Combining argan oil and ceramides: the method

Cream repairs, oil seals. Ceramides fill a deficit in the outer layer of the skin; argan oil then limits losses. It's a simple repair routine, without demanding active ingredients.

Key points

• Order: ceramide cream, then argan oil.
• Before: a humectant on damp skin.
• Quantity: two to three drops of oil for the face.
• Frequency: daily, morning and evening.
• Morning: sunscreen over it.

What each provides

Ceramides are lipids naturally present in the outermost layer of the skin. Applying them fills a real deficit when age, cold, or harsh cleansers have reduced their quantity.

Argan oil is extracted from the kernels of the argan tree. Rich in oleic and linoleic acid, this vegetable oil nourishes and forms a layer that slows down evaporation.

Ceramides work in the structure, argan oil on top. These are two distinct functions, and this is what makes their combination coherent rather than redundant.

Application order

Ceramide cream first, argan oil as the last layer. One minute of waiting between the two is sufficient.

Reversing would be a mistake: an oil applied beforehand would form a film that the cream would have to penetrate. The ceramide input would be partly lost, and it is precisely that which repairs.

The upstream step

Neither ceramides nor argan oil provide water. They retain it, which implies there is water to retain.

A hyaluronic acid serum on damp skin, before the cream, completely changes the hydration achieved. Failing that, simply apply on skin that is still supple after cleansing.

This is the most cost-effective addition to this routine, and the one most often forgotten when focusing on fatty substances.

On damaged skin

Skin that feels tight, reddens, and tolerates its usual products less and less often has a faulty outer layer. This routine is then exactly what is needed.

Stop active ingredients until the situation recovers. Two weeks of this routine alone are usually enough, and then you resume on a healthy basis, one active ingredient at a time.

What damages this layer

Overly stripping foaming cleansers, very hot water, dry cold, and the accumulation of exfoliating active ingredients. These four factors explain most skins that have become reactive for no apparent reason.

Removing the cause does more than adding a repairing treatment on top. This is the logical order, and it is the one we follow least often.

Quantities

A pea-sized amount of cream for the face. Two to three drops of argan oil, warmed between the palms and pressed onto the skin rather than spread.

More oil does not nourish better: the excess remains on the surface, shines, and ends up on the pillow. The right quantity is what has disappeared after two minutes.

According to your skin

Dry skin: the complete routine, morning and evening.

Combination skin: cream everywhere, argan oil on the cheeks only.

Oily skin: a ceramide gel-cream, oil for occasional use.

Sensitive skin: the ideal combination, neither being irritating.

Combining it with an active ingredient

This is a good use. A retinoid, an acid, or vitamin C is applied first, on clean skin, and this routine then seals it in.

Ceramides significantly improve the tolerance of a demanding active ingredient. This allows you to last six months rather than three weeks, and duration is what produces results.

Choosing your products

Ceramides appear as ceramide NP, ceramide AP or ceramide EOP. A formula that combines several, with cholesterol, is closer to the skin's actual composition.

For argan oil: first cold press, un-deodorized, dark bottle, and a list that fits on one line. It keeps for twelve to eighteen months after opening.

What this routine does not do

It does not exfoliate, does not act on spots, and does not erase any wrinkles. It repairs and nourishes, which is its entire role — and an often underestimated role.

It does not protect from the sun. Daily sun protection remains essential and has more effect on the skin's appearance than any product on this page.

One last point

These products are cosmetics and improve skin comfort without treating any condition. Skin that remains inflamed despite stopping active ingredients requires dermatological advice.

Cream first, oil for sealing

Argan applied first isolates the skin from everything that follows; applied last, it retains what the cream has provided. Two or three drops after a night cream with plant ceramides are enough – beyond that, it's the finish that suffers, not the skin that benefits.