ceramide 3-containing
emulsion; emulsion C, ceramide (1 + 3)-containing emulsion

Emulsion A Emulsion B Emulsion C Control

Compounds (%, w/w) (%, w/w) (%, w/w) (%, w/w)

Oil phase
Petrolatum 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Hydrogenated vegetable oil 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0
Cyclomethicone 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Caprylic/capric triglyceride 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Sucrose distearate 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0
Dextrin 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Squalane 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0
Sucrose stearate 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Candelilla cera 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Dimethiconol 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Phytosphingosine 0.005 0.005 0.005 0.005
Cholesterol 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02
Ceramide 1 0.02 – 0.02 –
Ceramide 3 – 0.02 0.02 –
Water phase
Glycerine 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0
Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Citric acid 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Glucose 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Sorbitol 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Sodium lauroyl lactylate 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Neutralizing agent
Tromethamine 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
Antiseptics
Benzyl alcohol 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Phenoxyethanol 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Viscosity enhancing agents
Carbomer 0.45 0.45 0.45 0.45
Xanthan gum 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
Distilled H2O 63.005 63.005 62.985 63.025

© 2008 The International Society of Dermatology International Journal of Dermatology 2008, 47, 812–819
814 Report Ceramides and skin barrier function
(0.1%), citric acid (0.1%), glucose (0.2%), sorbitol (3.0%), sodium
lauroyl lactylate (3.0%), xanthan gum (0.4%), carbomer (0.45%),
and distilled water] was heated to 80 °C with slight mixing.
Petrolatum (3.0%), hydrogenated vegetable oil (5.0%),
cyclomethicone (3.0%), caprylic/capric triglyceride (3.0%), sucrose
distearate (2.0%), dextrin (0.5%), squalane (2.0%), sucrose
stearate (3.0%), dimethiconol (0.2%), phytosphingosine
(0.005%), cholesterol (0.02%), and ceramide [ceramide 1 (0.2%),
ceramide 3 (0.2%), or both] were mixed and heated until complete
dissolution in the oil phase. The two phases were merged and
homogenized with a high-pressure vacuum homogenizer
(General Purpose Pressure Vessels, Parr Instrument Company,
lilinois, USA) at 80 °C, 3000 r.p.m. for 15 min, and then cooled
to 70 °C. Tromethamine (0.3%) was dissolved in water and added
to the 70 °C mixture described above, and homogenized at
3000 r.p.m. for 10 min. The homogeneous emulsion was then
cooled to 45 °C. At the adjusted temperature, antiseptics, such as
phenoxyethanol (0.1%) and benzyl alcohol (0.1%), were added
and further homogenized at 3000 r.p.m. for 10 min. After cooling to
35 °C, the emulsion was stored at 25 °C. All emulsions were tested
further for their stability.
Stability test
The emulsions prepared in the study were examined using
cosmetic stability tests, such as high temperature, low
temperature, room temperature, and circulating temperature.
The stability tests should be maintained for at least 15 months.
First, the emulsion was stored at 50 °C for 1 month. Second,
the product was stored at 45 °C for 3 months. Third, the emulsion
was stored at 25 °C for 1 year. Finally, the product was stored at
10 °C for 1 month.
Skin irritation and skin erythema
Skin irritation was tested by patch test and observed visually.
Any type of change of the skin surface was recorded. The
ceramide-containing emulsions and control emulsion were
tested; SLS was used as a positive irritant control. Erythema
of the skin was measured using a Mexameter®18 (Courage
and Khazaka Electronic GmbH, Cologne, Germany), which
determines the hemoglobin content of the skin photometrically
based on the emission principle. The probe of the Mexameter®18
emits light of two defined wavelengths: 568 nm, which responds to
the particular spectral absorption peak of hemoglobin; 660 nm,
which avoids other color influences. Light reflected by the skin
was determined using a receiver.
SLS irritation and application of the emulsions
In this study, all volunteers were exposed to 17% SLS for 7 h to
induce skin irritation, as described previously,18 and the emulsions
were then applied to the forearm. On removal of the SLS patches,
the skin was gently rinsed with water and allowed to dry. The
emulsions were then applied to the SLS-treated areas twice daily
and the skin properties were measured. SLS may disrupt the
International Journal of Dermatology 2008, 47, 812–819
Huang and Chang
barrier function of the skin by removing and rearranging stratum
corneum lipids. It has been suggested that the quantity and
spectrum of lipids removed from the stratum corneum are
detergent specific.19
The skin studies were designed as one-sided, blind,
placebo-controlled studies with intraindividual comparison of
two formulations and two untreated test areas on the forearms. For
each study, the same 15 healthy Asian women (age, 20–30 years)
with healthy skin applied the two test emulsions twice daily over a
period of 28 days. Each volunteer applied 0.2 g of the emulsions
with and without ceramide on each forearm. The skin properties
were measured at approximately the same time on days 0
(baseline value, prior to the application of the emulsions), 1, 2, 3,
7, 14, 21, 28, 29 (first day after last application), and 30 (second
day after last application).
Evaluation
To provide meaningful statements on the effects of the emulsions,
the results were calculated using the following equation
Change in skin properties (%) = [(Pt – Po)/Po] × 100
where Pt is the mean of the quotients of the measured values
of treated and untreated skin after application time t in all
volunteers, and Po is the mean of the quotients of the measured
values of treated and untreated skin before application in all
volunteers. The volunteers recorded the application time and
weight of the samples before and after the study at home. During
the measurements, the volunteers were accommodated in an
air-conditioned room at 20 ± 1 °C and 50 ± 5% relative humidity.
Skin hydration
The measurement of skin humidity was performed with a
Corneometer®825, which was mounted on a Multi Probe
Adapter® MPA5 (Courage and Khazaka Electronic GmbH).20
The measurement of skin hydration was carried out by the
capacitance method, which utilizes the relatively high dielectric
constant of water compared with that of other substances in the
skin. The measuring condenser was on the front surface of the
measurement sensor. When the measurement head was pressed
onto the skin for 1 s, the horny layer came into the scatter range
of the condenser field. The measurement of capacitance is
entirely dependent on the water content in the skin. Different
capacitance changes are converted into a digital measured value
(arbitrary units) which is proportional to the skin humidity. As the
measurement time is short, measurement errors caused by skin
deformations or evaporation build-up can be excluded. For each
tested area, five measurements were performed at different points
on the forearm.
TEWL measurements
To measure the TEWL value of the skin, a TEWAMETER TM210
(Courage and Khazaka Electronic GmbH, Cologne, Germany)
was used, according to the guidelines provided by the
© 2008 The International Society of Dermatology
Huang and Chang Ceramides and skin barrier function Report 815

Standardization Group of the European Society of Contact

Dermatitis.6 Measurements were performed following a waiting
period of 30 min. Measurements were taken more than 12 h after
application of the tested emulsions. The relative humidity was
controlled at 50 ± 5% and the room temperature was maintained
at 20 ± 1 °C during the measurements. The TEWL value of each
arm was measured at the indicated time points.

Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis of the experimental data points was performed
by Wilcoxon’s signed rank test, which was used for comparison of
measured data employing SAS 9.0 statistical software. Differences
were considered to be statistically significant at P < 0.05.

Results

Skin hydration determination
In the skin hydration study, the results obtained with
ceramide-containing and control emulsions were compared.
After treatment with emulsion A and control emulsion, skin
hydration (%) increased in a time-dependent manner, with a
maximum increase in skin humidity obtained on day 28: 10.4
± 1.0% and 9.98 ± 1.1% for emulsion A and control emulsion,
respectively (Fig. 1). Two days after the last application, the
increases in skin humidity were 8.8 ± 0.8% and 8.4 ± 0.9%
for the same emulsions (Fig. 1), indicating the sustained effect
of the two emulsions on skin hydration. Skin hydration
improvement by emulsion A was only slightly more effective
than that of control emulsion, indicating that ceramide 1 con-
tained in emulsion A does not seem to play an important role
Figure 2 Effects of emulsion B () and control emulsion () on
skin hydration. All results are expressed as values relative to the
baseline measurement on day 0 and the untreated control
(mean ± standard deviation; n = 15). Significant differences
between the results: *P < 0.0001
in increasing the water content of the skin. Figure 2 shows a
similar effect of emulsion B and control emulsion on skin
hydration, the maximum increase in skin humidity being
reached after 4 weeks: 9.6 ± 0.6% and 8.8 ± 0.8% for emulsion
B and control emulsion, respectively (Fig. 2). Furthermore,
the increase in skin humidity produced by both emulsions had
a sustained effect on skin hydration. No apparent difference
was observed between emulsion B and control emulsion.
Therefore, ceramide 3 in emulsion B does not seem to play an
important role in skin hydration.
For emulsion C and control emulsion, the maximum
increase in skin humidity was reached on day 28, with values
of 21.9 ± 1.8% and 8.9 ± 0.9% for emulsion C and control
emulsion, respectively (Fig. 3). Two days after the last appli-
cation, the increases in skin humidity were 16.9 ± 1.7% and
6.9 ± 1.0% for the two emulsions, respectively (Fig. 3),
demonstrating the sustained effect of the two emulsions on
skin hydration. As the skin hydration produced by emulsion
C was increased significantly compared with that obtained
with control emulsion, ceramides 1 and 3 in emulsion C may
cooperate synergistically to increase the water content of the
skin.

TEWL measurements

Figure 1 Effects of emulsion A () and control emulsion () on

skin hydration. All results are expressed as values relative to the
baseline measurement on day 0 and the untreated control
(mean ± standard deviation; n = 15). Significant differences
between the results: *P < 0.0001
The results collected by the TEWAMETER provided useful
information about the efficacy of the tested cosmetic formu-
lations on the barrier function of the stratum corneum. After
exposure to SLS, an increase in the TEWL value was observed
at each site tested in comparison with the baseline value. For

© 2008 The International Society of Dermatology International Journal of Dermatology 2008, 47, 812–819
816 Report Ceramides and skin barrier function
Figure 3 Effects of emulsion C () and control emulsion () on
skin hydration. All results are expressed as values relative to the
baseline measurement on day 0 and the untreated control
(mean ± standard deviation; n = 15). Significant differences
between the results: *P < 0.0001
Figure 4 Effect of emulsion A () and control emulsion () on
the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) of skin. All results are
expressed as values relative to the baseline measurement on day
0 and the untreated control (mean ± standard deviation; n = 15).
Significant differences between the results: *P < 0.0001
emulsion A and control emulsion, the maximum decrease in
TEWL was reached on day 28, with values of 18.0 ± 2.7%
and 5.7 ± 0.8% for emulsion A and control emulsion, respec-
tively (Fig. 4). Two days after the last application, the
decreases in TEWL were 17.2 ± 2.9% and 5.2 ± 0.8% for
the same emulsions (Fig. 4), indicating the sustained effect of
the two emulsions on TEWL of the skin. The results shown in
Fig. 4 suggest that ceramide 1 may be important for improving
the barrier function of the skin. For emulsion B and control
International Journal of Dermatology 2008, 47, 812–819
Huang and Chang
Figure 5 Effect of emulsion B () and control emulsion () on
the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) of skin. All results are
expressed as values relative to the baseline measurement on day
0 and the untreated control (mean ± standard deviation; n = 15).
Significant differences between the results: *P < 0.0001
emulsion, the maximum decrease in TEWL was reached
after 4 weeks, with values of 18.5 ± 1.7% and 5.4 ± 0.6% for
emulsion B and control emulsion, respectively (Fig. 5). Two
days after the last application, the decreases in TEWL were
17.9 ± 1.6% and 5.1 ± 0.7% for the two emulsions, respec-
tively (Fig. 5), suggesting the sustained effect of the two emul-
sions on TEWL of the skin. It can be predicted that ceramide
3 improves the barrier function of the skin more efficiently
than does ceramide 1. The results in Fig. 6 show that the
Figure 6 Effect of emulsion C () and control emulsion () on
the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) of skin. All results are
expressed as values relative to the baseline measurement on day
0 and the untreated control (mean ± standard deviation; n = 15).
Significant differences between the results: *P < 0.0001
© 2008 The International Society of Dermatology
Huang and Chang
Table 2 Skin erythema assays. Skin erythema (%) was expressed relative to baseline on day 0 and the untreated control
(mean ± standard deviation; n = 15; P < 0.05)
Formulation 1 week of application 2 weeks of application
Emulsion A 0.8 ± 0.4 0.7 ± 0.3
Emulsion B 0.7 ± 0.2 0.7 ± 0.3
Emulsion C 0.7 ± 0.3 0.6 ± 0.3
maximum decrease in TEWL was reached on day 28, with
values of 36.7 ± 4.7% and 5.1 ± 0.8% for emulsion C and
control emulsion, respectively (Fig. 6). Two days after the last
application, the decreases in TEWL were 36.2 ± 4.7% and
4.5 ± 1.0% for the two emulsions, respectively (Fig. 6), indi-
cating the sustained effect of the two emulsions on TEWL of
the skin. The effect of emulsion C on TEWL of the skin is
more significant than that of emulsion A or emulsion B,
indicating the potential synergistic interaction between cera-
mides 1 and 3.
Discussion
In this study, erythema measurements performed after 1, 2, 3,
and 4 weeks of application revealed no statistically significant
differences from the baseline values on day 0 or from the
untreated control (Table 2). Therefore, all tested emulsions,
including control emulsion, did not induce any visual skin
irritation and were well tolerated.
Ceramides have been reported to show positive effects
on skin humidity and elasticity.21 In this study, emulsions
containing ceramide 1 or ceramide 3 showed a similar effect
to the control emulsion on skin hydration, indicating that
other lipid components, including petrolatum, squalene,
phytosphingosine, and cholesterol, might show a beneficial
effect on skin hydration.
Many internal and external factors influence the properties
of the skin, including age, genetic disposition, body region,
exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and disease.22,23 The
epidermis of the skin has a strong effect on the frictional
resistance of the skin, depending on its water and lipid
content.24 Certainly, an increase in skin hydration and lipid
content improves the viscous resistance against deformation.
The results shown in Figs 1 and 2 indicate that ceramides,
including ceramides 1 and 3, in stable o/w emulsions do not
seem to play an important role in exerting a protective effect
on skin hydration; however, ceramide 1 has been shown to be
of major importance for correct stratum barrier function.15
The results shown in Fig. 1 indicate that ceramide 1 contained
in emulsion A is not necessarily an essential factor for increas-
ing skin hydration. Similarly, no significant differences were
found in skin hydration between ceramide 3-containing
emulsion B and control emulsion; however, emollients
© 2008 The International Society of Dermatology
Ceramides and skin barrier function Report 817
3 weeks of application 4 weeks of application
1.3 ± 0.6 0.9 ± 0.5
0.8 ± 0.3 0.7 ± 0.4
0.8 ± 0.4 0.7 ± 0.3
containing ceramide 3 have been reported to improve skin
barrier function in different conditions relative to untreated
skin.16 The limited minor efficacy of the control emulsion could
be attributed to the other lipid components, including petro-
latum, squalene, phytosphingosine, and cholesterol. Moreover,
the recovery of skin barrier disruption after application of the
control emulsion could be a result of the occlusive effect of the
emulsion, which restricts water evaporation from the skin,
thereby allowing the skin to recover. It should be emphasized
that biophysical measurements of skin barrier function, such
as skin hydration and TEWL, are not only dependent on the
lipid composition and structure, but also on the amount of
water and protein. Although the improvement in skin hydra-
tion by emulsions A and B was only slight, the decrease in
TEWL by these emulsions was clear and might have resulted
from the different individual ceramide subspecies which
behave differently.25 Skin hydration was measured by a Cor-
neometer®825 using changes in the electrical capacitance of
the stratum corneum. The electrical characteristics of the skin
may be affected by various factors, including the size of the
corneocytes, number of cell layers in the stratum corneum,
properties of deeper skin layers, and lipid content. The
improvement in skin barrier function produced by emulsion
A or B alone may be caused by the penetration of ceramide 1
or 3 into the stratum corneum. The lack of a clear effect of
emulsion A or B on skin hydration might be a result of differ-
ences in individual skin physiologic parameters.26 Interest-
ingly, emulsion C showed a significant beneficial effect in skin
hydration, as illustrated in Fig. 3, indicating that ceramides 1
and 3 contained in emulsion C may act synergistically in skin
hydration. Certainly, other ceramides in the stratum corneum
are probably needed to provide the stratum corneum with a
water-resistant lipid multilayer.
The results shown in Figs 4 and 5 indicate that ceramide
1 or 3 alone may play an essential role in maintaining the
barrier function of the stratum corneum. The treatment of
the test sites with emulsion C was more effective in reducing
TEWL with respect to the control area, and in comparison
with emulsion A or B, indicating that ceramides 1 and 3 may
work synergistically to play an essential role in the mainte-
nance of the structure and water-permeability barrier func-
tion of the skin; this indicates the existence of a correlation
between the measured TEWL value and skin barrier function.
International Journal of Dermatology 2008, 47, 812–819
818 Report Ceramides and skin barrier function
It has been reported that ceramide 1 plays a dominant role in
the organization of stratum corneum lipids.27 Moreover,
ceramide 3 has been shown to provide a skin barrier repair
function in a lipid-rich emollient.28 We believe that the poten-
tial synergistic effects of ceramides 1 and 3 may be caused
by the formation of lateral hydrogen bonds between the head
groups of adjacent ceramide molecules, which reduce the
permeability of skin to water, as described by Irmin and
Staffan.29 In addition, the existence of an attractive van der
Waals’ interaction between the long hydrocarbon chains
of ceramides 1 and 3 may also play a potential role in the
synergism.
To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the
effect of ceramide-containing emulsions on the normal skin
of Asian volunteers after a short period of application. It has
been shown that emulsions containing ceramide 1 or cera-
mide 3 influence the skin barrier function of normal skin
as measured by TEWL. In particular, an emulsion contain-
ing 0.2% of both ceramides 1 and 3 shows a synergistic
protective effect on the barrier function of normal skin. The
potential mechanism of this synergistic action remains to
be elucidated, although suggestions have been made in the
previous paragraph.
Conclusion
A significant positive effect on hydration and TEWL of SLS-
damaged skin was observed when the emulsion containing
ceramides 1 and 3 was compared with control emulsion. This
study demonstrates that ceramide 1 (0.2%, w/v) combined
with ceramide 3 (0.2%, w/v) in an o/w emulsion (emulsion C)
shows positive synergistic effects on skin hydration and
TEWL when applied to SLS-irritated skin.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support by a
grant from the “MOE Guidelines for Promoting Industry–
University Cooperation between Industrial Parks and Colleges
and Universities of Technology” (private-26-resturant-011).
This study was also supported by a grant from Hungkuang
University (HK-95-B-16). Statistical analysis by the China Medi-
cal University Biostatistics Center is gratefully acknowledged.
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