Wheat extract (Ceramide) is an ingredient that human skin produces naturally. As we age, ceramide production declines and skin is much more likely to show the telltale signs of age – lines, wrinkles and age spots to name just a few. Ceramides also appear in common foods like rice and wheat, but in insufficient quantities to rejuvenate aging skin. Co-incidentally, wheat ceramides are chemically identical to skin ceramides. Wheat germ oil is typically added to skin care lotions to help hydrate cracked, flaky and dry skin. It also has anti-oxidant properties that help stimulates new cell growth. Ceramides are also potent anti-inflammatories which are helpful for skin conditions like acne and rosacea. Scientists are also testing oral capsules that are rich in ceramides. The concentrated ceramide capsules are absorbed metabolically and go straight to the skin – producing improvements in dry, flaky, itchy skin.