--- title: "Ceramide NP" description: "Ceramide NP is a phytosphingosine-based ceramide associated with the skin barrier. Benefits of a tested mixture do not extend to every formula containing it." --- # Ceramide NP > Ceramide NP is a phytosphingosine-based ceramide associated with the skin barrier. Benefits of a tested mixture do not extend to every formula containing it. Source: https://cosmetic-labs.com/glossary/ceramide-np Created: 2026-11-09T11:35:00+00:00 Modified: 2026-11-09T11:35:00+00:00 Author: Emilie SCHOL ## Definition of Ceramide NP Ceramide NP is a ceramide subtype with a phytosphingosine base. Ceramides are components of the outer [skin barrier](https://cosmetic-labs.com/glossary/skin-barrier); a small controlled forearm study found improved barrier measures with a cream containing a ceramide-NP-enriched lipid mixture, not with isolated Ceramide NP. ### Learn more ## What it is Ceramide NP belongs to the [ceramides](https://cosmetic-labs.com/glossary/ceramides), a group of lipids made from sphingoid bases linked to fatty acids. In the outermost skin layer, ceramides are part of the intercellular lipids around corneocytes. The NP subtype has a phytosphingosine base. This is a chemical designation for one class of ceramide; it does not mean that all ceramide ingredients have the same fatty-acid chains or are interchangeable in a formula. The stratum corneum is a barrier involving corneocytes, intercellular lipids and corneodesmosomes. Describing ceramides as a natural component of that barrier explains interest in topical lipid mixtures, but it does not prove that every cream listing Ceramide NP repairs damaged skin. The amount, other lipids, vehicle and circumstances of use can all differ across finished products. ## How to read the ingredient in a formula One controlled experiment recruited 27 healthy adult men. Investigators applied a topical corticosteroid to both forearms, then applied a test cream containing a lipid mixture enriched with Ceramide NP of varied fatty-acid chain lengths to the left forearm and a vehicle cream without that mixture to the right. This is a comparison of two creams under a specific experimentally impaired-barrier condition, not a trial of pure Ceramide NP on all skin types. In that comparison, the test-cream sites showed significantly improved barrier recovery rate, stratum-corneum integrity and hydration relative to the vehicle sites. Several molecular markers and ceramide profiles also changed. These observations support the potential of that particular enriched mixture in the tested setting. They do not isolate how much of the effect came from Ceramide NP rather than the accompanying lipids or vehicle. The study also found increases in selected Ceramide NP chain-length species in the outer skin layer at treated sites. That result is consistent with the study’s lipid-mixture approach but should not be converted into a promise that any product with the name “Ceramide NP” produces the same lipid profile. The tested cream, application regimen and induced barrier impairment set the boundaries of the observation. ## Evidence and practical limits When reading a cosmetic label, distinguish a native skin lipid from an ingredient in a jar. The label confirms that Ceramide NP is part of the ingredient list, not its concentration or how it behaves in that product. A moisturiser may contain other lipids and conditioning agents as well. Evidence for one combination cannot be assigned entirely to a single listed ingredient. The conservative conclusion is that Ceramide NP is a structurally defined barrier lipid and that a cream containing a Ceramide-NP-enriched mixture has shown favorable barrier measurements in one small, specific controlled comparison. It is not evidence of a cure for eczema or of equal results for all formulations and populations. For a particular cream, look to its complete formulation, use instructions and product-level evidence rather than a single ingredient name. Sources ## Sources and references References supporting this page are listed below. Source access dates and supported claims are recorded in the evidence notes where available. [A Lipid Mixture Enriched by Ceramide NP with Fatty Acids of Diverse Chain Lengths Contributes to Restore the Skin Barrier Function Impaired by Topical Corticosteroid](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core) URL [https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core) [A Lipid Mixture Enriched by Ceramide NP with Fatty Acids of Diverse Chain Lengths Contributes to Restore the Skin Barrier Function Impaired by Topical Corticosteroid](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core) URL [https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core) [A Lipid Mixture Enriched by Ceramide NP with Fatty Acids of Diverse Chain Lengths Contributes to Restore the Skin Barrier Function Impaired by Topical Corticosteroid](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core) URL [https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core) [A Lipid Mixture Enriched by Ceramide NP with Fatty Acids of Diverse Chain Lengths Contributes to Restore the Skin Barrier Function Impaired by Topical Corticosteroid](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core) URL [https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID%3A34348350%20AND%20SRC%3AMED&format=json&resultType=core) --- ## Site identity - Organization: Cosmetic Labs - Description: Cosmetic Labs is a directory and a platform to meet all your cosmetic product development needs. From sourcing raw material to finding the best CRO for your needs. - Website: https://cosmetic-labs.com