BUTTER-C
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Ceramide moisturizing cream OEM/ODM manufacturing
Ceramide Moisturizing Cream · OEM/ODM
Between the corneocytes of the skin's outermost layer sits a lipid "mortar" made of ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids in roughly equal molar proportions; ceramides are the key component of this layer. On labels, ceramides carry names such as Ceramide NP and Ceramide AP, where each letter describes part of the structure. Studies measuring stratum corneum lipids show that ceramides decline with age and are clearly reduced in people with atopic dermatitis; in a mouse skin model, a balanced mixture of all three lipid classes performed better than one or two lipids applied alone. That is research context, not the effect of a jar of cream, but it explains why ceramide creams are built around the lipid trio. The Butter-C ceramide cream is designed for dry skin and a dry, rough feel: it moisturizes and helps soften the skin, with the ceramide properly dissolved so that it does not recrystallize in the cream. Ceramides are not currently stocked at the plant, so they are sourced per order, with a COA checked against the INCI name and CAS number. Butter-C offers turnkey OEM/ODM manufacturing, from formula development and testing to labeled finished goods and the notification dossier.
Formula base
Oil-in-water emulsion carrying the lipid trio
Ceramide is the named ingredient, but the formula is built around all three stratum corneum lipids. Moisturizing also comes from the humectants and emollients of the cream base; because it contains water, the formula needs a preservative system confirmed by a challenge test.
The lipid trio
Ceramide NP (optionally with Ceramide AP), Cholesterol and a fatty acid such as Stearic Acid. Ceramide and cholesterol are both sourced per order; the ratio between the three classes is calculated in moles, not by feel.
Humectants
Glycerin, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate draw water into the stratum corneum; the lipids help limit water loss. This is the combination recommended in the ceramide article on our site.
Emollients
Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, shea butter, Dimethicone; the oil level decides whether the cream is light or rich.
Emulsifiers and preservation
Glyceryl Stearate with PEG-100 Stearate and Cetearyl Alcohol, or Cetearyl Olivate for a PEG-free version; Phenoxyethanol up to 1% (ASEAN Annex VI, Ref 29) with Ethylhexylglycerin; Disodium EDTA; Tocopherol for the oil phase.
Key technical points
Four points specific to a cream named after ceramide
The moisturizing cream base is covered on the general page; the four items below center on the ceramide raw material itself.
Reading ceramide names correctly
Ceramide NP: N is a non-hydroxy fatty acid, P is phytosphingosine (old name "Ceramide 3"). Ceramide AP: A is an α-hydroxy fatty acid, P is phytosphingosine. Other names such as Ceramide EOP follow the same letter system describing structure; the meaning of each letter is checked against the supplier's technical data. Even under the same name NP, the fatty acid chain length differs between raw materials: in a vehicle-controlled human study (sample size not stated in the abstract; three co-authors from a biotechnology company), very-long-chain Ceramide NP (C24–C30) improved the barrier measures used in the study, hydration and stratum corneum cohesion more than C18 Ceramide NP (Gwon et al., 2026). The COA must therefore state the INCI name, CAS number and acyl chain.
Dissolving and crystallization
Ceramides dissolve poorly in water and in many conventional dosage forms (Steinbach et al., 2017); their long saturated chains have high melting points (Coderch et al., 2003), so they readily recrystallize as the cream cools, causing a grainy texture. The ceramide is fully dissolved in the hot oil phase before emulsification, at a temperature taken from each raw material's technical data (the sources we checked give no general figure), or a pre-dispersed form is used per the supplier's instructions; the cooling rate is controlled.
Ratio of the three lipids
On mouse skin with a disrupted barrier, applying one or two lipids alone delayed recovery; an equimolar mixture of ceramide, cholesterol and fatty acid allowed normal recovery, and raising any one component up to 3-fold made recovery faster; data on human skin were only preliminary (Man et al., 1996). Free fatty acids in the stratum corneum are mainly very long chains, so "adding C18 stearic acid" does not equal "matching physiological lipids" (stearic acid article on our site). Cholesterol melts at about 148.5 °C and can be extracted from animal sources, so an origin dossier is needed under Annex II Ref 419.
Human data: read the design correctly
In 24 people with age-related dry skin (mean age about 55), a randomized, double-blind study comparing the two shins against a hydrophilic cream found that a ceramide-containing cream raised hydration and improved water loss through the skin and skin pH for up to 24 hours after one application, more clearly after 28 days (Lueangarun et al., 2019). In 58 people with a history of eczema, a cream with physiological lipids and glycerin applied to the forearm and lower leg for 28 days improved barrier integrity, while a glycerin cream without lipids did not (Andrew et al., 2025), a medical setting. Both are multi-ingredient creams whose abstracts do not state the ceramide level; the results belong to the whole formula and are not transferred as figures for another product.
Three formulation directions
Three types of ceramide cream
Daily ceramide cream for normal to dry skin
Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Stearic Acid in a light cream with glycerin and squalane; spreads quickly, fragrance-free, for morning and evening.
Lipid-rich ceramide cream for very dry skin
Adds Ceramide AP, shea butter, dimethicone; a rich cream for dry seasons and air-conditioned rooms. The higher lipid level means closer checks on crystallization and emulsion stability.
Ceramide gel-cream for oily skin
Low oil level, thickened with Carbomer or Xanthan Gum, ceramide in pre-dispersed form; dries to the touch, suited to hot, humid climates. The ceramide article on our site notes that oily skin can use ceramide; what matters is the texture.
Packaging is designed with the formula
Tubes or pump bottles limit finger contact with the cream; jars for a rich cream need a stricter challenge test. The viscosity must suit the pump.
Parameters we monitor
What our R&D lab measures on every sample
Below are the parameters Butter-C monitors during formula development and scale-up to production. Specific limits are agreed with you on the approved sample and then written into the product's in-house specification.
- pH
- Measured at 25°C; kept within the stable range of the chosen emulsifier and preservative systems.
- Viscosity
- Rotational viscometer at 25°C; governs pumpability and how the cream spreads on the face.
- Emulsion stability
- Centrifugation, freeze–thaw cycling, storage at 40°C; watch for separation, color change, odor change.
- Ceramide crystallization
- Polarized light microscopy and a grittiness check after freeze–thaw cycling and at each stability time point, an item specific to ceramide creams.
- Incoming raw materials
- COA checked for every lot: INCI name, CAS number and acyl chain of the ceramide; origin dossier for cholesterol and fatty acid (animal or plant); microbiology.
- Microbiology & preservative challenge
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; preservative efficacy (challenge) test per ISO 11930.
- Irritation & sensitization
- Volunteer testing before the formula is finalized; reactions to a finished product more often come from fragrance, preservatives or emulsifiers than from ceramide.
- Hydration, water loss through the skin
- Measured on volunteers against the plain cream base, when you want a figure or a claim about limiting water loss through the skin.
- Packaging compatibility
- Filled into the actual tube or bottle; check pump force and nozzle clogging.
Claims
Claims for dry skin, within cosmetic scope
Data on ceramides in atopic dermatitis and eczema come from a medical setting and are not a basis for cosmetic claims about a disease. Butter-C reviews the wording on the label and marketing materials as soon as the notification dossier is prepared.
Moisturizes dry skin
Hydration figures are stated only after measurement on the finished product. Instead of: ending dry skin, restoring damaged skin.
Helps soften skin and ease a dry, rough feel
Instead of: drug-like claims about eczema, atopic dermatitis, itching; "for eczema-prone skin".
Helps limit water loss through the skin
Stated only after water loss through the skin has been measured on the finished product against the plain cream base. Instead of: barrier restoration, skin regeneration.
Contains ceramide, cholesterol and fatty acid
A description of ingredients, with correct INCI names. Instead of: quoting study figures from another formula as the product's own; an undefined "high-concentration ceramide".
For daily use, morning and evening
As part of a daily skincare routine; when using a prescription topical, ask the doctor about the order of application. Instead of: "replaces prescription creams".
Label reminders
Test on a small area of skin before use; stop if redness or burning occurs; people with eczema or atopic dermatitis in a flare need a doctor's examination, as a moisturizer is only supportive care; pregnant women should ask a doctor. Do not state "non-irritating".
Manufacturing specifications
Our capabilities
- Texture
- Light cream, rich cream, gel-cream; white.
- Pack formats
- Tube, pump bottle, jar. Volume agreed when selecting packaging.
- Ceramide sourcing
- Not stocked at the plant; sourced per order, with the ceramide type chosen from technical data and product goals.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order, depending on the ceramide type, formula direction and pack format.
- Testing
- Performed at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; certificate of analysis delivered with every lot.
- Documentation
- Product Information File (PIF) and cosmetic product notification dossier prepared by Butter-C, with a ceramide COA stating INCI name and CAS number and a cholesterol origin dossier.
- Packaging
- Label design, printing and packing run in parallel with formula development.
Suggested product concept
Fragrance-free ceramide cream for dry skin
A product direction to help you picture the concept, not a ready-made product for sale. The actual formula is developed to fit your brand's positioning and price range.
Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Stearic Acid
The lipid trio behind the product name; ceramide fully dissolved in the oil phase and checked for crystallization.
Glycerin, Panthenol
Hold moisture in the stratum corneum, the main basis for a moisturizing claim.
Squalane, shea butter
Soften the skin with a moderately nourishing feel on the face.
50 ml tube, fragrance-free
Label with correct INCI names and a reminder to test on a small area of skin.
Customization options
What you can specify
The same product type can be aimed at very different customers. Tell us your requirements in the areas below and our pharmacists will develop a matching formula.
Ceramide type
Ceramide NP alone or combined with Ceramide AP; chain length per technical data; powder or pre-dispersed form.
Texture
Light cream, rich cream or a gel-cream for oily skin.
Supporting ingredients
Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate; choose a few, not many.
Fragrance
We recommend fragrance-free for a dry-skin line; if fragranced, fragrance allergens are declared according to the target market.
Ingredient positioning
PEG-free, silicone-free, vegan; a vegan claim needs plant-derived or synthetic cholesterol and fatty acid backed by a supplier statement. Please state this at the outset.
Packaging
Tube, pump bottle or jar, which sets how strict the challenge test must be.
Further reading
Related knowledge
Ceramides in cosmetics
What Ceramide NP and AP mean, human evidence, combinations and formulation challenges (in Vietnamese).
Moisturizing cream OEM/ODM manufacturing
The general page on moisturizing cream bases: three ingredient groups and three textures.
Cholesterol in cosmetics
The second member of the lipid trio: blend ratios, solubility, raw material origin (in Vietnamese).
Stearic acid in cosmetics
Fatty acid in creams and why a C18 chain differs from the very-long-chain fatty acids of the stratum corneum (in Vietnamese).
Soothing essence OEM/ODM manufacturing
A minimal serum for sensitive skin, including a light emulsion direction with ceramide.
Oat moisturizing cream OEM/ODM manufacturing
Another dry-skin cream in this range, with oat as the named ingredient.
How we work
From idea to finished batch
Eight steps and three milestones signed off by both sides: approved sample, notification number, finished batch. Step-by-step details (in Vietnamese) →
Get started
Tell us about the product you plan to launch
Send us your product direction and expected volume. Our team will get back to you during business hours (Vietnam time, GMT+7).
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