Natural Moisturizing Factor Component (Urea)

Urea is a skin-identical humectant and keratolytic active naturally present in the skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), widely used in cosmetic formulations for its powerful hydrating, smoothing, and barrier-supportive benefits. By attracting and retaining water, it helps relieve the look and feel of dryness, roughness, and tightness, improving softness and flexibility. At higher use levels, urea also provides gentle keratolytic action, helping loosen and reduce the buildup of dead skin cells to refine texture and improve the appearance of rough areas such as elbows, knees, heels, and calluses. Well-suited to dry-skin, barrier-repair, and body-smoothing concepts, Urea is commonly found in face and body moisturizers, hand creams, foot creams, keratolytic lotions, and targeted treatments, formulated across a range of concentrations to balance comfort, efficacy, and tolerance for different skin types.