From Spanish company Niche Beauty Lab (nothing to do with retailer Niche Beauty) comes this Ceramide Serum that promises skin barrier repair – and of course I had to test it! Did it do something for my skin barrier?! Spoiler: I bought a second bottle immediately after finishing the first. On to my Theramid Ceramide Treatment review!
The Brand
Niche Beauty Lab was founded 2016 in Barcelona (Spain). Its self-proclaimed aim is to ‘democratise the beauty industry’ by offering high-end, science-backed formulas for approachable prices. Today, they have five brands for various concerns.
Theramid is the priciest brand under their umbrella, offering different ingredient-focused ‘treatments’ (serums) that range mostly from 30 to 40€.
- I tried the sunscreen from sister brand Acnemy: here
Description
A Ceramide-enriched treatment designed to replenish the skin with long-lasting hydration. Also used to strengthen the skin’s protective barrier for deeply moisturized, softened and protected skin.
… helps restore optimal skin hydration levels. This results in reinforcing the skin’s barrier function to prevent transepidermal water loss. Thus, providing long-lasting hydration, preventing dryness, and protecting the skin against external aggressors responsible for premature skin aging.
Niche Beauty Lab Theramid
What it is
The Ceramide Treatment is a milky emulsion-type serum (oily skin types will get around using this as a moisturizer) that’s full of skin barrier-strengthening and soothing ingredients.
Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Silica, Ceramide NG, Glycereth-26, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Ectoin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide AS, Ceramide NS, Ceramide EOP, Asiaticoside, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Callus Culture, Medecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Dipropylene Glycol, Lecithin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Pullulan, Sucrose Disterate, Glyceryl Stearate, Citric Acid, Cholesterol, Alcohol, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Niche Beauty Lab Theramid
Noteworthy ingredients
Ceramides: They make up about 50% of the liquid between our cells in the skin, keeping the skin supple and hydrated. They’re the cement (well, liquid cement, but no analogy is perfect) between the building blocks of our skin barrier. Of course, adding simply ceramides on top of our skin doesn’t simply work like the ceramides already working in our skin. But they do hydrate and can actually help to repair a compromised skin barrier. Also, a quick note: ceramides, I did recently learn, cost an awful lot: around 400€ for 100g. So, with a product like this that uses multiple ceramides, you really get some bang for your buck!
Ectoin: “Ectoin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, pollution& light protecting, skin hydrating, barrier repairing as well as anti-aging properties.” (Incidecoder). Do read the whole thing, I urge you, if you’re a skincare nerd: Ectoin is a molecule that was discovered because it protects microorganisms living under hostile conditions (think salt lakes, hot springs, arctic ice. Skincare fun fact of the day!)
Centella Asiatica: Apparently, Theramid uses different compounds of Centella Asiatica here. We love centella for its known wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties. When it comes to skincare, that translates to moisturizing and anti-oxidant performance (meaning, it fights free radicals).
There’s also a diminutive amount of alcohol denat. at the end of the ingredient list. I’m absolutely unbothered by this and guess it works to make the formula less heavy.
Sustainability
The brand claims to reduce plastic packaging and source 90% of all raw materials from Spain, its home country. It also cooperates with Plastic Bank, an organization removing plastic from the ocean. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free.
Texture
Theramid’s Ceramide Treatment is astonishingly creamy for a serum: it either feels like a thick fluid, or a very thin and lightweight moisturizer. Depending on your skintype, you might get away with using this as your sole moisturizer (maybe I’ll try that in summer?).
It does smell like ceramides: for my nose, that’s a lingering fatty smell – it doesn’t smell like cooking oil or something, but I can nearly feel the smell on my tongue, if that makes sense. It dissipates nearly immediately, though.
Application
I use this one as the serum step in my PM routine, under my moisturizer, and over my toner. It’s a really uncomplicated product that layers well, applies smoothly and sinks in quickly.
Effect
Well. At this point, you’ve probably realized that at the moment, I go for a lot of products that all promise to hydrate, soothe, and care for the skin barrier. There’s been The Ordinary’s pink Barrier Repair Serum, Paula’s Choice’s Barrier Repair Moisturizer, and now, Theramid’s Ceramide Treatment. Let me say that of all of these, I use the Theramid Treatment the longest, and have actually emptied the bigger part of a bottle. I also repurchased it already.
But: I also felt the need to add more repairing products into my routine when I used this as the sole purveyor of barrier repairing ingredients. That may be because skin is never easy, and, IMO, there’s not the one ‘repairing’ ingredient. It may be smart to use a mix of them to reap the biggest benefits, and this combo of three products is it for me.
I don’t blame Theramid’s Ceramide Treatment in the slightest: I actually does more than it advertises for. Read the description closely, and it promises to protect the skin barrier by hydrating it. That’s great, because nothing is worse for your skin barrier than moisture loss. That makes it permeable, and we don’t want that (stay tuned for my skin barrier post this Thursday!). But, while the serum promises to do that (and really does, no complains from me here), it does a bit more. Centella Asiatica is supposed to work as an anti-inflammatory ingredient here, which is great, because a lot of people react with outbreaks when their skin barrier is compromised. Same with Ectoin.
What I’m saying is: I really like the Treatment, and it has its place in my regular skincare routine.
Comparison
Pick your poison: The Ordinary’s Soothing & Barrier Support Serum is a bit cheaper, pink, a bit thinner, and comes with additional ingredients that promise to actively soothe an uncomfortable skin feel. Does it? Not on me, sadly.
Paula’s Choice’s Barrier Repair Moisturizer is a moisturizer (duh), but with a wonderful texture – soft and pillowy.
Also similar is, in a way, Beyer & Söhne’s Hautgel, which comes with antioxidants, ceramides, Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. I like it a bit less for barrier repair than the other ones because it relies mostly on hyaluronic acid for hydration. For barrier repair, I do prefer other hydrators, though.
Rating
I already repurchased it – that says all, doesn’t it?
Availability & Price
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