Review Ceramide’ Role in Skin

Abstract

Ceramide, which consists of long-chain amino alcohol and long-chain fatty acids, forms the backbone of sphingolipids; i.e., phosphosphingolipid and glycosphingolipid. While ceramide is a minor constituent in the cellular membrane, heterogeneous molecular species of ceramide, which are due to variations in amide-linked fatty acids (carbon chain length and hydroxylation) and sphingoid bases, contribute to epidermal permeability in the extracellular domain of the outmost layer of skin, the stratum corneum. In addition to their structural roles, ceramide and its metabolites, such as sphigosine-1-phosphate and ceramide-1-phosphate, serve as modulator lipids to maintain normal cellular functions.