Phytoceramides Reviewed
Finding quality anti-aging products that really work is extremely difficult for most women, especially when new “miracle” cures seem to come out every single year. Recently, a brand new product called Phytoceramides has been called the “miracle” breakthrough to solve anti-aging problems for women.
Some companies even claim that Phytoceramides can “take a decade off your face” or that phytoceramides are “better than a facelift.” These are some bold claims, especially for a product that is very new and that not many people know a lot about.
Whenever claims like this are made, an alarm should go off. Generally when things sound too good to be true, they are and phytoceramides are no different. Let’s take a closer look into phytoceramides to see whether or not they are legitimate.
What Are Phytoceramides?
Phytoceramides are the plant-derived equivalent of a natural lipid found in our bodies called ceramides. Ceramides work to keep our skin hydrated and elastic.
Humans supposedly start producing less ceramides as we get old, which causes the skin to wrinkle and appear rough. Supporters of phytoceramides claim that by replacing the lost ceramides with phytoceramides that the effects of aging are reversed and the skin appears healthy again.
Can Phytoceramides Really Work?
Most phytoceramide supplements are taken orally, which poses a big problem. There is zero clinical evidence that taking phytoceramides orally has any anti-aging benefits whatsoever.
There are no independent clinical trials using oral supplements to test phytoceramides. One study found that participants had a perceived improvement of moisture around the eyelid but this is hardly the hard evidence needed to support the case for phytoceramides.
Plus, the study was conducted by a company that sells phytoceramides and therefore can be assumed there is some bias in the statistics.
Topical medications do seem to tell otherwise, though. In the only real study with hard evidence, an overwhelming amount of participants had the water content of the eyelid improve significantly after applying topical phytoceramides.
Another study claimed phytoceramides were able to relive dermatitis and that phytoceramides helped the skin naturally resist anti-aging, although no statistics or hard evidence was given.
With so many companies claiming phytoceramides as a miracle product, we could only hope there would be more evidence to support these claims. However, all we have no are small studies were very limited data.
New studies are in progress and hopefully within the next few years, we will know exactly what phytoceramides are capable of.
The Truth About Phytoceramides
While phytoceramides are certainly called a miracle product, they fail to deliver up to their reputation. Some evidence does indicate that phytoceramides might help you in the short-term but as far as long-term benefits go, there seem to be none.
While more research is certainly in the works, there is not enough out here to validate phytoceramides as a miracle product. Hopefully we will know more about phytoceramides in the coming years but until then, stick to proven products that have ingredients with real clinical evidence to support their claims.
Supplement Scorecard: C+
Until more research comes out.
If you have used this type of supplement in the past, feel free to comment below.