Urea: The perfect cosmetic ingredient for smooth, soft, hydrated feet

Let’s introduce you to your next go-to cosmetic ingredient for footcare products!

If you have dry, rough or cracked heels or calluses on your feet, then you’ll be particularly excited by this ingredient.

Introducing.. urea, a potent emollient and keratolytic agent.

What is urea?

Urea is a naturally occurring compound in the human body. It is found in the epidermis as a natural moisturizing factor (NMF) and plays a vital role in maintaining skin hydration and integrity. 

Urea in natural cosmetics is lab-made but bio-identical to the urea found in your skin. This means it is a nature-identical ingredient.

Benefits of urea in foot care 

There are many reasons why urea is an excellent choice for foot care formulations.

Hydration and moisture retention

Urea acts as a humectant, attracting and retaining moisture in the skin. This property is particularly beneficial for dry, rough areas like the feet and hands, helping to keep the skin soft and supple. 

Exfoliation of rough skin

At concentrations of 10% or above, urea exhibits keratolytic properties, meaning it helps to soften, break down and remove dead skin cells. This makes it effective in treating conditions like calluses, cracked heels, and thickened skin on the hands and feet.

Enhancement of skin barrier function

Urea has been shown to improve the skin’s barrier function by regulating gene expression in keratinocytes, leading to better skin hydration and resilience.

Support in wound healing

Urea has traditionally been used in wound care due to its proteolytic and antibacterial properties. It helps remove dead or damaged skin and promotes a healthier environment for skin regeneration.

Application in skincare products 

Urea is incorporated into various skincare formulations, including creams and lotions, at different concentrations to address specific skin concerns.

In low concentrations (2-10%) urea is primarily used for moisturizing and maintaining skin hydration.

Higher concentrations (10–20%) provide effective keratolytic action, helping to exfoliate and treat rough, dry areas of skin.

Formulation considerations 

Urea can be tricky to formulate with as it is rather unstable in water solutions, degrading into ammonia and carbon dioxide. Ammonia raises the pH, which increases the degradation of urea, plus it can cause pH-dependent preservatives to become inactive. Carbon dioxide causes bubbles in the product and increases the pressure inside the packaging, which can lead to the container bursting. 

For these reasons, in cosmetic formulations urea needs to be stabilized. This is something we cover in detail in our Formulating Foot Care Products class, where you’ll also explore additional keratolytic ingredients and formulate four expert-level treatments: a herbal foot soak, a refreshing pumice scrub, an anti-callus lotion, and a softening cream with lactic acid and panthenol.

Formulating High-Performance Foot Care Proucts

Urea’s ability to hydrate, exfoliate, and support skin healing makes it a valuable ingredient to treat dry, rough, and calloused skin. 

Explore urea in more detail and create your own high-performance foot care products to soften, smooth, and hydrate your feet in our Formulating Foot Care Products class.

In this class, you’ll explore keratolytic ingredients, including salicylic acid, lactic acid, urea, and allantoin, which help shed dead skin and restore softness. You’ll also learn how to stabilize urea and solubilize salicylic acid. Formulate four expert-level treatments: a herbal foot soak, a refreshing pumice scrub, an anti-callus lotion, and a softening cream with lactic acid and panthenol.

References 

Grether-Beck, S., Marini, A., Jaenicke, T., Klotz, L.-O., & Krutmann, J., 2021. Urea in dermatology: A review of its emollient, moisturizing, keratolytic, skin barrier enhancing and antimicrobial properties. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 14, pp.1235–1243. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34596890/ [Accessed 9 May 2025].

Draelos, Z.D., 2018. Topical urea in skincare: A review. Dermatologic Therapy, [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328634599_Topical_urea_in_skincare_A_review [Accessed 9 May 2025].

Meara, J.G., 2013. Urea: A comprehensive review of the clinical literature. Journal of Wound Care, [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259245089_Urea_A_comprehensive_review_of_the_clinical_literature [Accessed 9 May 2025].

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