You might only have heard about phytoceramides recently due to the current attention being focused on them after their newly awarded FDA approval and several high profile product launches. This however does not make ceramides a new commodity as they have been used widely prior to their recent rise to stardom. The only thing that has changed is the source — and name somewhat. Ceramides usually came from animal sources, but now, phytoceramides are being extracted from wheat, rice and sweet potatoes.
Ceramides are skin penetrating components that have the ability to penetrate all four layers of your skin and help it to lock in moisture. They have been in use for decades before today as ingredients for skin and hair products. The ability to lock in moisture helps your skin look younger, plumper and healthier. In effect, wrinkles appear less pronounced and the skin rejuvenated giving you an overall younger appeal. With phytoceramides, users are taking in a substance that will lock in moisture from the inside out with the added advantage of not consuming animal products.
The word “phyto” basically let’s you know the supplement is derived from a plant based formulation, and in areas of Asia it has been used for years as a topical solution. Recently the use of this natural anti-aging breakthrough has been approved for use in the United States. It can now be taken as an oral health supplement and the results have been reported to be nothing short of incredible by thousands of users who sent in testimonials with before and after pictures and videos.
Initially, research focused on identifying potentially useful oral ceramides only from animal sources.Then scientists switched to using a number of different ceramides available in grains such as rice, corn, and wheat.These plant-based ceramides are called phytoceramides. In an important breakthrough, scientists developed a proprietary wheat-derived phytoceramide extract. Taken orally, it can reach the skin’s outer layer through the natural route—delivery by the bloodstream to the deepest skin-cell layers, then gently nudged into the extracellular matrix.There, it restores the barrier function. This innovation was achieved by using natural, nongenetically modified wheat as the raw material and producing an extract containing only purified oils.
This extract is so purified it is classified as gluten-free by current government standards. A number of studies now validate the effectiveness of this novel phytoceramide. In a laboratory cell study, this wheat-derived extract was shown to hydrate human skin and restore its youthful structure after the skin cells’ protective barrier function had been disrupted.
This study also found that wheat phytoceramides reduced levels of free radicals in the skin and inhibited elastase enzymes, which would ordinarily destroy elastin and contribute to loss of skin flexibility and increased wrinkling.
Featured on television a famous Doctor who explained that this plant derived form of lipids is what he called a miracle face lift in a bottle. The supplement is a proven alternative to some of the more expensive and painful treatments that only target the outer layers of the skin, like Chemical Peels, Laser Treatments and Botox injections.
