Like Urea, Lactate (the salt of Lactic Acid) is also a “natural moisturising factor” (NMF), and is produced naturally by the skin. Lactate absorbs and retains moisture within the stratum corneum, or upper layer of the skin, and therefore plays a vital role in maintaining the skin’s physical properties. Low levels of Lactate within the stratum corneum are known to be associated with dry skin. 

Urea is one of the substances produced naturally by the skin called “natural moisturizing factors” (NMFs). Urea is hygroscopic, binding water in the uppermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum. Urea is also keratolytic, meaning it breaks down the connections between dead skin cells, improving cell shedding and, thus, smoothing the skin’s surface.