Why are Ceramides so important?

Ceramides work with other lipids in stratum corneum to hold the skin’s barrier together, offering a protective barrier layer that helps reduce moisture loss and protects skin from environmental aggressors like pollution and dry air.

It helps to think of outer layer of skin cells as the bricks in a brick wall, and ceramides & other intercellular lipids as the mortar that fills the spaces between them. Damaged mortar means the entire structure is compromised.