Natural moisture retention factor
- The end product of the amino acid change in the urea cycle of plants and animals
- In the horny layer of the epidermis in humans
- Primarily involved in regulating the water balance in the horny layer
- Accounts for around 7% of the natural moisture retention factors in healthy skin
- In atopic patients, affected areas contain only one-fifth of the normal amount of urea
- In psoriasis patients, the content is reduced by up to 40% in the areas of the lesions