With physical movement, friction, exposure to changing weather, and medical conditions such as diabetes, the heels, and soles of feet go through their fair share of wear and tear.
Skin on the feet tends to dry due to the loss of natural moisturizing factors (NMF) that reduces moisture in the skin's outermost layer, the stratum corneum. The stratum corneum is like a brick wall - with skin cells as the bricks; and lipids and natural moisturizing factors (NMF) filling the spaces between like mortar. When the level of lipids and NMFs decreases, the cells start shrinking and gaps appear between cells resulting in dry skin.
Not surprisingly, dry skin is rough and scaly to the touch. When the skin is dry, it loses flexibility and is prone to developing cracks and fissures.
At Solvblem, we tackle this problem by using urea in our footcare mousse. Some of you may know that urea is a natural by-product of bodily waste, like sweat and urine. So, you may be wondering, what is it doing in footcare products?
Urea and Foot Care
Urea is a component of the natural moisturizing factor (NMF) present in the stratum corneum that protects the skin from severe drying. It is a humectant i.e. it absorbs moisture from the environment and draws it to the skin. In addition, urea has a keratolytic emollient effect on the skin i.e. it softens and smooths the skin.
While urea-containing footcare formulas are made synthetically, they are designed to fulfill the role of natural moisturizing factors (NMF). And these urea-containing formulas are known to improve dry, flaky skin dramatically.
Benefits of Urea in Foot Care
- Hydration: When applied to the skin, urea penetrates the stratum corneum into the layers of the epidermis, enhancing water absorption due to its ability to hold moisture by binding to water. The improved water retention capability ensures your feet are adequately hydrated.
- Exfoliation: The keratolytic compounds moisturize the skin by breaking down keratin and removing that rough dead skin layer. The sloughing off dead skin cells in the stratum corneum improves the skin's water-binding capability. At high percentages, urea is keratolytic and helps to loosen scaly, dead skin like stubborn foot calluses. The exfoliation encourages cell renewal.
- Healing: Urea is naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. As a result of that, urea helps speed up the natural recovery process. It is also an anti-irritant (antipruritic) that helps soothe stressed skin and relieves dry, itchy skin conditions common on the feet.
- Protection: Urea helps strengthen the skin’s natural barrier function by absorbing moisture and improving the skin's renewal process. Therefore, urea-based formulas are widely used for skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, and cracked heels. With a fortified skin barrier that protects the feet from further damage, urea also helps reduce the risk of foot infections.
How much urea do my feet need?
A foot care routine can help prevent the development of dry skin, cracked heels, and even calluses. But the concentration of urea varies from product to product. How do you decide what percentage suits your skin condition?
Generally, the 10% formulations can be applied all over the feet to hydrate skin. The 20% urea formulations are great for spot treatments, particularly in rough areas and cracked heels.
Solvblem has different formulas depending on your intended use:
- Solvblem Foot Mousse - Daily Maintenance Formula
- Solvblem Foot Mousse - Cracked Heel Formula
Moreover, these two formulas differ from traditional foot creams as they do not contain heavy occlusive agents that leave a feeling of temporary moisturizing, slippery feet, and greasy residue.
Instead, these mousse formulas with an airy texture sink into the skin and deliver hydration & targeted benefits restoring healthy feet. Also, Solvblem Foot Mousses are free of artificial fragrances and dyes - making them perfectly safe to use for diabetics, seniors, and people with skin sensitivities.
