What is Urea?
Urea is best known as a by-product of the body. But look closely at the ingredients list, and you’ll find urea in face creams, moisturisers, and much more. Dermal Therapy uses urea in everything from our scalp serums to heel balms.
Why? Well, urea is highly effective as a moisturising agent. Its effects are two-fold: keratolytic and humectant.
Its keratolytic properties refer to its ability to soften the skin by breaking down keratin (the protein that gives skin its structure). If you’ve got a build-up of hard, dry skin (e.g., on the scalp, heel, or hand), urea is your go-to product to soften up the area.
Like hyaluronic acid, urea is a humectant. This means urea retains moisture in the skin and attracts water vapor from the air. The result? A softer, plumper, more hydrated skin. Little wonder you find urea in moisturisers, face creams, and other skin-softening serums.
Benefits of Urea in Moisturisers
- Deep Moisturisation: Urea is a natural humectant, which means it pulls moisture into the skin and helps keep it there. This makes skin feel more hydrated and soft, which is especially helpful if you struggle with dryness.
- Strengthens the Skin Barrier: Urea is keratolytic, breaking down the tough keratin in dry skin. However, it also reinforces the skin’s natural barrier. That means it defends against environmental irritates, creating a firm barrier against dryness and inflammation.
- Gentle Exfoliation: Urea doesn’t just moisturise; it also has gentle exfoliating properties, helping to lift away dead skin cells and reveal a smoother, more even texture. It’s like getting two skincare benefits in one!
- Relieves Dryness and Flakiness: Dealing with patches of rough or flaky skin? Urea is the preferred solution. Its combined ability to soften and hydrate skin means it can tackle stubborn areas where the buildup of skin usually prevents the absorption of moisture.
- Enhanced Absorption: Urea also increases the skin’s ability to absorb other ingredients, making it easier for active ingredients in your other skincare products to work their magic.
- Non-Greasy Hydration: Too many creams and serums promise to hydrate the skin but leave an oily residue. Urea in moisturisers isn’t heavy or greasy, so it’s perfect for all skin types – even if your skin is on the oily side.
How Urea Works
Why is urea in moisturisers and face creams? It’s down to its mechanism of action. Urea is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts and holds onto water molecules. Think of it like a magnet for water. That has two potential benefits – first, it prevents water already in the skin from leaving, and second, it pulls water from the air into the skin. Nor does this water stay in the lowest layers – urea pulls it into the outermost layers (stratum corneum) to give your skin a plump, hydrated appearance.
Keratin is one of the structural proteins in the skin. Sometimes, keratin begins to build up – especially if lots of friction occurs. That’s why you see hard patches of skin (calluses) on the hands and feet. Urea disrupts the chemical bonds within keratin, promoting the shedding of dead skin cells.
Lastly, urea stabilises the “lipid bilayers” within the skin. The outer skin layer is structured with lipid molecules that help form a protective barrier, and urea can strengthen these structures by interacting with and holding together lipids.
Different Concentrations of Urea
Examples of Urea in Action
At Dermal Therapy, we rely on urea to soften stubborn patches of hard skin on the face, hands, scalp, and feet.
Take our Heel Balm Platinum, for example, which contains 30% urea. It works to make the skin smooth and supple, helping to naturally stabilise the skin’s barrier function and increase hydration by 67.8% in one week.
Whether it’s urea in moisturiser for daily hydration or urea in face cream for targeted softening, Dermal Therapy’s formulations deliver deep, lasting results.
