Urea

Topical urea is bacteriostatic, bactericidal, fungistatic, proteolytic, hygroscopic, and mildly anesthetic on the skin, with these actions varying by dose. Most of its therapeutic effects come from its hygroscopic property, which works by changing the configuration of proteins in the stratum corneum. In studies, a 10% urea cream raised the water-holding capacity of ichthyotic scale by 100% after 3 weeks of treatment. Percutaneous absorption of urea has not been studied, and its therapeutic effects depend on the concentration reached locally rather than on absorption into the bloodstream. Any urea that is absorbed would be excreted unchanged in the urine.