Phytosphingosine

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: A healthy skin barrier is essential for healthy, youthful skin. The outermost layer of our skin, it’s responsible for not only keeping moisture from getting out, but also irritants and toxins from getting in. When it comes to the skin barrier, ceramides often get lauded as the most important component and the ingredient everyone knows about, talks about, and looks for. But it turns out that they’re not the only player in the game. Phytosphingosine is another lipid that plays a crucial role in the skin barrier, both helping to minimize the likelihood of skin irritation and keeping skin hydrated.

Think of the skin barrier as a brick wall—the cells are the bricks, and the phytosphingosine (and ceramides) make up the mortar in between. Lose that mortar and the brick wall is going to have trouble staying intact.

PHYTOSPHINGOSINE

TYPE OF INGREDIENT:Moisturizer

MAIN BENEFITS:Skin barrier support, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial

WHO SHOULD USE IT:Almost anyone can benefit

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU USE IT:Daily

WORKS WELL WITH:Ceramides, peptides

What Is Phytosphingosine?

Phytosphingosine is a phospholipid, a fat that’s naturally found in the outermost layer of the skin. “It’s one component of the skin barrier, along with ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids,” explains Dr. Nussbaum. The skin barrier is crucial for ensuring your skin looks and feels good—think of it as the ultimate line of defense against all the dirt, pollution, grime, and other toxins that your skin is constantly bombarded with. When the barrier is compromised or weakened, all of those unwanted factors can get in, resulting in all kinds of issues from redness to rashes.

Benefits of Phytosphingosine For Skin

When it comes to your skin, fat is good. Particularly phytosphingosine, which is imperative for healthy skin.

Strengthens the skin barrier to keep irritants out: "Just like you need a strong ozone layer to protect the planet, you need a strong barrier to protect your skin. Without it, all kinds of toxins and irritants can reach the deeper layers of the dermis, resulting in dryness, irritation, and redness,” says Shah. Phytosphingosine is one of the key players in maintaining the health and function of this oh-so important barrier.
Triggers the production of natural moisturizing factor: “As we age, we lose natural moisturizing factor and therefore our skin becomes dry, flaky, and appears to have more fine lines and wrinkles. When phytosphingosine is added to topical moisturizers or other products, it improves the skin's ability to stay hydrated, firm and intact,” says Nussbaum.
Can deliver anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects: Recent studies show that phytosphingosine may have these benefits, says Nussbaum. Couple that with its skin barrier-strengthening properties, and it’s a great option for those dealing with acne or irritated skin conditions such as eczema.

Side Effects of Phytosphingosine

Generally speaking, this ingredient is fairly inert and well-tolerated, so most people shouldn't be concerned about any type of side effects. With that being said, it's always better to err on the side of caution and test phytosphingosine on a small area of the skin via a patch test. This can rule out fear of allergy, but as will introducing any new ingredient to your skin, your safest bet is to talk to your dermatologist.

How to Use It

You can find phytosphingosine in many iterations, including in primers, serums, moisturizers, facial oils, and eye creams. Just remember that you'll want to cover your face evenly when using phytosphingosine, which isn't always conducive to your skin and makeup goals when you're using it in products that target specific areas, like eye creams. That's why many users prefer to use phytosphingosine in moisturizer form.

Phytosphingosine

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