Lipids in the skin and natural lipid sources

The importance of lipids for the skin

Lipids, like many other active ingredients, contribute significantly to skin health. If the skin lacks lipids, it is less well protected and more susceptible to bacteria, inflammation, and pathogens. As the fatty component of the hydrolipid film, lipids play a crucial protective role and are essential for a well-functioning skin barrier.

Since lipids comprise an entire group of substances, it's logical that they exist in many variations, making it impossible to summarize everything relevant about lipids in a single article. Therefore, we'll limit ourselves to the essentials. In short: Lipids are natural components of our skin and cell membranes. They are either completely insoluble or only partially water-soluble, but in any case, they are fat-soluble. Lipids are often mistakenly equated with fats. However, lipids are the overarching category, encompassing, among other things, fats, but also fatty acids and specific forms of lipids such as sphingolipids and phospholipids.

In the following sections, we will explain in more detail what lipids do for the skin, which skin-own lipids exist, and which lipids receive special attention in skincare.

Relationship between moisture and lipids

As mentioned earlier, lipids are essential for the skin's barrier function. As a protective film on the skin and a component of our cell membranes, lipids not only keep harmful substances out but also retain moisture within the skin. Without them, large amounts of the water stored in the skin would simply evaporate. We've already discussed the interplay of moisture and lipids in our article "The Secret Behind Effective Moisturizing Care" and would like to emphasize it again here: The use of lipids and moisturizers goes hand in hand in skincare. One doesn't work particularly well without the other. Therefore, lipids should always be combined with suitable moisturizers.

Skin's own lipids

Our skin produces its own lipids. These include, for example, sebum, which is produced in the sebaceous glands and secreted through the pores. Other lipids, such as ceramides and omega fatty acids, are formed in the epidermis and combine with other aqueous elements to form a layer on the skin called the hydrolipid film. Despite this natural lipid production in and by the skin, it is certainly beneficial to supply it with additional lipids through skincare. After all, the skin's own active ingredients don't last forever and usually degrade with age, so a boost here and there is helpful.

The most important lipids found in the skin are ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol. In the epidermis, ceramides make up the lion's share at 50-60%, while cholesterol accounts for 25% and fatty acids for 15%. Since these lipids are also naturally present in the skin, they replenish the network of skin lipids when applied through skincare products, blending with the existing lipids or replacing lost lipids.

As mentioned before, ceramides are the most abundant lipids in the skin and skin barrier. Therefore, we have dedicated a separate article to them with all the relevant information, which you can read here .

Fatty acids are divided into essential and non-essential. Essential fatty acids can be produced by the body itself. These include ceramides and omega-9 fatty acids. The body cannot produce non-essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6. All types of fatty acids can be supplied to the skin through skincare products.

Cholesterol is an important, skin-protecting lipid that exists in various forms. It is very well known as lanolin, also called wool wax. The name derives from the fact that the tallow is obtained from sheep during the washing of wool. Accordingly, wool wax is unfortunately not suitable for vegan skincare. A precursor of cholesterol is called 7-dehydrocholesterol. From this, vitamin D3, which is so important for our well-being and skin health, is produced. Finally, there are phytosterols. These are related to cholesterol and can be obtained from plants, therefore they are also suitable for a vegan lifestyle.

Also worth mentioning are sphingolipids. These include ceramides. Sphingolipids are long-chain lipids that are a natural component of cell membranes. They are therefore essential for the skin and particularly well-suited for the care of dry skin.

Lipids and facial cleansing

During facial cleansing, surfactants break down the surface structure of the skin, removing dead skin cells and microscopic impurities. However, they also temporarily disrupt the skin's protective barrier, washing away its own lipids. This naturally raises the question of whether regular facial cleansing with cleansers is counterproductive if it disrupts an existing protective system. The answer is no; cleansing your face at least once a day remains beneficial. Throughout the day, all sorts of things accumulate on the skin that we can't even see with the naked eye, and these residues should be washed away regularly. Furthermore, while dead skin cells are an important component of the skin's protective barrier, they too must be constantly replaced by "new" old cells – as paradoxical as that may sound. In addition, the skin's protective barrier is designed to both retain active ingredients within the skin and hinder the penetration of substances from the outside. If you were to apply your skincare products to an intact protective layer, the active ingredients would have much more difficulty penetrating the skin than if the protective film were temporarily absent as a barrier. Afterwards, however, it can be easily re-established by applying a protective cream as the final step in your routine, which replenishes the missing lipids. At first glance, this might seem cumbersome, since the skin has its own functioning protective system, but in reality, it's more beneficial for skin health to support this with active ingredients rather than "leaving it to its own devices."

A good cleanser also contains mild surfactants that don't disrupt the skin's balance, and possibly additional ceramides or similar nourishing ingredients that replenish the skin's essential lipids. You can read more about this in our article on cleansers .

Symptoms of lipid deficiency

The lipid content of our skin depends on genetic factors, external factors, and age. Dry skin lacks lipids. You can learn more about this skin type, as well as the three other skin types, in our detailed article on the topic here . Among the external factors, the usual suspects, already familiar from our article on skin conditions , can cause dehydration: heat, cold, environmental pollution, alcohol, smoking, diet, illnesses, medications, stress, and hormones. Unfortunately, the skin's balance can be quite fragile and easily disrupted by one or more of these factors. However, this can be effectively counteracted with the right skincare. Incidentally, dehydration is not the same as dry skin. Dehydration also involves a lack of moisture. Finally, as already mentioned, age also plays a role, because, like most of the body's own substances, the skin's natural lipids degrade more rapidly with age. In this case, it's best to replenish them with skin-identical lipids such as ceramides.

If you're wondering whether you might have an acute lipid deficiency, you can identify it by the following symptoms: inflammation, irritation, redness, and the typical signs of dehydration (dry skin, flaky skin, often accompanied by itching). In this case, you can try using a richer, more lipid-rich skincare product for a while to see if the symptoms subside.

The use of lipids is particularly important for dehydrated or dry skin , as both the skin condition and skin type generally exhibit a lipid deficiency. However, lipid-based skincare can also be relevant for combination skin if the cheeks tend to be excessively dry.

Popular lipid sources in skincare

In skincare, natural oils or similar lipid sources are often used to supply the skin with lipids. These often contain valuable ceramides and omega fatty acids. Many of them are also very similar to human sebum and therefore integrate seamlessly into the skin's own lipid network. Furthermore, natural oils have a protective effect on the skin, as they are often anti-inflammatory and many contain the antioxidant vitamin E. Here, we'd like to briefly and concisely introduce you to our favorite natural and vegan lipids.

Jojoba oil:

Although it's called an oil, jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax. It's known for being particularly similar to our skin's sebum. Therefore, it blends well with it and the skin's own lipids, while remaining non-comedogenic. Jojoba oil also regulates sebum production and has antibacterial properties, thus protecting the skin. It's also exceptionally rich in vitamins, containing vitamin E, vitamin B6, and provitamin A. For many reasons, jojoba oil is excellent for slow-aging. It moisturizes and therefore reduces dryness. Furthermore, it has a smoothing effect and stimulates collagen production in the skin, thereby increasing its elasticity. Jojoba oil also regenerates the skin and protects it from free radicals.

Shea butter:

Shea butter, as the name suggests, isn't actually a liquid oil, but rather has a buttery consistency. However, it's just as effective as other lipid-rich oils and is a true all-rounder that can even be used on its own. Shea butter is exceptionally well-suited for restoring suppleness and softness to rough skin. Similar to jojoba oil, shea butter has a smoothing effect, reduces fine lines caused by dryness, and increases skin elasticity. Shea butter moisturizes and binds both water and oil in the skin, thus promoting its balance. This makes it particularly effective at strengthening the skin barrier. Shea butter inhibits inflammation and soothes stressed skin. It protects and regenerates the skin. Due to its vitamin E content, shea butter is an antioxidant. The vitamin F it contains can also be conveniently converted into ceramides in the skin. Shea butter is also non-comedogenic.

Squalane:

We've raved about squalane several times on this blog and are happy to repeat ourselves here. Squalane is an oily substance related to the body's own squalene. It's quite similar to sebum and perfectly complements the skin's natural lipids. It also absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue and feels light and pleasant on the skin. Additionally, squalane protects skin lipids from oxidation. Squalane is excellent for moisturizing, as it both hydrates and reduces water loss. Similar to jojoba oil, squalane has a smoothing and plumping effect, restoring elasticity to the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines caused by dryness. In the long term, squalane also nourishes and conditions the skin, providing it with essential antioxidant vitamins.