13 Best Ceramide Moisturizers for a Stronger-Than-Ever Barrier
The best ceramide moisturizers are superheroes for weak skin barriers and tackle associated dryness and dullness head-on. "Ceramides can smooth and soften the skin by filling in the ‘gaps’ between skin cells and help skin retain moisture by fortifying our protective barrier," says Ava Shamban, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist in Beverly Hills. Because of their moisture-locking talents, ceramide-rich moisturizers pair beautifully with humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, helping to seal in the hydration they provide. They also work well alongside niacinamide, which soothes redness and irritation stemming from a damaged skin barrier.
Our Top Ceramide Moisturizers
- Best Overall: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2, $155
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream, $49
- Best Fragrance-Free: Dieux Instant Angel Moisturizer, $45
- Best Lightweight: Aestura Atobarrier 365 Hydro Cera-HA Serum, $34
- Best Cooling: Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb, $38
- Best for Dry Skin: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5, $20
- Best for Mature Skin: Trinny London Bounce Back Moisturizer, $70
- Best for Oily Skin: EltaMD PM Therapy Facial Moisturizer, $47
- Best for Eczema-Prone Skin: Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream, $66
- Best for Dull Skin: Caudalie Premier Cru The Rich Cream, $119
Frequently Asked Questions
- What do ceramide moisturizers do?
- How should I choose a ceramide moisturizer?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2
Why it's worth it: SkinCeuticals' Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 won a coveted Best of Beauty Breakthrough Award back in 2016, and the proof is in the pudding: This moisturizing cream swiftly repairs skin and plumps all the while, thanks to a formula that includes 2% ceramides, 4% cholesterol, and 2% fatty acids (hence the 2:4:2 in the name). And why this ratio? "It infuses skin-identical fatty acids into the barrier in the exact proportion that naturally exists in our barrier," Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New Haven, CT, explains. It's also a favorite of Leah Ansell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, who notes that it's ideal for anyone who deals with eczema or parched skin. Keep in mind that this concoction contains essential oils, like lavender and peppermint, which is worth keeping in mind if you have reactive skin.
Tester feedback: "This moisturizer feels like a cushiony cloud on my skin and leaves my complexion looking dewier than ever," says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. "Its dense texture makes my skin feel soft and plump, like how I imagine Moo Deng's cheeks feel. If I could drench my whole body in this rich, hydrating cream, I absolutely would."
Best for Sensitive Skin: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream
Why it's worth it: What's better than one ceramide? A blend of five to intensely nourish and strengthen skin. The Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream puts the actives to work to help leave skin feeling supple and hydrated. Combined with hyaluronic acid and shea butter, this face cream will make your skin feel and look healthier with continued use. "My skin is visibly more hydrated and less irritated," said our rosacea-prone tester. "Without sounding too enthusiastic, I was really impressed by the results, which were noticeable after just three days." And, BTW, it comes in a jumbo size to last you all season (and beyond).
Tester feedback: "Dr. Jart's Ceramidin Cream was one of the first skin-care products I really fell in love with as a baby beauty editor," says content director Kara McGrath. "Fifteen years later, it remains one of my favorites. The texture is rich but lightweight, making it great for any season, plus it absorbs quickly so it layers well under makeup."
Key ingredients: ceramides, panthenol | Fragrance-free: no
Best Fragrance-Free: Dieux Instant Angel Moisturizer
Why it’s worth it: This Hailey Bieber-beloved moisturizer is for A-listers and skin-care savants alike, a unifying force thanks to dewiness-enhancing lipids, squalane, glycerin, urea, and ceramides (a combo that the brand calls a “hydro-lipid blend”). From this chic tube, you’ll also get a dose of meadowestolide, a conditioning meadowfoam seed oil derivative, and plenty of peptides. The result is an indulgent, cooling formula that strengthens your skin barrier, smooths fine lines, and boosts your natural glow.
Tester feedback: “Dieux's Instant Angel is the kind of low-key luxury moisturizer that keeps me uncapping day after day,” says contributing commerce writer Annie Blackman. “The formula is unscented, thick without being gooey or sticky, and never irritating—a no-brainer purchase, really. Never mind its very aesthetic design and the fact that I'm obsessed with anything that comes in a metal tube.”
Key ingredients: hydro-lipid blend (lipids, squalane, glycerin, urea, amino acids), peptides (dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline peptide), meadowestolide | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Lightweight: Aestura Atobarrier 365 Hydro Cera-HA Serum
Why it's worth it: Aestura's Atobarrier 365 Hydro Cera-HA Serum is like an indulgent cream in liquid form. This K-beauty serum is super lightweight but tackles fine lines, dryness, and dullness like a heavy-duty moisturizer. For that, you can thank a hearty recipe of CERA-HA, a hyaluronic acid/ceramide blend, ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol, as well as niacinamide, vitamin E, and glycerin. If the ingredient list strikes you as overwhelming, don't get it twisted—this formula shows major love to sensitive skin.
Tester feedback: "Consider this serum a safety blanket for dry skin on cold or arid days," says contributor Devon Abelman. "It has a barely there, water gel-like feel upon application, but you can sense its effects throughout the day. You'll realize your skin isn't as parched or irritated as usual and looks less dull and more glassy."
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Cooling: Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb
Why It's Worth It: Despite the "cream" of it all, Belif's The True Cream Aqua Bomb subverts, instead functioning like a cooling burst of jelly hydration. Hyaluronic acid and niacinamide are the stars of the show, with supporting roles played by natural hydrators like calendula and oat kernel extract. It absorbs super quickly and is the perfect follow-up to toners and serums. "Imagine someone lobbing a water balloon at your face—minus the pain and shock of it popping—that's how slathering on The True Cream Aqua Bomb feels. It gives skin that kind of rush of hydration," says Abelman.
Tester feedback: "The cooling jelly texture of the Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb was a godsend for my dry, red skin," says Blackman. "It feels so comforting to rub on, and I know the hyaluronic acid is doing me favors I can't even understand yet." She says it smells really good, too, "like clean, cold water."
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, oat kernel extract, calendula | Fragrance-free: yes
More ceramide moisturizers we love:
Best for Dry Skin: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5
Why it's worth it: "This is one of the originals and the best [ceramide products]," Dr. Ansell says of the derm-favorited La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5. "It also contains shea butter and glycerin, making your skin feel hydrated and nourished with application." The special sauce gets even better thanks to dimethicone, a silicone-based polymer that protects your skin against chapping, cracking, and chafing—making it a godsend during chillier months. It's also gentle enough to use on babies as young as one week old. The TLC doesn't need to cease at your decolletage, though: Slather this ceramide cream on your dry elbows while you're at it.
Key ingredients: shea butter, glycerin, dimethicone | Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Mature Skin: Trinny London Bounce Back Moisturizer
Why it's worth it: At the heart of Trinny London's Bounce Back are oat lipids stuffed with ceramides to intensely soothe and soften skin. But the moisture-boosting goodness doesn't end with ceramides: Phytosphingosine (mimicking lipids already in your skin) and four types of peptides signal to your skin to produce more collagen (which decreases as we age, sigh), resulting in plumper skin with each application. Your barrier is all set, and then some, thanks to hero hydrators such as beta-glucan and hyaluronic acid. Sounds pretty sweet, right? We think so.
Key ingredients: peptides, beta-glucan, phytosphingosine, lactococcus ferment, oat lipids | Fragrance-free: no
Best for Oily Skin: EltaMD PM Therapy Facial Moisturizer
Why it's worth it: EltaMD's PM Therapy Facial Moisturizer goes above and beyond. It's an "oil-free, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic moisturizer that contains ceramides to strengthen the skin's natural protective barrier, as well as niacinamide and antioxidants to improve skin tone and complexion," says Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, who notes that this formula is particularly great for sensitive and acne-prone skin types. One such antioxidant in question is vitamin E, which boosts cellular restoration and speeds up your skin's natural repair processes. Rice protein peptides also step in to promote collagen production, so you can head to bed knowing your skin is in good hands.
Key ingredients: ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide | Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Eczema-Prone Skin: Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream
Why it's worth it: Dryness is one thing, but redness is a whole other beast. That's when we whip out Dermalogica's Stabilizing Repair Cream. This cushiony moisturizer features a proprietary ceramide-building complex to support your skin's natural ceramide production levels—but there's so much more goodness to look forward to. A lineup of irritation-soothing ingredients, including but not limited to resurrection plant, Tasmania lanceolata, and Boerhavia diffusa root, work overtime to calm skin and restore a redness-free complexion. It's earned the National Eczema Association's Seal of Acceptance, so you know it's the real deal.
Key ingredients: jojoba oil, Centella asiatica, shea butter | Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Dull Skin: Caudalie Premier Cru The Rich Cream
Why It's Worth It: Armed with a 2022 Best of Beauty Award, the splurgy, silky Cauadlie Premier Cru The Rich Cream is stuffed to the brim with TET8 technology, which features resveratrol (an antioxidant plant compound commonly found in red grapes) and honokiol (magnolia extract), viniferine (a grapevine sap derivative), micro-size variations of hyaluronic acid, and tightening sugars derived from honey locusts. The result? Tighter-looking skin for up to six hours and even longer-lasting line-softening hydration. Plus, even with the cap screwed on, it's giving luxury.
Tester feedback: "As soon as I got my hands on Premier Cru The Rich Cream, it was love at first application," says shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis. "This cream seals in all the moisture from my other skin-care products, acting as a barrier between my skin care and makeup during the day, or my skin care and pillowcase at night. The texture is thick but not heavy—as if you're wearing a super-warm jacket in the winter that manages to feel like you have nothing on."
Key ingredients: ceramides, viniferine, honokiol, resveratrol, hyaluronic acid | Fragrance-free: no
Best for Rosacea: KraveBeauty Great Barrier Relief
Why it's worth it: We love all KraveBeauty products, which are formulated to tackle a damaged, weakened skin barrier, but Great Barrier Relief is a true all-timer from this Korean skin care-inspired brand. "The creamy elixir leaves my complexion calm and hydrated with a subtle glow that lasts for hours," said our tester. Spiked with an ultra-nourishing blend of ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin, squalane, and nourishing oils (including safflower seed and tamanu), the surprisingly lightweight serum calms and brightens the skin without spurring irritation. And, like the rest of KraveBeauty's offerings, this treatment is vegan, cruelty-free, and fragrance-free.
Key ingredients: ceramides, niacinamide, tamanu oil | Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Body: Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Balm
Why it's worth it: Dr. Chang vouches for slathering on Bioderma's Atoderm Intensive Balm once you've hopped out of the shower. She says the soothing, rich balm contains "an exclusive Lipigenium complex composed of bio lipids and ceramides" designed by France-based NAOS Research. This basically mimics the components of your skin barrier, which explains why it works wonders on extremely dry, irritated, or eczema-prone skin. Better yet, it can be used on the entire family (aside from premature babies, as the website states).
Key ingredients: ceramides, sunflower seed oil, glycerin | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Budget: The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer
Why it's worth it: Don't let the approachable price tag fool you: The Best of Beauty-winning Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer's formula might as well be made of dollar signs—it's that valuable. It features a bio-active ceramide (bio-active, meaning that it's readily accepted by skin) to deeply hydrate, plump, and firm skin. Five percent of the product is the brand's proprietary Gransil Blur X-11, which blurs the look of wrinkles for an instant smoothing effect. Meanwhile, shea butter creates a seal over the skin barrier to trap moisture.
Tester feedback: "There's nothing I love more than hitting empty on a skin-care product. It's just so satisfying," says associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen. "What's even more satisfying is that I've emptied almost three jars of this Inkey List moisturizer—it's that good. My sensitive skin just drinks up the ceramides."
Key ingredients: ceramides, shea butter, glycerin | Fragrance-free: yes
Frequently Asked Questions
What do ceramide moisturizers do?
"Ceramides are fatty acids in the skin that help to maintain the skin barrier and retain moisture and hydration," Shereene Idriss, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. Think of ceramides as the building blocks of your skin—naturally found in high concentrations within cell membranes, they play a major role in keeping skin strong and supple. "They hold skin cells together on the top layer of the skin, forming a protective layer that plumps the skin and retains moisture," explains Ellen Marmur, MD, a fellow New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, adding that they also protect your skin against environmental stressors—which is why they're a mainstay among the best moisturizers.
"Extreme cold-weather temperatures, exposure to hot water, and dry heat can all deplete the ceramides stored in your skin," says Dr. Idriss. As a result, it's critical to introduce ceramide-fortified products to lock in moisture and restore your skin's barrier function. They're also a key ingredient to look out for when treating skin conditions like eczema or moisturizing your skin after a laser treatment.
How should I choose a ceramide moisturizer?
When scanning your ingredient lists, look out for a wide range of ceramides, like ceramide NP, AP, EOP, NG, NP, and NS, as well as phytosphingosine and sphingosine. Another power duo to keep an eye out for? Ceramides and humectant combos, like hyaluronic acid, together supply the hydration that ceramides then seal into the skin. Dr. Shamban recommends layering ceramide products atop humectant serums, so choosing a ceramide moisturizer that fills that spot in your routine is a smart move.
At the end of the day, the best ceramide moisturizer for you is the one that you’ll actually want to use. So keep an eye out for bonus benefits that fit your skin goals, be it wrinkle tightening, glow-boosting, or beyond.
Meet the experts
- Ava Shamban, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist in Beverly Hills and the founder of Ava MD and Skin Five Medical Spas
- Leah Ansell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City at Treiber Dermatology Associates
- Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Connecticut
- Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Union Derm in New York City
- Shereene Idriss, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
- Ellen Marmur, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that's included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best ceramide moisturizers, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
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