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Urea is another fantastic and underrated skin barrier repairing ingredient. It is also gently exfoliating at concentrations of 5% and above. Read this post to learn more about urea’s skin benefits and how it can help repair the moisture barrier.
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There are SO many mumbo jumbos and overpromising marketing jargons about effective moisturisers in skincare circuits. Actually, there are very few ingredients that are scientifically proven to REALLY WORK for our skin.
Urea is one such severely underrated ingredient.
It is one of the most effective moisturisers in cosmetic chemistry. And it for very good reasons. Urea’s role within the skin is quite remarkable. At lower percentages it helps to maintain a healthy moisture balance, bringing much-needed relief to dry skin, whilst keeping it soft, supple, and youthful. At higher levels, it can help to encourage cellular renewal due to its exfoliating properties.
This is why it is used for its keratolytic and hydrating properties in dermatology. This dual effect gently exfoliates and moisturises at the same time.
What is Urea?
Urea is a natural moisturising factor (NMF) that exist naturally on our skin, and functions to keep our skin lovely plump, supple, and working efficiently. In high concentrations, it is a mild exfoliator.
It makes up 7% of our natural moisturising factor, along with 12% sodium PCA and 9% glycerol, all of which are water-binding – which is essential for maintaining the health, function, and hydration of the outer layer of skin.
Urea is also a humectant, referred to as hydroxyethyl urea, not to be confused with the preservatives imidazolidinyl urea and Diazolidinyl Urea.
On a molecular level, urea modifies the structure of amino chains and polypeptides within the skin, which is important for helping to moisturise the delicate tissues, there is a direct correlation between the skin’s water content and its levels of amino acids – basically the more dehydrated and dry the skin is, the lower its share of dissolved amino acids.
Some of the urea’s skin benefits
Of all the ingredients researched for barrier repair, urea probably has the most consistent and longest track record for repairing the barrier. You see it a lot in pharmacies in Europe. It’s not sexy, but it’s often very effective – for very impaired skin suffering from everything from eczema and psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis.
Here are some of the main urea skin benefits for you.
- Hydrophilic
Aka “water-loving”. Urea has an amazing ability to hold onto water molecules, keeping skin plump and moist and not only does it readily absorb water, but it also has a very high water content, which helps to reduce the amount of water lost through the skin.
Studies suggest that the keratolytic and hydrating effects of topical urea are owing to breakage of hydrogen bonds in the stratum corneum, loosening epidermal keratin, and increasing water-binding sites.
- Improved barrier function
Urea strengthens and protects the barrier function, and helps to keep it healthy. Dry skin can be due to a reduction of urea in the skin’s tissues, leading to tightness and flakiness. Urea is a key component of the natural moisturising factor found within the skin, offering instant relief to dry skin conditions.
- Anti-inflammation effect
Urea has another interesting profile; it can create a local anti-inflammation effect on the skin and has anti-itch properties. This is really useful in helping to reduce cycles of inflammation and flare-ups, making it our product of choice for sensitive skin.
- Anti-acne
Urea further improves skin health by metabolising the antimicrobial peptide LL-37, which attacks acne-causing bacteria within the skin. An in vitro study also indicates that urea directly inhibits the yeast Malassezia, which is often the cause of fungal acne.
- Active penetration enhancer
Urea is also a penetration enhancer, meaning that it’s also used to deliver actives into the skin better. Studies have found that urea plays a key role in increasing the permeability of certain skincare ingredients, working as a vehicle for other performance ingredients by encouraging them to penetrate the epidermis easily.
- Natural Exfoliant
At higher percentages within a formula, urea becomes a natural keratolytic – exfoliator. This combined with its hydrating properties makes it a potent moisturising and exfoliating treatment, it works in synergy with ingredients that create the molecular structure of healthy skin, such as lactic acid helping other ingredients penetrate deeper.
Combined, these two ingredients actively work to remove dead skin cells and substances from the skin; improving cellular turnover and dramatically improving the water-binding ability of the skin, literally rebuilding healthy skin from the inside out.
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What are the best urea-containing moisturisers?
Asian Skincare Products With Urea
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NATUREKIND – Super Barrier Urea 5 Cream 50ml – $14.70 Brand from South Korea: NATUREKIND. Benefits:
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Shiseido – Urea Body Milk 150ml – $12.10 Brand from Japan: Shiseido Benefits:
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DHC – Urea Cream 60g – $16.60 Brand from Japan: DHC Benefits
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Shiseido – Urea 10% Body Cream 120g – $13.50 Brand from Japan: Shiseido Benefits
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Brand from South Korea: Zeroid Benefits
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Non-Asian Skincare Products With Urea
Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, Aloe juice, hyaluronic acid, Urea, Arnica extract, Allantoin, zinc and sodium PCA, Panthenol.
Thanks to so many hydrating ingredients, this cream has a super cooling and soothing effect on the skin. It consists of colloidal oatmeal which is super awesome for calming and healing. It plays well with your watery stuff/essences such as Innisfree aloe gel, and CosRX snail essence when they make several other occlusives pill up and roll off your face.
Ingredients: Water Urea Glycerin Cetearyl Alcohol Caprylic-Capric-Triglyceride Glyceryl Stearate Octyldodecanol Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides Ethylhexyl Cocoate Sodium Lactate Glyceryl Stearate SE Distarch Phosphate Ceramide NP Lactic Acid Sodium PCA Arginine HCL Glycine Alanine Carnitine Cholesterol Helianthus Annuus SeedOil Sorbitan Stearate Dimethicone Phenoxyethanol Carbomer Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate Sodium Chloride
Despite all the urea in it, this cream absorbs quickly into the skin. Many users find Eucerin just as hydrating as the Cerave, without the thick and gloopy feel all over the face. It’s thinner than Cerave and applies elegantly. Also a great addition for tretinoin and actives users.
Ingredients: Water, Urea, Stearic Acid, Propylene Glycol, PEG-2 Stearate, Isopropyl, Dimethicone, Mineral Oil, Lanolin Oil, Triethanolamine, Allantoin, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
The texture of this cream is almost like butter- not quite as hard and stiff as a fully solid balm, but not really a liquid lotion either. It has a slight old-lady perfume scent that may be reminiscent of pond’s cold cream, though it is much fainter and dissipates quickly. It spreads over the skin very well and soaks in within seconds. It leaves the skin slightly tacky after application, but this too fades within minutes, and it isn’t ever even the slightest bit greasy.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Urea, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Bisabolol, Sodium Carbomer, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
A holy grail for many Europeans, this cream helps the redness, flaking and itchiness right away and is also slowly making my breakout-prone, pigmented skin so much better. It’s a bit expensive, but a little goes a long way.
You don’t need tons of fancy expensive stuff to keep your skin healthy and hydrated. Urea is one of those inexpensive ingredients that work wonders on severely sensitive skin, damaged skin, or who have skin disorders. In fact, we could do with more urea choices for our body and face!
Also Read: Barrier Repair Superstars – Ceramides
