Urea

Urea is a humectant used in skincare for decades. At cosmetic concentrations, it helps skin feel softer, smoother, and more comfortably hydrated, making it a long-standing choice for dry and rough-textured skin.

• Before you start

  Skip it while skin is broken or looking irritated, and start again once it has settled.

• Best time

  Either time suits it, or both.

• How often

  There is nothing to ease into.

• Where it goes

  Last, after any serums or targeted steps.

• Where to apply

  Concentrate it where skin looks rough, dry or flaky — that is where the smoothing shows most.

• Alongside others

  It pairs naturally with the other hydrating steps rather than competing with them, so it needs no evening of its own.

• What to expect

  A brief tingle on very dry skin is normal and passes quickly.

Cosmetic-range urea (up to 10%) is well tolerated by most skin types. A brief tingling on very dry skin is normal and typically fades quickly.

Six situations change whether Urea suits your skin right now. Each one is either a reason to skip it, a reason to go slowly, or nothing to watch for.

Fragile or Sensitive

Go slowly

Recent Facial or Laser

Go slowly

Prone to Redness

Go slowly

Recent Shave or Wax

Go slowly

Maternity & Nursing

No caution

Dry or Itchy Patches

No caution

Fragile or Sensitive — Use it less often — or stop — if it feels uncomfortable, and keep it off skin that’s broken, cut or sunburned.

Recent Facial or Laser — Wait until your skin feels settled before reintroducing — typically 7 to 14 days after a facial or laser appointment.

Prone to Redness — Try it on a small area first, and use it less often — or stop — if you notice stinging or extra redness.

Recent Shave or Wax — Avoid for 24 hours after waxing, threading, or dermaplaning.

Region	Most a cosmetic may contain
United States	No explicit cap
Canada	10%
European Union	No explicit cap
Great Britain	No explicit cap
India	No explicit cap
Brazil	No explicit cap
Japan	No explicit cap
South Korea	10%
Kenya	No explicit cap
Namibia	No explicit cap
Ukraine	No explicit cap
Georgia	No explicit cap
Australia	No explicit cap
United Arab Emirates	10% (bath products may exceed)
Kuwait	10% (bath products may exceed)
Hong Kong	No explicit cap
Singapore	No explicit cap
Brunei	No explicit cap
Jordan	No explicit cap
Trinidad & Tobago	No explicit cap

Where a figure appears, that is the maximum strength allowed or advised for urea in that market — some are set in cosmetics regulation, others are the ceiling a cosmetic safety panel recommends. Where no figure appears, the market either sets no cosmetic maximum or handles this ingredient outside its cosmetic rules. These are limits, not targets — the right strength for a formula is the formulator's decision.

Open a market to see the rulebook its figure comes from. Those notes describe each market's own rules as we read them, current to August 24, 2026; the linked documents are the authority, and nothing here is legal advice.

Sort:Price

Moisturizers · 9

CosmetexRolandLoshi Moist Aid Urea Skin Cream - 220g$7.69APLBUrea Hyaluronic Acid Facial Cream - 55ml$9.80Also on YesStyleCosmetex RolandLoshi Horse Oil Moisture Skin Cream Urea 220g$14.25JumisoUrea 5 Intensive Moisture Cream - 80ml$17.60Also on YesStyleJUMISOUrea 9.9 Intensive Multi Balm 50ml$18.00Ishizawa-LabSukoyaka Suhada Urea Moisture Face Cream 60g$22.14Ishizawa-LabSukoyaka Suhada Urea Moisture Lotion 200ml$22.99MizuMiUrea 9 Soothing Dry Rescue Lotion 250g$25.46

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What is Urea?

Skin makes urea of its own, and adding more of it holds water in the surface layers — so dry, rough-looking areas look smoother and feel softer.

What else is Urea called?

On a label you may see Carbamide.

When should you apply Urea?

Morning or evening. Either time suits it, or both.

How often can you use Urea?

Daily.

Where do you apply Urea?

All over the face. Keep it away from your eyes and lips.

Can you use Urea around the eyes?

Yes. Urea goes all over the face, the skin around the eyes included — keep it out of your eyes and off your lips.

Does Urea make skin more sensitive to the sun?

No. Urea is not flagged as increasing sun sensitivity.

What should you not use with Urea?

Nothing flagged. None of the ingredients this wiki covers needs to be kept apart from Urea — check the label of anything not covered here.

Who should avoid Urea?

Go slowly with Fragile or Sensitive, Recent Facial or Laser, Prone to Redness and Recent Shave or Wax.

Is there a cosmetic limit for Urea?

Only some regions set one. The maximum strength for Urea in a cosmetic is 10% in Canada. No maximum is set in the United States, the European Union and Great Britain. A cap is a limit on the rules, not a signal to use more.

Everything on this page traces to the sources listed below — regulators' own publications and published studies. Where the evidence does not answer a question, it is left unanswered.

Some sources below are the official product information for prescription medicines, cited for how they interact with this ingredient. We use them for their safety and handling detail only. A cosmetic product is not one of those medicines and is not intended to treat any condition.

Our review is AI-assisted and is not a named expert's opinion. Last reviewed August 8, 2026.

Think something here is out of date or wrong? Email us at wiki@skinintelligence.ai with your reasoning and where you read it. We read what people send, and we update the page when the sources support it.