What is Urea?
Urea is best known as a byproduct of the body. But look closely at the ingredients list, and you’ll find urea in face creams, moisturizers, and much more. Flexitol uses urea in everything from our scalp serums to heel balms.
Why? Well, urea is highly effective as a moisturizing 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 buildup 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 moisturizers, face creams, and other skin-softening serums.
Benefits of Urea in Moisturizers
- Deep Moisturization: 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 moisturize; 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 moisturizers 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 moisturizers 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 stabilizes 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 Flexitol, we rely on urea to soften stubborn patches of hard skin on the face, hands, scalp, and feet.
Take our Heel Balm, for example, which contains 25% urea. We compared 25% urea versus 10% urea in 30 subjects with dry heels for over 6 weeks. We saw a substantial difference in hydration, with the 25% urea Heel Balm performing much better.
Whether it’s urea in moisturizer for daily hydration or urea in face cream for targeted softening, Flexitol’s formulations deliver deep, lasting results.
Explore our guide to urea in skincare including urea vs. other moisturizers, using urea for dry skin, and urea for specific skin conditions: eczema and psoriasis.
We also debunk common myths about urea in skincare and how to incorporate urea in your skincare routine.
