PHYTOSPHINGOSINE

📋 Quick facts

Description: PHYTOSPHINGOSINE — barrier repair lipid, mild antimicrobial.

All Functions: barrier repair lipid, mild antimicrobial

Quick Facts:

• Category: emollient

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Phytosphingosine (PHS) is a natural component of your skin’s barrier layer
• Research suggests PHS may help calm skin inflammation through multiple biological pathways
• PHS is involved in skin moisturization and can be used to create ceramides, which are key barrier-supporting lipids
• Lab studies show PHS can reduce inflammatory markers and immune responses
• The ingredient is produced industrially using microorganisms and yeast fermentation

⚗️ Chemical Overview

Phytosphingosine is an amino alcohol, a triol and a sphingoid. It has a role as a mouse metabolite and a Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite. It is functionally related to a N-acyl-beta-D-galactosylphytosphingosine and a sphinganine. It is a conjugate base of a phytosphingosine(1+). phytosphingosine has been reported in Averrhoa bilimbi and Asparagus officinalis with data available. Phytosphingosine has been reported in Porodaedalea pini with data available.

Source(s): LOTUS – the natural products occurrence database, ChEBI, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Phytosphingosine is a sphingolipid—a type of fat molecule—that naturally exists as a major component of your skin barrier, specifically in the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of dead skin cells that protect you) (Cell Mol Biol, 2024; J Lipid Res, 2023). Here’s what the research shows:

#1: Anti-inflammatory effects. When skin cells were exposed to inflammatory triggers in lab studies, PHS suppressed the production of inflammatory molecules like nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2, and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines (immune signaling proteins) including IL-6 and IL-8. The mechanism appears to work by blocking two major inflammatory pathways: NF-κB and MAPK signaling (Cell Mol Biol, 2024).

One study even found that PHS reduced immune T-cell proliferation and inflammatory responses in a disease model (Exp Hematol, 2023). #2: Barrier support. PHS is a precursor to ceramides—essential lipids that make up your skin’s protective barrier. The ratio of different ceramide types is altered in inflammatory skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, and maintaining proper ceramide balance (which involves phytosphingosine-based ceramides) appears important for barrier function and preventing excess water loss from skin (J Lipid Res, 2023). #3: Moisturization and skin regulation. Beyond inflammation, PHS is described as preventing moisture loss from skin and regulating how skin cells grow, differentiate, and die in a controlled way (Exp Hematol, 2023).

Important caveat: Most of this research was conducted in laboratory cell cultures or animal models, not on human skin. The sources describe PHS as “multifunctional” with “potential” benefits, but human clinical trial data is not included in these abstracts. Phytosphingosine is produced industrially using fermented yeast and microorganisms (Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao, 2023; 3 Biotech, 2025).

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Cui L et al. (2023). [Fermentative production of tetraacetyl phytosphingosine: a review]. Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao.
• Sung M et al. (2024). Anti-inflammatory effects of phytosphingosine-regulated cytokines and NF-kB and MAPK mechanism. Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand).
• Nădăban A et al. (2023). Effect of sphingosine and phytosphingosine ceramide ratio on lipid arrangement and barrier function in skin lipid models. J Lipid Res.
• Hong T et al. (2023). Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate acute graft-versus-host disease by elevating phytosphingosine. Exp Hematol.
• Qiu S et al. (2025). Construction of engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae for producing phytosphingosine. 3 Biotech.

🧴 Products Containing PHYTOSPHINGOSINE

• Mustela Crème nourrissante au cold cream
• Mustela Mustela Lait Nourrissant au Cold Cream
• Sun Ozon Sunclean Sonnenmilch LSF 30
• RETINOL RETINOL SKIN CREAM
• Loreal norge as / slt Revitalift Natt 50ml Loreal
• Léa Nature Léa nature eau thermale Jonzac
• Locion Corporal NANOS
• up & up lotion
• clinique deep comfort
• Vitanove Après-shampooing Oléo-Nutrition
• CeraVe CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion
• cerave
• e.l.f. Cosmetics Holy Hydration! Daily Cleanser
• CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream
• CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
• Dr Teal’s Body Lotion
• Bioderma Atoderm intensive
• CeraVe CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
• CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser
• Vichy Liftactiv Serum 10 Yeux et Cils
• CeraVe Verbeterende Oogcrème
• L’Oréal,Cerave Foaming cleanser
• CeraVe moisturising cream
• Cerave Gel Moussant Cerave
• CeraVe CeraVe Schuimende Reinigingsgel
• CeraVe CeraVe Hydraterende Melk
• CeraVe CeraVe Hydraterende Reinigingscrème
• Cerave Cerave Moisturising Cream
• Origins Ginzing Refreshing eye cream
• CeraVe Hydrating cream-to-foam cleanser
• CeraVe CeraVe Hydraterende Schuimende Reinigingsolie
• cerave CeraVe SPF50 Hydraterende Gezichtscrème
• Cerave CeraVe Retinol Serum Tegen Post-Acne Vlekjes
• CeraVe Crème Mains Réparatrice
• Harry’s Post-Shave Balm
• Bioderma Atoderm
• Mustela Mustela Stelatria Crème réparatrice assainissante
• Mustela Savon surgras au Cold Cream nutri-protecteur
• Mustela Stick nourrissant au cold cream
• Mustela Stelatopia