Description
Urea is a naturally occurring compound in the human body and helps
in moisturizing the body. It is found in all the healthy cells and
is characterized by varied medicinal properties that range from
being anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial. It is this
urea that forms the most important ingredient in urea cream and
that is what we shall be studying about in the article that
follows. What exactly are the uses of urea cream and what is the
purpose that it is used for? Continue reading for more details
about urea cream.
What is Urea Cream?
Urea cream is the name given for all those skin creams that have
active ingredients of urea in them. To understand why these creams
are used, we need to understand what the properties of urea are and
the reasons for which it is used.
Uses of Urea
Urea (also known as carbamide) is a naturally occurring substance
in our bodies that is found in the upper layers of the skin and
plays a vital role in maintaining the body’s Natural Moisturizing
Factor (NMF). It is known to lend moisture to the skin surface and
keep the skin smooth and supple. It is due to it’s hydrating
properties that the skin is able to maintain its elasticity and not
crack. When the level of urea in the body goes down drastically due
to certain environmental factors like extreme dry or cold weather,
or due to the emergence of certain skin disorders like eczema or
psoriasis – these lend the skin to dry out, causing the natural
moisture of the skin’s surface to be lost and cracking to occur.
Along with that, other symptoms also manifest which include
tightness of skin, scaling, flaky and dry skin that leads to an
urge to scratch. This just goes to show the importance of urea in
our bodies.
Urea Cream Treatment
Urea creams will supply the body with urea in it’s most natural
form such that the lost moisture can be provided for again. The way
in which urea cream works is that it helps in breaking down the
dead skin cells and thereby penetrate the skin surface, go deeper
into the skin, attract moisture from the environment and then
supply it back to the body. Urea cream has the unique capacity of
attracting moisture to the body and binding it to the skin cells,
this property is not paralleled by any other chemical compound. In
that way, urea cream makes for an important component in treatment
of diseases and in skin care.
The most common usage is that of urea cream for feet because the
concept of cracked heels is quite common in people and urea cream
is known to lend a good treatment for the same. Along with that,
urea cream is also used for the treatment of skin disorders that
lead to drying and flaking skin.
Another interesting usage of urea cream is that it forms a very
important part of skin care, especially facial skin care because it
provides water to the skin and therefore allows for the elasticity
and suppleness to be maintained at a high level. The stretching of
the skin without cracking is made possible due the presence of
moisture and that is the main function that the urea cream will
provide for.
Urea cream is only for external use and never on open wounds or
blisters. This will cause burning and irritation and inflammation
of skin. On a smooth skin surface, urea cream is well tolerated by
most, though in some urea cream side effects make way with
irritation of skin, mild stinging and itching at times.
Urea cream has the unique property of locking moisture and
restoring lost water from the skin surface thus, providing for
natural skin care. And it is for this reason that it makes for an
important factor in skin care and as a medication form. That said,
you should always make sure that you consult a doctor before using
any cream that has urea in it.