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Active ingredient

Urea

INCI · Urea

Urea is a small humectant and surface-softening agent used across two distinct concentration bands. No major ingredient conflicts; concentration matching to indication is the key safety lever.

Last reviewed by BIOSAR Scientific Team, PharmD, Cosmetic Chemistry, Pharmacy practice on .

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

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%Dry lower legs: hydration up 55% in 60 days

    In 47 adults with dry skin on the lower legs, a urea body lotion used twice daily for 60 days raised measured hydration by 55.3% and elasticity by 55%, with less redness, scaling and itching. No control group; funded by the lotion's maker.

    Read the study

    J Cosmet Dermatol 2026

Where it helps

Concerns Urea addresses

  • Aging

    The first time you notice it is rarely a wrinkle. It is a quality of light — the way your skin catches it differently in a morning mirror, or the photo where you look more tired than you feel. The mechanism is real (collagen synthesis slows; elastin fragments; barrier turnover lengthens), but the felt experience comes first. Serenity Age is the range BIOSAR built for that pivot — Retinol for visible renewal and collagen support, peptides selected for documented signaling activity, and the SPF discipline that protects every other active you apply.

  • Dryness

    Dryness is a barrier dysfunction in which skin loses water faster than it can retain or replenish it, presenting as flaking, tightness, dullness, and roughness. Mild dryness reflects routine over-cleansing or environmental exposure; chronic dryness signals a deeper deficit in skin lipids (ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids) and humectant content (the natural moisturising factor). Effective treatment hydrates and replenishes the barrier through three layered actions: humectants that draw water in, occlusives that seal it in, and barrier actives that rebuild the lipid mortar. The BIOSAR Hydraderm range delivers this layered hydration and visibly plumps dehydrated skin.

  • Sun Damage

    Sun damage is the cumulative photoaging caused by ultraviolet radiation, presenting as solar lentigines, irregular pigmentation, fine lines, deeper wrinkles, leathery texture, and elevated skin cancer risk. UVA penetrates the dermis and drives collagen breakdown; UVB damages epidermal DNA and triggers melanin overproduction. Extrinsic factors, with UV exposure carrying the largest share, account for an estimated 80% of premature visible skin aging. Daily broad-spectrum SPF, antioxidant serums, and pigmentation correctors reverse early damage and prevent further progression. The BIOSAR Sunprotex range delivers broad-spectrum UVA + UVB protection layered with antioxidants for measurably stronger photoprotection.

From the BIOSAR catalog

Products formulated with Urea

Next ingredientVitamin B6