Active ingredient
Urea
INCIUrea
10% (Anti-Aging Hand Cream)Typical concentration
Last reviewed by BIOSAR Scientific Team, PharmD, Cosmetic Chemistry, Pharmacy practice on .
What it is
Urea is a small humectant and surface-softening agent used across two distinct concentration bands. At 5% to 10% it draws water into the stratum corneum and softens dry, rough skin; at 20% to 40% it disrupts corneocyte cohesion for callus, hyperkeratosis, and onychomycosis adjunctive care. Effective humectant range: 3% to 10%; surface-softening range: 15% to 40%. No major ingredient conflicts; concentration matching to indication is the key safety lever.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Use with caution
Use with caution — consult your clinician.
Topical urea up to 10% is generally accepted during pregnancy and lactation as a barrier-supportive humectant per Mother to Baby. Concentrations above 20%, used as keratolytics for callus or thickened skin, have limited human pregnancy data; clinician review is recommended before use during pregnancy or lactation.
Mechanism in detail
What Urea does
Surface-softening at higher concentrations. Softens rough, dry texture on hands and feet.
Evidence
What the research says
- +55%Rough, dry skin drinks it in — hydration climbs +55%In a 60-day study of 47 adults with dry, xerotic skin, a 10% urea lotion lifted measured stratum-corneum hydration by 55.3% (p<0.001). Redness, scaling, and itching all eased alongside softer, more elastic skin.Read the study →J Cosmet Dermatol 2026
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