How to apply urea cream

Which strength are you applying?

Urea draws and holds water in skin and softens the outer layer so loose skin can shed. Urea creams come in different strengths: examples include 5% and 10% moisturizers, 25% heel balm and 40% cream. Choose the strength for the area and problem being treated, rather than treating the percentages as interchangeable. Krewe Pharma's Urea 40% Cream is intended for targeted use on very dry, rough, hardened or thickened areas and calluses.134

How to apply it, step by step

1. 1Read your cream's directions before applying it. Follow your doctor's instructions if the cream was prescribed.
2. 2Gently clean the treatment area. Use a gentle cleanser and warm rather than hot water, then gently pat with a towel.
3. 3Check the skin before applying. Keep urea off broken, bleeding, infected or oozing skin and areas with severe widespread redness.
4. 4Apply the cream to the affected area and gently massage until absorbed. Keep it away from your eyes; Krewe Pharma's 40% cream also warns against contact with lips and mucous membranes.
5. 5Repeat at your label's frequency. UREACREAM directs application once or twice daily; Krewe Pharma's 40% cream directs twice daily unless your physician gives different instructions.

Gentle massage is enough; applying cream is not a polishing job.5

Should your skin be damp or dry?

For ordinary moisturizing, applying cream while skin is still damp after bathing or hand washing helps relieve dryness. A specific urea product can have different directions: UREACREAM tells you to clean the skin and let it dry before application. Follow that instruction rather than automatically applying every urea cream to damp skin. General moisturizer advice to reapply whenever skin feels dry does not replace a urea product's own frequency.25

How to layer urea cream on dry heels

For people with diabetes, bedtime care for dry heels uses a cream containing 10% to 25% urea, followed by a thick ointment such as petroleum jelly and white cotton socks. Repeat daily until the skin heals. The ointment belongs on top of the cream, so the routine does not need to become a mixing experiment. Do not apply urea into open or bleeding cracks. If you have diabetes, get medical care for foot calluses rather than treating them yourself with a stronger cream.36

What if you use prescription skin treatments?

Urea can increase the penetration of other substances, including corticosteroids, so ask your prescriber how to combine them on the same area. Urea is sometimes used before fluorouracil treatment to reduce scaling and help absorption; use it as part of the prescribed plan, not as an extra layer you add independently.37

When should you stop?

Urea can cause mild stinging, itching or a rash. Follow the stopping instructions on your product: Krewe Pharma's 40% cream says to stop and consult a physician for redness or irritation; UREACREAM says to stop and ask a doctor if a rash occurs. Tell your dermatologist if moisturizer causes burning, stinging or irritation, or if dryness persists despite care. With diabetes, seek immediate care for signs of infection, including swelling, discoloration, pain or a wound leaking fluid.12356