Urea (Ingredient Explained + Products)

You should know

Benefits

Good for Dry Skin

Texture

Concerns

Rosacea

Eczema

Explained

Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.

As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.

Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.

In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.

Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.

People also like: Niacinamide, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid

People also dislike: Parfum, Niacinamide, Glycolic Acid

Also known as: Carbamide

Urea is a rare cosmetic ingredient, with about 2.5% of the products in our database containing it.

What it does:

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Buffering

Community Stats

572 people from our community have liked or disliked this ingredient.

Users who like it 💖

Often have the following skin types:

Sensitive Dry

Usually have one or more of the following skin concerns:

Seborrheic Dermatitis • Fungal Acne • Dryness • Sensitivity

Users who dislike it 💔

Often have the following skin types:

Sensitive Dry

Usually have one or more of the following skin concerns:

Seborrheic Dermatitis • Sensitivity • Redness • Dryness

Where it's used

Urea is most often found as ingredient number 16 within an ingredient list.

Of the 11 products in our database that have a known concentration of Urea, we've seen concentrations from 5% to 40% specified within their ingredient lists.