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Ceramide AP

What Ceramide AP is & what it does

A skin-identical lipid that helps rebuild and seal the barrier, reducing water loss and sensitivity. It restores softness and resilience, especially in dry or stressed skin.

What is Ceramide AP and what does it do in sunscreen?

Ceramide AP is a skin-identical lipid, one of the same fats that make up the skin's outer barrier. In a sunscreen it helps reinforce and seal that barrier, which reduces water loss and helps skin feel less reactive. It supports softness and resilience, which is useful in formulas aimed at dry or stressed skin.

Is Ceramide AP safe?

Yes. Ceramides are naturally present in human skin, so cosmetic ceramides like Ceramide AP are extremely well tolerated and considered very low-risk. They are non-irritating and suit even sensitive and barrier-compromised skin. This is part of why they appear in gentle, moisturizing sunscreens.

Does Ceramide AP clog pores?

Generally no. Ceramide AP is used at very small concentrations and mirrors lipids your skin already makes, so it is not considered a pore-clogging ingredient and is not flagged as comedogenic in our data. If a ceramide product feels heavy, that usually comes from the richer emollients alongside it rather than the ceramide.

Is Ceramide AP vegan?

Usually. Modern cosmetic ceramides like Ceramide AP are typically made synthetically rather than extracted from animals, so they generally fit vegan formulas. If this matters to you, check the brand's own statement, since sourcing can vary. The molecule is identical to a skin lipid regardless of how it is produced.

What is Ceramide AP on an ingredient list (INCI)?

"Ceramide AP" is the current INCI name on the label. Under older naming it was known as Ceramide 6 II, so you may still see that on some lists. It often appears near other ceramides and barrier lipids, sometimes alongside cholesterol and fatty acids.

Sunscreens with Ceramide AP

We rate 197 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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