What it is
The EU's CosIng database describes Ceramide NP as the N-acylated sphingolipid consisting of phytosphingosine, with the D-erythro structure, linked to a normal saturated or unsaturated fatty acid. The chemical names it records include Stearoyl-C18-Phytosphingosine.1 So the P in the name is the base, Phytosphingosine, which is also an ingredient in its own right2, and the N is the fatty acid joined to it.
Ceramides as a class are one of the three main lipid classes of the stratum corneum, the skin's outermost layer, together with cholesterol and free fatty acids, and that lipid matrix limits water loss through the skin.3 That describes the skin's own lipids; a ceramide in a cream is an ingredient chosen by a formulator. Ceramides on an ingredient list decodes the whole family of letter names; this page is about NP alone.
What it is used for
CosIng lists two functions for Ceramide NP1. Skin conditioning - miscellaneous means enhancing the appearance of dry or damaged skin by reducing flaking and restoring suppleness; hair conditioning means enhancing the appearance and feel of hair, leaving it easy to comb, supple, soft and shiny.4
A 2015 risk assessment from Sungkyunkwan University in Korea described ceramide 3 as used mainly as a moisturiser in cosmetics. Assuming concentrations of 0.5-10% across product types, it calculated margins of safety for each and reported no safety concerns for products containing less than 1%.5 A label gives no concentration, so that figure cannot be checked on a pack.
Ceramide 3, the retired name
CosIng's entry for Ceramide 3 records that the name was developed in 1997 and given retired status in 2014, and that trade names published under it are also published under the new name, Ceramide NP.6 The EU glossary of label names that applies from 30 July 2026 still lists both.7 So two packs can name the same kind of ingredient differently.
What official sources say
Ceramide NP has no entry in the annexes of the EU cosmetics regulation8, so EU law sets no specific limit or warning for it. The US Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel assessed ceramides as a group, describing them as working in cosmetics mainly as hair conditioning and miscellaneous skin conditioning agents, and in 2020 concluded that they are safe in the present practices of use and concentration described in its assessment.9 Both statements concern the ingredient, not any particular product.
How it appears on a label
- Ceramide NP, or the older Ceramide 3: both are valid EU label names.7
- It may sit beside other ceramides, such as Ceramide AP and Ceramide EOP, and lipids such as Cholesterol. Each name is a separate ingredient.
- Comparing lists: this site's compare tool treats Ceramide 3 and Ceramide NP as two different names, so check for both when one list uses the old name.
- Position: ingredients below 1% may be listed in any order after the rest10, so its place says little about the amount.
- Check a whole list with the skincare ingredient checker to see what each name, old or new, is listed for.
A list can show that Ceramide NP is present, not how much of it there is or how the formula performs. Nothing on this page is advice about treating a skin condition.