Urea is a real multitasker. This ingredient helps rehydrate, stop dryness, assist the pores and skin barrier, and exfoliate. It’s the right ally for deep, efficient hydration whereas softening and smoothing.
We met with our Dermalab Supervisor and famend dermatologist Jean Krutmann to reply your questions on this lesser-known ingredient comparable to — is it actually potential to hydrate and exfoliate on the identical time?
Collectively, we’re sharing every little thing it’s worthwhile to find out about urea and our distinctive physique care formulation designed to maximise its potential.
THE BASICS
UREAWHAT IT IS: An artificial chemical compound with moisturizing properties, additionally discovered naturally in your physique.
WHAT IT DOES: Relying on the focus, urea can work as a hydrator or exfoliant. It additionally boasts extra advantages comparable to supporting the pores and skin barrier which boosts elasticity.
WHO IT'S FOR: On the whole, it’s appropriate for all pores and skin varieties — however completely different concentrations could make it extra appropriate for some than others.
HOW TO USE IT: You’ll discover urea in hand, foot, and physique lotions or gel oils designed to hydrate and exfoliate tough, dry pores and skin.
GOES WELL WITH: Pair it with different components that assist enhance hydration comparable to hyaluronic acid or dexpanthenol.
DON’T MIX WITH: Urea is not broadly recognized for inflicting reactions with different beauty components.
TRY IT IN: Uradin Lotion 10, Uradin Podos Gel Oil
What’s urea?
Urea is an natural chemical compound broadly utilized in skincare thanks to 2 primary traits: it’s a small, polar molecule. That means? It might simply penetrate the pores and skin. Plus, its polarity makes it similar to water, serving to it to work as an efficient hydrator.
However there’s extra — urea additionally acts as an exfoliant when utilized in greater concentrations. Due to its polarity, it could break the hydrogen interactions that maintain pores and skin’s proteins collectively. In different phrases, it modifies the best way the pores and skin’s proteins bind collectively to assist enhance general texture.
Dr. Jean Krutmann echoed the compound’s advantages at our newest ISDIN Innovation Summit, “At the moment, urea is a broadly standard ingredient in dermatology for its capability to enhance the pores and skin moisture barrier. It’s some of the efficient brokers for each hydrating and exfoliating the pores and skin.”
Do you know that urea is discovered naturally in your pores and skin?
It makes up a part of the NMF or Pure Moisturizer Issue.
What can urea do on your pores and skin?
Urea is most well-known for its dual-action mechanism: deeply moisturizing and exfoliating. However that’s not all. It additionally enhances the absorption of different components by supporting pores and skin’s barrier construction, serving to to retain water.
Listed here are all the advantages urea has in retailer on your pores and skin:
- Deeply hydrates: Performing as a humectant, urea attracts moisture in out of your environment and retains it, serving to to melt and hydrate dry pores and skin.
- Exfoliates: In greater concentrations, urea gives a keratolytic motion. That’s, it helps break down and get rid of lifeless pores and skin cells, enhancing texture and look.
- Strengthens: Urea bolsters your pores and skin’s pure moisture barrier, serving to it fend off every day stressors and preserve water loss at a minimal.
- Promotes elasticity: This tremendous ingredient additionally helps pores and skin’s constructing blocks, comparable to collagen and elastin, to assist sustain its agency, bouncy look.
- Soothes: Some research cite urea as a super selection for excessive dryness and particular pores and skin circumstances. Urea’s hydrating and exfoliating traits goal flaking and dehydration, soothing dry, itchy pores and skin.
For Dr. Krutmann, all of those advantages depend upon the skincare product. He shared, “The best system ought to assist cut back transepidermal water loss, restore the pores and skin’s moisture barrier, and have a texture that facilitates software and absorption.”
Discover what urea focus works finest for you
Hydrating, softening, restoring — urea can do lots on your pores and skin. However in terms of your every day physique care routine, there’s just one place to begin. What focus most accurately fits your pores and skin sort and its wants?
Low concentrations: lower than 10%
Urea primarily acts as a hydrating humectant in ranges below ten %. You’ll discover this focus in physique lotions, face lotions, and even foot care merchandise.
Average concentrations: between 10% and 20%
This mid-range focus gives moisturizing and gentle exfoliating results. You could find it in merchandise indicated for very dry pores and skin.
Excessive concentrations: from 20% to 40%
At this stage, urea targets a buildup of proteins referred to as hyperkeratosis that leads to tough, thickened pores and skin and nails. You’re most certainly to seek out it in foot care merchandise.
The system issues
Sure, urea is already a pure a part of your pores and skin. However skincare merchandise mark the right alternative to amplify its energy. As Dr. Krutmann defined, the true problem is creating a system that’s not solely secure but in addition snug to make use of and efficient on the identical time.
It’s a problem that we really feel we’ve accepted and overcome. ISDIN Dermalab Supervisor Alba Villanueva shares, “We’ve been perfecting our urea formulation for over 40 years — we think about ourselves specialists on this moisturizing and exfoliating tremendous ingredient.”
“We’ve been perfecting our urea formulation for over 40 years — we think about ourselves specialists on this moisturizing and exfoliating tremendous ingredient.” Alba Villanueva, ISDIN Dermalab Supervisor
Through the years, it’s change into a key ingredient in lots of our physique care merchandise. Villanueva continues, “Greater than 300 research assist the effectiveness of our merchandise, which have been examined on greater than 3,000 customers.”
The right way to get began with urea in your every day routine
Happily, urea isn’t too explicit — it’s an ingredient appropriate for all pores and skin varieties and every day use. However if you happen to’re questioning when and the place so as to add it in, right here’s a step-by-step information:
1. Take a heat (not scorching) bathe
A soothing bathe is a every day ritual to stay up for. And much more so when it units the remainder of your physique care routine up for fulfillment.
Scorching water can strip your pores and skin of its pure oils, disrupting the fragile steadiness of your pores and skin barrier. Heat or cool water, however, helps to cleanse successfully with out compromising your pores and skin’s hydration ranges. So dial down the water temperature for pleased, snug pores and skin that’s primed for the next steps.
2. Apply a hydrating physique lotion
Ever heard that you must clean in your lotion proper out of the bathe? It would simply be true. Research present that making use of moisturizing lotion or cream proper after showering can provide extra advantages, comparable to boosting pores and skin’s water content material.
Our advice: Uradin Lotion 10 gives long-lasting moisture and helps to re-establish optimum hydration ranges within the pores and skin. This fast-absorbing, non-greasy physique lotion for dry pores and skin works to revive your pores and skin’s pure smoothness. Apply it a couple of times a day, massaging till utterly absorbed.
3. Say goodbye to tough, dry heels
Your after-shower moisturizing routine isn’t full with out paying particular consideration to your toes. Have you ever observed roughness in your heels? It’s widespread in each season — because of put on and tear from footwear, modifications within the climate, and even the pure results of growing old.
Our advice: Uradin Podos Gel Oil. This moisturizing gel oil helps get rid of roughness and thickening because of the extra exfoliating motion of lactic acid and Bacillus ferment. Better of all? Its light-weight system absorbs rapidly, with out leaving a greasy feeling.
Your questions answered
When must you not use urea cream?
Total, urea is an acceptable ingredient for all pores and skin varieties, together with delicate pores and skin. Its moisturizing and exfoliating properties are additionally recognized for being mild. Nonetheless, it’s necessary to seek the advice of your dermatologist if in case you have any doubts or particular pores and skin circumstances.
Can you employ hyaluronic acid with urea?
They’re a super mixture! Each work to hydrate pores and skin, drawing in and retaining water. And since they’re every discovered naturally in your pores and skin, they aren’t recognized for stirring up any undesirable reactions. You could find hyaluronic acid and urea in Uradin Podos Gel Oil to assist restore and hydrate tough, dry pores and skin on the toes.
An on a regular basis important
Urea has already received over dermatologists and skincare insiders worldwide — what about you? Keep in mind, its highly effective properties might help exfoliate and moisturize inside your every day physique care routine. Get began with a urea physique lotion or foot gel, keep constant, and experience delicate, moisturized pores and skin from head to toe.
References:
ISDIN Information on file
Celleno, L. (2018). Topical urea in skincare: A assessment. Dermatologic Remedy, 31(6), e12690. https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.12690
Amy is a content material strategist who turned a part-time obsession with skincare right into a full-time ardour. Her expertise as a inventive storyteller features a vary of life-style and know-how subjects throughout Washington D.C. and Barcelona. What’s in her journey bag? Eye contour cream and sunscreen, all the time.