Urea is a real multitasker. This ingredient helps rehydrate, forestall dryness, assist the pores and skin barrier, and exfoliate. It’s the proper 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 similar time?
Collectively, we’re sharing every part you must 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: Generally, it’s appropriate for all pores and skin varieties — however totally 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 substances that assist increase hydration comparable to hyaluronic acid or dexpanthenol.
DON’T MIX WITH: Urea is not extensively recognized for inflicting reactions with different beauty substances.
TRY IT IN: Uradin Lotion 10, Uradin Podos Gel Oil
What’s urea?
Urea is an natural chemical compound extensively utilized in skincare thanks to 2 primary traits: it’s a small, polar molecule. Which means? It may possibly 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. Because of its polarity, it may possibly break the hydrogen interactions that maintain pores and skin’s proteins collectively. In different phrases, it modifies the way in which 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, “Right this moment, urea is a extensively widespread ingredient in dermatology for its potential to enhance the pores and skin moisture barrier. It’s probably the most 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 in 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 substances by supporting pores and skin’s barrier construction, serving to to retain water.
Listed here are the entire advantages urea has in retailer in 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 offers a keratolytic motion. That’s, it helps break down and get rid of useless pores and skin cells, enhancing texture and look.
- Strengthens: Urea bolsters your pores and skin’s pure moisture barrier, serving to it fend off each day stressors and maintain 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 great alternative for excessive dryness and particular pores and skin situations. Urea’s hydrating and exfoliating traits goal flaking and dehydration, soothing dry, itchy pores and skin.
For Dr. Krutmann, all of those advantages rely on the skincare product. He shared, “The best formulation ought to assist scale 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 greatest for you
Hydrating, softening, restoring — urea can do so much in your pores and skin. However on the subject of your each day physique care routine, there’s just one place to start out. What focus most accurately fits your pores and skin kind and its wants?
Low concentrations: lower than 10%
Urea primarily acts as a hydrating humectant in ranges below ten p.c. You’ll discover this focus in physique lotions, face lotions, and even foot care merchandise.
Reasonable concentrations: between 10% and 20%
This mid-range focus offers moisturizing and delicate exfoliating results. You will discover 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 ends in tough, thickened pores and skin and nails. You’re most definitely to seek out it in foot care merchandise.
The formulation issues
Sure, urea is already a pure a part of your pores and skin. However skincare merchandise mark the proper alternative to amplify its energy. As Dr. Krutmann defined, the true problem is creating a formulation that’s not solely steady but additionally comfy to make use of and efficient on the similar 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 grow to be 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 way to get began with urea in your each day routine
Fortuitously, urea isn’t too specific — it’s an ingredient appropriate for all pores and skin varieties and each day use. However should you’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 sizzling) bathe
A soothing bathe is a each day ritual to look ahead to. And much more so when it units the remainder of your physique care routine up for achievement.
Sizzling water can strip your pores and skin of its pure oils, disrupting the fragile stability 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 joyful, comfy pores and skin that’s primed for the next steps.
2. Apply a hydrating physique lotion
Ever heard that it’s best to clean in your lotion proper out of the bathe? It’d simply be true. Research present that making use of moisturizing lotion or cream proper after showering can supply extra advantages, comparable to boosting pores and skin’s water content material.
Our advice: Uradin Lotion 10 offers 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 fully absorbed.
3. Say goodbye to tough, dry heels
Your after-shower moisturizing routine isn’t full with out paying particular consideration to your ft. Have you ever seen roughness in your heels? It’s frequent in each season — resulting from put on and tear from footwear, modifications within the climate, and even the pure results of ageing.
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 formulation absorbs shortly, with out leaving a greasy feeling.
Your questions answered
When do you have to not use urea cream?
Total, urea is an appropriate ingredient for all pores and skin varieties, together with delicate pores and skin. Its moisturizing and exfoliating properties are additionally recognized for being light. Nonetheless, it’s vital to seek the advice of your dermatologist you probably have any doubts or particular pores and skin situations.
Can you utilize hyaluronic acid with urea?
They’re a great 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 will discover hyaluronic acid and urea in Uradin Podos Gel Oil to assist restore and hydrate tough, dry pores and skin on the ft.
An on a regular basis important
Urea has already gained over dermatologists and skincare insiders worldwide — what about you? Bear in mind, its highly effective properties may help exfoliate and moisturize inside your each day physique care routine. Get began with a urea physique lotion or foot gel, keep constant, and enjoy comfortable, moisturized pores and skin from head to toe.
References:
ISDIN Knowledge 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 artistic storyteller features a vary of way of life and expertise matters throughout Washington D.C. and Barcelona. What’s in her journey bag? Eye contour cream and sunscreen, all the time.
