Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Urea cream for callouses - why only 40% lotions available over the counter?

  • Urea cream for callouses - why only 40% lotions available over the counter?

    Posted by zink on April 21, 2014 at 12:44 am

    I checked the FDA website but see no rule making / monographs on using urea for callouses or on skin in general, there was a panel looking into it in 2003 but no rules were made.

    Could it be a formulation issue with urea out crystallizing at > 40%. How would you make a 50% cream (which could be useful for callous removal).
    Cheers!
    zink replied 9 years, 11 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
  • 2 Replies
  • chemicalmatt

    Member
    April 21, 2014 at 5:42 pm

    You will not be able to incorporate any more urea than 40% (if that much), since you’ll exceed it’s water solubility saturation point.  Urea only softens skin - and callouses. It does not actually “treat” callouses or remove them like a keratolytic agent would.  That is likely the reason FDA hedged. I would classify urea creams as homeopathic remedies. They have been around for over 70 years.

  • zink

    Member
    April 21, 2014 at 6:07 pm
    There are 50% urea treatments available and if breaking up part of the skin matrix is callouses, here’s one:
    CARBOMER COPOLYMER TYPE A  
    .ALPHA.-TOCOPHEROL ACETATE, DL-  
    EDETATE DISODIUM  
    GLYCERIN  
    LACTIC ACID  
    MINERAL OIL  
    POLYSORBATE 85  
    WATER  
    SODIUM HYDROXIDE  
    STEARIC ACID  
    PYRITHIONE ZINC

    Homeopathy refers to the use of minute doses of a treatment in most definitions of the word.

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