Urea

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

• Helps support the look and feel of well-hydrated, comfortable skin
• Attracts and binds water for improved hydration and a smoother skin surface
• Helps support the look and feel of the skin's moisture barrier
• Gently smooths the look and feel of rough or dry texture at cosmetic concentrations

• Every day, morning or evening, or both. There is nothing to ease into.
• In routine order it goes on last, after any serums or targeted steps.
• Concentrate it where skin looks rough, dry or flaky — that is where the smoothing shows most.
• A brief tingle on very dry skin is normal and passes quickly.
• Skip it while skin is broken or looking irritated, and start again once it has settled.
• It pairs naturally with the other hydrating steps rather than competing with them, so it needs no evening of its own.

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.

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. The rest set no maximum. Either way these are limits, not targets — the right strength for a formula is the formulator's decision.

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Urea cream · 2

APLBUrea Hyaluronic Acid Facial Cream - 55ml$9.80CosmetexRolandLoshi Moist Aid Urea Skin Cream - 220g$4.99

When should you apply Urea?

Every day, morning or evening, or both. There is nothing to ease into.

How often can you use Urea?

Daily.

Where do you apply Urea?

All over the face. Keep it away from your eyes and 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 — some contain this ingredient at higher strengths, others are cited for how they interact with it. 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.