Dermatology Clinic, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Int J Clin Pract. 2020 Dec;74 Suppl 187:e13621. doi: 10.1111/ijcp.13621.
Urea, also known as carbamide, is a polar, hygroscopic molecule produced by the human body that was first discovered in urine in 1773 by the French chemist Hilaire Rouelle and was artificially synthesised from inorganic precursors in 1828 by the German chemist Friedrich Wöhler. The importance of urea in dermatology is twofold: it primarily has a physiological key role for the maintenance of skin hydration, and it secondarily has been used for more than a century in different topical preparation and concentration in various skin conditions. One of the first uses of urea was the topical treatment of wounds because of its antibacterial and proteolytic properties. Since the second part of the 20th century, urea became one of the most common moisturisers and keratolytic agents, useful for the treatment of xerosis, atopic dermatitis, ichthyosis and psoriasis.
尿素，又称碳酰胺，是一种极性、吸湿的分子，由人体产生。它于 1773 年首次由法国化学家 Hilaire Rouelle 在尿液中发现，并于 1828 年由德国化学家 Friedrich Wöhler 从无机前体中人工合成。尿素在皮肤科中的重要性有两方面：一方面，它主要在维持皮肤水分方面具有生理关键作用；另一方面，它在一个多世纪以来已被用于不同的局部制剂和浓度，用于各种皮肤状况。尿素的最早用途之一是局部治疗伤口，因为它具有抗菌和蛋白水解特性。自 20 世纪后半叶以来，尿素已成为最常用的保湿剂和角质松解剂之一，可用于治疗干燥症、特应性皮炎、鱼鳞病和银屑病。
