Ingredient glossary
Urea
On your shelf ✓What Urea does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Urea
In short: Urea delivers hydration and smoothness, suits dry skin best, and the evidence behind it is strong. One thing to know: clear it with your doctor if pregnant; introduce it gently.
- What it does
- Hydration, smoothness
- Best for
- Dry skin
- Watch out
- Clear it with your doctor if pregnant; introduce it gently
- Evidence
- Strong
The molecule
The Glow take
One of the ingredients I trust most.
When your goal is deep, lasting hydration, Urea delivers, and the research properly backs it up. Introduce it gently, and pair it with something soothing if your skin runs sensitive.
— Maya
What it does
- hydration
- smoothness
strong evidenceSupported by cosmetic chemistry literature for its assigned function, with fewer direct clinical outcome studies than hero actives.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- dry
- rough
Approach with care
- very sensitive high
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskModerate
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationNeutral
- OilyNeutral
- SensitiveNeutral
Often chosen for rough. Take extra care if any of these apply to you: very sensitive (in high amounts).
Where it fits in your routine
Plays well with
- humectants
- ceramides
Urea, answered
Is Urea safe during pregnancy?
Clear it with your doctor first. Urea is flagged as use-with-caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so check with your doctor or midwife before adding it.
Who should avoid Urea?
Approach Urea with care if any of these apply to you: very sensitive (in high amounts). Its irritation risk is moderate, so introduce it slowly and patch test first.
What concentration of Urea actually works?
Its concentration is rarely printed on the label, so use the ingredient list as your clue: near the top third it is likely doing real work, near the bottom it is more of a sprinkle.
During pregnancy
Treat Urea as a maybe rather than a yes for now. It is flagged as one to use with caution while pregnant or breastfeeding, so it is worth clearing before you carry on.
When in doubt, check with your doctor or midwife. They outrank any website, including this one.
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