Ingredient intelligence
Ceramide NP
Skin barrier · Ceramide NP · C34H67NO4
Ceramide NP is a sphingolipid found in the stratum corneum lipid matrix. Ceramide composition is a well-described feature of barrier biology.
Molecular identity
- Formula
- C34H67NO4
- Molecular weight
- 553.9 g/mol
- PubChem CID
- 5497114
- ChEBI
- Data unavailable
Biological targets
Ceramide synthase 3 (CERS3)
medium confidenceassociated with · enzyme
UniProt Q8IU89ABCA12 lipid transporter
medium confidenceassociated with · transporter
UniProt Q86UK0
How could this ingredient interact with biology?
Biological network
Ingredient → molecule → target → gene/protein → pathway → process → studied outcome. Relationship strength is drawn from the curated confidence tier; nothing is added to make the chain look complete.
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1 lower-confidence relationship is hidden at this filter level. Use “Show more biology” to include them.
Text alternative for this network
- Ceramide NP is molecule Ceramide NP (N-stearoyl phytosphingosine) — high confidence
- Ceramide NP (N-stearoyl phytosphingosine) associated with Ceramide synthase 3 (CERS3) — medium confidence
- Ceramide NP (N-stearoyl phytosphingosine) associated with ABCA12 lipid transporter — medium confidence
- Ceramide synthase 3 (CERS3) encoded by CERS3 — medium confidence
- ABCA12 lipid transporter encoded by ABCA12 — medium confidence
- CERS3 participates in Sphingolipid metabolism — medium confidence
- ABCA12 participates in Sphingolipid metabolism — medium confidence
- CERS3 participates in Formation of the cornified envelope — medium confidence
- ABCA12 participates in Formation of the cornified envelope — medium confidence
- Sphingolipid metabolism associated with Epidermal barrier formation — high confidence
- Formation of the cornified envelope associated with Epidermal barrier formation — medium confidence
- Sphingolipid metabolism associated with Transepidermal water loss regulation — medium confidence
- Formation of the cornified envelope associated with Transepidermal water loss regulation — medium confidence
- Epidermal barrier formation studied in Studied for barrier repair and dryness endpoints — medium confidence
- Transepidermal water loss regulation studied in Studied for barrier repair and dryness endpoints — medium confidence
Biological pathways
Sphingolipid metabolism
high confidenceCeramide synthesis and turnover in keratinocytes.
Reactome R-HSA-428157
Formation of the cornified envelope
medium confidenceLipid lamellae assembly during terminal differentiation.
Reactome R-HSA-6809371
Evidence engine
Moderate
Some human evidence exists, but replication or sample sizes are limited.
Skinceptor Evidence Index
47
experimental · of 100
This index is a research-navigation aid describing how much evidence exists and how it was produced. It is not a medical safety score, an efficacy guarantee, or a clinical recommendation.
Study composition
- Randomised controlled trial1
- Animal1
- In-vitro1
- Review2
- Total studies
- 5
- Human studies
- 1
- Largest sample
- 60
- Range
- 1996–2017
Index breakdown
- Study design quality48% × 28%
Mean design weight across curated studies (meta-analysis 1.0, RCT 0.9, other human 0.7, review 0.45, animal 0.35, in-vitro 0.25).
- Human evidence share33% × 22%
Proportion of curated evidence measured in people rather than cells or animals.
- Evidence volume82% × 14%
Log-scaled count of curated studies, so volume alone cannot dominate the score.
- Largest sample size59% × 12%
Log-scaled largest reported sample size across curated human studies.
- Replication33% × 12%
Independent human studies, capped at three; one study is never treated as replicated.
- Recency55% × 7%
Linear decay over a twenty-year window from the most recent curated publication.
- Source traceability0% × 5%
Share of curated studies with a verified PMID or DOI in this dataset.
Insufficient comparable evidence for quantitative synthesis.
Research timeline
How the evidence accumulated
1996
Physiological lipid mixtures and accelerated barrier recovery
Animalsample size unavailable · Archives of Dermatological Research
2000
Topical niacinamide and epidermal barrier lipid synthesis in cultured keratinocytes
In-vitrosample size unavailable · Journal of Cosmetic Science
2003
Stratum corneum lipids and barrier function: ceramide, cholesterol and free fatty acid ratios
Reviewsample size unavailable · Journal of Lipid Research (review)
2016
Essential fatty acid deficiency and epidermal acylceramide formation
Reviewsample size unavailable · Journal of Lipid Research (review)
2017
Ceramide-containing moisturiser and barrier recovery in dry skin
Randomised controlled trialn = 60 · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
Ingredient fingerprint
12 nodes · 18 relationships · seed "ceramide-np"
The fingerprint is a deterministic visual signature: ridge amplitude comes from the number of entities in each tier, node placement from identifier hashes, and opacity from confidence. Two ingredients can never produce the same figure unless their networks are identical.
Open in Biology as Art →Research
5 curated studies
Ceramide-containing moisturiser and barrier recovery in dry skin
Reported faster transepidermal water loss recovery with a ceramide-dominant formulation compared with a control emollient.
Limitations — Short duration; identifier not verified during curation.
Essential fatty acid deficiency and epidermal acylceramide formation
Establishes linoleate as required for omega-O-acylceramide formation, with PNPLA1 mediating the transfer step.
Limitations — Review of genetic and animal evidence; topical repletion effects less characterised.
Stratum corneum lipids and barrier function: ceramide, cholesterol and free fatty acid ratios
Establishes the approximately equimolar ceramide/cholesterol/free fatty acid composition required for competent lamellar barrier structure.
Limitations — Review; ratio requirements derived largely from animal and ex-vivo models.
Topical niacinamide and epidermal barrier lipid synthesis in cultured keratinocytes
Reported increased ceramide and free fatty acid synthesis in keratinocyte culture after niacinamide exposure.
Limitations — In-vitro only; concentrations may not reflect in-use exposure.
Physiological lipid mixtures and accelerated barrier recovery
Reported that only balanced ceramide/cholesterol/fatty acid mixtures accelerated barrier recovery; incomplete mixtures delayed it.
Limitations — Animal model; identifier not verified during curation.
Community evidence
Submitted by readers
Reader submissions appear here only after review. They are not part of the curated dataset and do not affect the Skinceptor Evidence Index.
No approved community submissions yet.
Sources
- PubChem 5497114retrieved 2026-09-14
- Reactome R-HSA-428157retrieved 2026-09-14
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