Dry skin is certainly more sensitive skin as it lacks the natural protection provided by sebum. The use of the best creams for dry and sensitive skin is necessary to prevent the skin from being damaged by atmospheric agents and pathogens.

What are the characteristics of dry skin?

We are faced with skin that pulls, flakes, and reddens easily. Extremely sensitive and reactive skin to climatic changes, and medical therapies and you have the wrong cosmetics.

A pharmacist needs to know how to distinguish “naturally dry” skin from “pathologically dry” skin. Some pathologies often give an appearance to the skin that can be confused with dry skin.

For example, we have seen the scaly appearance in seborrheic dermatitis, where the differentiation was simple given the more “greasy” appearance of the skin.

For example, in psoriasis, keratosis, atopic dermatitis, and in diabetic patients, the skin is only dry, but there are hidden pathologies whose cause must be carefully treated.

What is urea?

Identified by the molecular formula CO(NH2)2, urea is an organic substance otherwise known as a carbamide. Under normal conditions, urea occurs as a white, crystalline powder.

The molecule, very soluble in water and glycerol, also dissolves quite well in alcohol.

Urea is naturally present in the superficial layers of the skin; in particular, the molecule is a natural component of the NMF (acronym for Natural Moisturizing Factor, the natural factor for moisturizing the epidermis).

It is no coincidence that creams formulated with urea find indications for replenishing NMF while increasing the water content in the stratum corneum.

Creams containing Urea and their characteristics

Urea is a highly moisturizing and nourishing molecule that softens the skin and promotes its natural exfoliation. It makes the skin shiny, soft, and smooth. By promoting the restoration of proper hydration of the epidermis, urea creams are useful for extremely dry, chapped, and thickened skin. Hyperkeratosis is treated with creams containing urea and small quantities of salicylates and lactic acid. The concentration of urea varies from 4% to 40% based on the need for hydration and exfoliation.

Effect on the skin

Thanks to its functional properties, urea is widely used in the cosmetic field for the creation of creams, lotions, or gels to treat highly dehydrated and thickened skin.

Specifically, urea creams have the following properties :

Keratolytic-exfoliating properties → The application of creams with urea promotes the removal of dead cells from the skin’s surface

Moisturizing and softening properties → by effectively retaining water molecules, creams all urea deeply moisturize the skin, softening the skin layer and promoting the healing of small skin cracks

After applying the product to the skin in the form of a cream, urea is easily soluble in the water component of the skin’s hydrolipidic film: in doing so, the molecule penetrates deeply into the corneocytes and, dispersing among the keratin fibers, encourages the moisturizing effect and skin softener.

Contraindications and recommendations

Better not to use urea on abraded skin, with small wounds it could give a burning sensation. So contrary to what many suggest, I recommend not putting it after depilation of dry and sensitive skin. Because if the burning sensation may not felt by normally hydrated skin, the latter type of skin may be affected.

In this case, it is much better to use a fat-based re-epilating cream. The use of urea is recommended for dry diabetic skin. Understanding not to apply it on ulcers and wounds.