ORY® product lines:
☑ Skincare
☑ Haircare (including BTMS conditioners — non-ionic)
◐ Handmade Soap (syndet and conditioner bars; wasted in cold-process)
☑ Cosmetics — three-line dual-use ingredient (see also the Ceramide Complex document)
Ceramide NP — long known as Ceramide 3 — is the single most abundant ceramide in human stratum corneum and the one most often used alone in cosmetics. Ceramides make up about half of the skin’s barrier lipids, organizing with cholesterol and fatty acids into the lamellar “mortar” that holds water in and irritants out [1]; their decline is a defining feature of dry, aged, and atopic skin [2]. Supplying skin-identical ceramides restores that structure, and ceramide-containing creams increase hydration and reduce water loss in clinical testing [3]. Ceramide NP is also native to the hair cuticle, where it is lost with bleaching and heat; ceramide-based conditioners re-seal the cuticle and reduce breakage. Because pure Ceramide NP is a non-ionic, oil-soluble wax, it works in cationic conditioners, sticks, and cosmetics where ORY®‘s anionic liposomal Ceramide Complex cannot — the two are complementary.
What is Ceramide NP made of?
Ceramide NP is produced by fermentation-derived phytosphingosine acylated with stearic acid, giving a skin-identical molecule. Points to know [1, 2]:
- N-stearoyl phytosphingosine: A sphingolipid with a phytosphingosine base and C18 saturated fatty-acid chain; “N” = non-hydroxy fatty acid, “P” = phytosphingosine.
- Most abundant skin ceramide: A core structural lipid of the stratum corneum lamellae [1].
- Physical form: White waxy powder; melts ~90–100 °C; oil-soluble only with heat and co-solvents (esters, cholesterol, fatty acids); insoluble in water.
- Non-ionic, heat- and pH-stable: Compatible with cationic (BTMS) and anionic systems.
- Physiologic pairing: Cholesterol and free fatty acids in ~3:1:1 ratio accelerate barrier recovery [4].
- Typical use: 0.05–0.5% skincare; 0.02–0.2% haircare; 0.05–0.3% cosmetics.
What skin type is best suited for Ceramide NP?
Ceramide NP suits all seven ORY® skin types as a barrier-repair lipid:
- Dry: Ceramide NP replaces the ceramides dry skin lacks; reduces water loss.
- Sensitive: Rebuilds the barrier in eczema-prone and reactive skin; non-irritating.
- Mature: Restores age-depleted ceramides; firmer barrier, fewer dehydration lines.
- Acne-prone: Non-comedogenic; offsets barrier damage from acne actives.
- Oily: Low levels in light emulsions; oil-free barrier support.
- Combination: Barrier support across zones.
- Normal: Preventive barrier maintenance; post-active recovery.
What hair type is best suited for Ceramide NP?
Ceramide NP repairs the cuticle lipid layer and works in cationic conditioners:
- Color-treated or chemically processed: Replaces cuticle ceramides stripped by bleach and dye; reduces porosity and breakage.
- Dry or damaged: Restores the cuticle lipid layer; smoother, stronger fiber.
- Curly and coily: Seals the cuticle to hold moisture.
- Mature or thinning: Strengthens fragile fibers.
- Straight and wavy: Light repair in conditioners and leave-ins.
- Sensitive scalp, oily scalp, dandruff-prone: Fiber- and scalp-barrier support; neutral for scalp conditions.
What are the benefits of Ceramide NP?
Ceramide NP’s benefits rest on barrier science and clinical hydration studies [1–5]:
- Barrier repair: Replaces the most abundant skin ceramide lost in dry, aged, and atopic skin [1, 2].
- Reduced water loss: Restores lamellar structure; ceramide creams increase hydration [3].
- Skin-identical: Same molecule the skin makes; non-irritating.
- Post-active recovery: Supports the barrier after acids, retinol, and procedures.
- Hair cuticle repair: Re-seals ceramide-depleted cuticles; reduces breakage.
- Cationic compatibility: Usable in BTMS conditioners and masks, unlike anionic ceramide liposomes.
- Stability: Heat- and pH-stable wax; survives hot processing and sticks.
- Cosmetic comfort: Barrier-supporting foundations, lip balms, and sticks.
Dual use across ORY® product lines
Ceramide NP serves skincare, haircare (including cationic systems), and cosmetics; it survives in syndet and conditioner bars but is wasted in cold-process soap.
| ORY® line | Dual use? | How it is used | Typical level |
|---|---|---|---|
|
ORY® Skincare |
Yes |
Barrier creams and lotions, night creams, eye creams, hand creams, balms and sticks, post-procedure products. |
0.05–0.5% |
|
ORY® Haircare |
Yes |
BTMS conditioners, masks, leave-ins, bond/cuticle-repair treatments, conditioner bars. |
0.02–0.2% |
|
ORY® Handmade Soap |
Limited |
Syndet bars and conditioner bars (0.05–0.2%); wasted in cold-process bars. |
0.05–0.2% |
|
ORY® Cosmetics |
Yes |
Barrier-repair foundations, lip balms and lipsticks, cream sticks, primers. |
0.05–0.3% |
Pros and cons of Ceramide NP
Pros
Cons
- Skin-identical, most abundant ceramide: [1].
- Cationic-compatible: Conditioner-friendly.
- Stable wax: Sticks, balms, hot process.
- Strong barrier science: [1–4].
- Skin and hair: Barrier and cuticle repair.
- Hard to dissolve: Requires ~90 °C oil phase with esters or cholesterol/fatty acids; can recrystallize if cooled fast.
- Cost: Premium ingredient.
- Single ceramide: Complexes with EOP/AP and cholesterol give fuller barrier mimicry (see Ceramide Complex and the NP/cholesterol/behenic complex).
- Wasted in cold-process soap: Rinse-off/pH.
- No stand-alone clinical trial: Evidence is on ceramide-containing formulations and barrier biology.
What is the best application of Ceramide NP?
Ceramide NP is built into leave-on barrier and repair products:
- Barrier cream: 0.3% Ceramide NP + 0.1% cholesterol + 0.1% behenic/stearic acid with shea and squalane.
- Night cream: 0.2% with niacinamide (boosts ceramide synthesis).
- Balm or stick: 0.3–0.5% in an anhydrous base (heat-stable).
- BTMS conditioner or mask: 0.1% for bleached or heat-damaged hair.
- Leave-in: 0.05%.
- Conditioner bar: 0.1–0.2%.
- Cosmetics: 0.1–0.2% in foundation, lip balm, or lipstick.
Peer-reviewed references
- Coderch L, López O, de la Maza A, Parra JL. Ceramides and skin function. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2003;4(2):107–129.
- Imokawa G, Abe A, Jin K, Higaki Y, Kawashima M, Hidano A. Decreased level of ceramides in stratum corneum of atopic dermatitis: an etiologic factor in atopic dry skin? Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 1991;96(4):523–526.
- Spada F, Barnes TM, Greive KA. Skin hydration is significantly increased by a cream formulated to mimic the skin’s own natural moisturizing systems. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. 2018;11:491–497.
- Man MQ, Feingold KR, Elias PM. Exogenous lipids influence permeability barrier recovery in acetone-treated murine skin. Archives of Dermatology. 1993;129(6):728–738.
- Gavazzoni Dias MFR. Hair cosmetics: an overview. International Journal of Trichology. 2015;7(1):2–15.
Disclaimer:
The information on this page is provided by ORY International, LC for educational purposes only. It summarizes published research about ceramide NP as an ingredient, including laboratory and animal studies and clinical studies of formulas that may differ from ORY® products. Results from these studies may not apply to every person or to ORY® products. This page is not medical advice and does not replace advice from a dermatologist, physician, or other qualified healthcare provider.
ORY® Skincare, Haircare, Handmade Soap, and Cosmetics products are cosmetics. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease or condition, including eczema, dermatitis, acne, dandruff, or any other condition. References to FDA or Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) findings describe the ingredient, not ORY® products, and do not mean FDA has reviewed or approved any ORY® product.
Results vary by skin and scalp type, formulation, and use. Ceramide NP is rarely irritating. Any cosmetic can cause irritation, sometimes from other ingredients. Always patch test, follow label directions, and stop use if irritation occurs. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are buying for a child, consult a healthcare provider before use.
ORY International, LC works to keep this page accurate and current but makes no warranty as to its completeness. To the fullest extent permitted by law, ORY International, LC is not liable for any loss or injury arising from reliance on this information or from use of any product contrary to its label directions. To report a reaction, contact us at [insert contact email / phone].
