Is urea cream safe?

What does urea do for skin?

Urea occurs naturally in healthy skin and helps hold water in its outer layer. In skincare, manufactured urea draws in moisture and softens the dead outer layer so it can shed more easily. This softening action is called keratolysis. Urea preparations can help with scaly, itchy dryness associated with eczema, psoriasis and ichthyosis, a condition that causes dry, scaly skin.1

Which strength should you use?

After a short course of 10% urea for thickened skin, maintenance can mean returning to an ordinary moisturizer or using 5% urea if continued softening is needed. Foot treatment can follow a different plan: 10% cream can be used after an initial heel balm treatment. The treatment site matters as much as the percentage.45

ImuDERM is a moisturizer containing 5% urea and 5% glycerine, despite a name that sounds like it requires an administrator account. Other formulas add medicines: Balneum Plus contains 5% urea and lauromacrogols and is used for itching when an ordinary moisturizer has not helped. Balneum Intensiv also has uses within psoriasis and wound care treatment plans.246

How do you use urea cream safely?

1. 1Match the product to the intended area and follow its directions. Use prescription urea only for the condition it was prescribed to treat.
2. 2Check the skin before applying. For general skincare use, avoid broken, cracked or bleeding skin, infected or oozing areas, and severe widespread redness.
3. 3Wash your hands before and after applying. Keep urea away from your eyes; the AvPAK 40% cream also warns against contact with lips and mucous membranes.
4. 4Follow the product's application schedule. The AvPAK 40% cream directions specify twice daily, or as directed by a physician, rubbed in until absorbed.
5. 5If cream gets into your eyes, rinse thoroughly with water and seek medical advice.

Urea can increase the penetration of other substances, including corticosteroids. Ask your prescriber how to combine urea with a prescribed steroid rather than adding it without checking. Emollients also carry a fire risk, including products without paraffin. A product containing an ingredient you are allergic to is not suitable.123

Is urea cream safe for the face?

Do not automatically use a foot or nail treatment as a facial moisturizer; choose a product intended for the area you are treating. Urea comes in creams, lotions and washes, because apparently even a moisturizer needs a product range. If you have rosacea, avoid urea in facial skincare. Rosacea makes skin easily irritated, and urea is among the ingredients dermatologists advise avoiding. Choose a fragrance free, rosacea friendly moisturizer instead.17

When should you stop?

Mild stinging, itching or a rash can occur. Get medical advice if symptoms continue or become bothersome. For the AvPAK 40% prescription cream, stop using it and consult a physician if redness or irritation occurs. If you develop sensitivity to a moisturizer, switch to an alternative rather than continuing with the same product.123

What about pregnancy, breastfeeding and children?

For the AvPAK 40% prescription cream, pregnancy safety is uncertain because adequate human studies are lacking; use during pregnancy should be limited to clear need. Whether it passes into breast milk is unknown, and breastfeeding requires caution. Discuss that strength with your prescriber.3

For children aged 1 year and older, urea preparations can be used for a diagnosed dry skin condition when a doctor recommends them. For ordinary dryness without a diagnosis, low strength preparations can be used from age 3. Follow the child's specific product directions.1