PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST BIO-ACTIVE CERAMIDE REPAIRING AND PLUMPING MOISTURIZER - Should you use ceramides everyday? Which is better ceramide or retinol?
THE INKEY LIST BIO-ACTIVE CERAMIDE REPAIRING AND PLUMPING MOISTURIZER
I’ve spent the better part of the last 8-10 weeks obsessed with protecting my face from extreme, cold-induced dryness and worse, keeping my neck from hollowing out.
Intense dryness and trans-epidermal water loss are the bane of my existence from November to the end of February.
It wasn’t all that long ago that my skin would age an entire year in the span of those three wintry months. But I got smart about winterizing my skin. And brands stepped up their game, too.
Over the past several weeks, I’ve reviewed several well-formulated and highly effective face creams for dry skin – and all skin types in winter. Among my favorite new replenishing moisturizers have been the reformulated Paula’s Choice Resist Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer and Untoxicated’s Moisture Boost Hydrating Cream – essentially an upgrade of the classic CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and probably the best face cream for very sensitive skin on the market today.
So I’m super excited to be among the first to test-drive The INKEY List’s Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer. It’s the brand’s newest product offering and its richest face cream yet. More on this innovative new formula from The INKEY List below…
BEST PRODUCTS FROM THE INKEY LIST
What the new face creams from Paula’s Choice, Untoxicated and The INKEY List all have in common is their ability to help replenish one of the most vital lipids (or fats) found in our skin: ceramides.
Until recently, the vast majority of skincare brands haven’t given ceramides the attention they deserve. Ceramides play an essential role in skin’s ability to hold onto moisture and, importantly, to maintain optimal moisture levels in cold, low-humidity air.
Of course, one brand stands out for their unflinching focus on ceramides dating as far back as the early 90s: Elizabeth Arden. The introduction of their original Ceramide Time Complex Capsules in 1990 is one of those rare skincare innovations that fits the adage, “What’s old is new again.”
What are ceramides and why are ceramides important for the skin? Ceramides are one of several lipid molecules found within the cell membranes of our skin. They’re a crucial component of the skin barrier and responsible for its ability to retain moisture and prevent both dryness and trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL).
When it comes to skin health, ceramides are everything…
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Before I get into my detailed The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer product review just below, I wanted to explore some of the most frequently asked questions about ceramides – the core ingredient technology behind The INKEY List’s new face cream for dry skin...
1. Should you use ceramides everyday?
Whether or not your skin is dry, ceramides are an essential component of your skin. One of several lipids found in human skin, ceramides are necessary for optimizing skin barrier function as they’re a key factor in how well your skin retains moisture and prevents dryness and dehydrating trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL.
Incorporating a face cream with ceramides into your daily skincare routine can help maintain a strong, healthy skin barrier. Replenishing lost ceramides each day provides continual support for a compromised skin barrier.
Ceramide replenishment is especially important for those with dry, sensitive, or aging skin. If your skin is on the oily side, seek out a lightweight moisturizer or gel cream with ceramides and lower levels of plant oils.
Explore my picks of the best products from The INKEY List on the blog here.
Sources: Byrdie: Ceramides Are Exactly What Your Skin Barrier Needs—Here's Why; Health: What Are Ceramides?
2. Which one is better hyaluronic acid or ceramide?
Both ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid are essential components of human skin and play similar roles in skin barrier function. One is not particularly better than the other; they are complementary and biocompatible when used in topical skincare.
Hyaluronic Acid, known for its exceptional ability to attract and retain moisture, helps to hydrate the skin and prevent trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL – the leading cause of dehydration.
Ceramides, on the other hand, are lipids that play a crucial role in strengthening the skin barrier and locking in moisture, including the oils required to keep skin healthy and prevent dryness.
While Hyaluronic Acid excels in providing immediate hydration, ceramides work to fortify skin’s protective barrier over time, preventing moisture loss.
Explore my picks of the best products from The INKEY List on the blog here.
Sources: Cerave: Ceramides & Hyaluronic Acid: Their Role in Achieving Beautiful Skin; Cleveland Clinic: Hyaluronic Acid
3. Which is better ceramide or retinol?
There are several anti-aging ingredients that are crucial for defending skin against premature skin aging and preventing future signs of aging. Both ceramides and Retinol are among the most important. They are not mutually exclusive; rather, an effective skincare routine should comprise both.
Ceramides are an essential component of human skin. These lipids, or fats, play a central role in helping to maintain optimal moisture levels in the skin barrier, preventing dryness and trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL).
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A and among the most effective active ingredients for treating multiple signs of skin aging, including minimizing the visible appearance of surface lines and wrinkles.
Importantly, Retinol is effective at stimulating collagen production to firm the skin. Collagen is a key structural protein in human skin, responsible for maintaining its firmness, elasticity, and strength. As we age, the natural production of collagen decreases, leading to signs of aging such as wrinkles, fine lines, and loss of skin elasticity. Retinol is one of the few ingredients that prevents signs of skin aging resulting from collagen depletion.
Explore my picks of the best products from The INKEY List on the blog here.
Sources: Get the Gloss: Why your skin desperately needs ceramides (possibly more than retinol)
4. How to increase ceramides in skin.
Increasing ceramides in the skin takes a dual approach – both internal and external.
Internally, consuming foods such as soy, sweet potatoes, and brown rice can help promote ceramide production and skin’s moisture levels. More effectively, taking ceramide supplements can provide a boost to your skin’s ceramide levels.
Externally, using topical skincare products containing ceramides (e.g. a face cream with ceramides), can help replenish and support skin’s moisture barrier, aka the skin barrier. Look for ingredients like ceramide NP, ceramide AP, ceramide EOP, and phytosphingosine, a naturally occurring lipid molecule. These can help strengthen and protect skin barrier function and optimize skin’s ability to hold moisture and prevent moisture loss.
Explore my picks of the best products from The INKEY List on the blog here.
Sources: WebMD: What to Know About Ceramides for Skin; Paula’s Choice: What Are Ceramides and How Do They Work in Skin Care Products?
5. Product Review
The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer Review
The first thing I want to stress about my experience of The INKEY List’s new Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer is that it’s rich. Rich AF, in fact. If you struggle with dry skin, either year-round or seasonally as I do, you are very likely to be blown away by its velvety texture and ability to replenish and retain moisture.
If your skin is oily or acne-prone, this is not the face cream for you. You can catch my top picks of the best face creams for oily skin here.
I first got my hands on The INKEY List’s Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer at the end of the year, just as temps were plummeting here in Brooklyn and I was in full-on moisture rescue mode.
I like to switch up my daily skincare routine right before the holidays. I seek out rich, replenishing face creams and serums that get me through the dry, cold winter. So the timing of the Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer launch in January couldn’t have been more spot-on.
THE RICH AF TEXTURE IS EVERYTHING!
If you’re familiar with the Skinfix Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream, the SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 moisturizer or even La Mer’s iconic Crème de la Mer Moisturizer, then you know what I mean when I refer to a rich, thick, velvety texture.
That’s the level of richness I’m referring to when describing how dense The INKEY List’s Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer is. It’s not by accident. The purpose of this product is to help “strengthen the skin barrier, provide 24-hr hydration, and accelerate visible skin renewal”.
Lots of brands say things like that about their anti-aging moisturizers. But if you’re going to legitimately come close to achieving real results for dry skin, you gotta go with something rich, protective and replenishing. And The INKEY List’s new moisturizer with ceramides delivers.
I’ve put it to the test during the harshest, most bitter cold period of the year. On nearly every day last week, the temperatures were in the teens and low 20s for most of the day. Without something effective at combatting moisture loss, my skin would have dried out, dehydrated, and appeared washed out – particularly noticeable first thing in the morning.
What makes the new Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer so effective? High levels of tried-and-true actives like Glycerin, Shea Butter and, yes, ceramides that skin loves and that get the job done.
Nothing about The INKEY List’s Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer is a ground-breaking. And that’s not a knock on one of my favorite skincare brands. Their new face cream simply performs on all metrics. It prevents dryness and keeps skin optimally hydrated, soft, smooth and comfortable. On the driest days of the year!
That’s not something you can say about most face creams in the winter – and certainly not about a $20 moisturizer. No joke, I would take two of these at 1.7 oz. each over a single 3.4 oz. jar of Crème de la Mer Moisturizer for $570. In fact, for that price you could literally get 28 jars of the Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer – enough to keep your skin healthy for the next decade.
You’re welcome.
6. Pros & Cons
What I like about it: The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer is among the richest face creams I’ve come across and ideal for use during the dry, low-humidity air of the winter months. Without fail, it’s kept my skin optimally moisturized, soft and vibrant on the coldest days of the year. I love how well it absorbs without any greasy feel at all. Plus, it’s fragrance free and free of drying alcohols, making it suitable for sensitive skin, too.
What I don’t like about it: More antioxidants would be nice. But for $20, it’s as good as it gets.
Who it’s for: Dry skin, very dry skin and sensitive skin. Not for oily skin or acne-prone skin.
SHOP THE BLOG: Want to try it for yourself? Purchase The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer for $20 here.
The Ingredient List of The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer:
sii|h 0 0, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter 
emo|vc, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate emo|amic, Propanediol solv|h, Polysilicone-11, C10-18 Triglycerides emo|solv, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate emo|emu|surf 0 2, Cetearyl Olivate emu, Sorbitan Olivate emu, Cetyl Alcohol emo|vc 2 2, Phenoxyethanol pres, Ceramide NP sii, Polyacrylate-13, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene emo|vc 2 1, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate surf|emu, Ethylhexyl Palmitate emo 0 2-4, Laureth-12 emu|surf, Sorbitan Isostearate emu 0 1-2, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Citric Acid buff, Sodium Hydroxide buff
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