Active ingredient
Urea
INCIUrea
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. 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
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,…
Explore the concernDryness
Dryness is a barrier dysfunction in which skin loses water faster than it can retain or replenish it, presenting as flaking, tightness,…
Explore the concernSun Damage
Sun damage is the cumulative photoaging caused by ultraviolet radiation, presenting as solar lentigines, irregular pigmentation, fine…
Explore the concern
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