{
  "id": "urea",
  "idVersion": 1,
  "ingredient": "Urea",
  "route": "topical",
  "grade": "strong",
  "gradeLabel": "Strong",
  "claim": "5% urea moisturisers helped eczema-prone skin stay relapse-free longer, while reviews distinguish moisturising use at up to 10% from stronger keratolytic use above 10%.",
  "caveat": "The trials studied complete moisturiser formulas, mostly as maintenance after eczema had cleared; they do not prove that every urea product performs the same way.",
  "published": "2026-09-19",
  "sources": [
    {
      "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25594845/",
      "journal": "Acta Derm Venereol",
      "year": 2015,
      "n": null,
      "design": "Multicentre randomized double-blind controlled trial",
      "duration": "6 months",
      "percentages": [
        "5%",
        "37%"
      ],
      "outcome": "eczema relapse risk, time to relapse",
      "finding": "Six-month multicentre randomized double-blind controlled trial in atopic dermatitis: the 5% urea cream reduced relapse risk by 37% versus a reference moisturiser and prolonged median time to relapse from 15 to 22 days.",
      "formulation": "5% urea barrier-improving cream, reference moisturising cream"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19508310/",
      "journal": "J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol",
      "year": 2009,
      "n": 44,
      "design": "Randomized maintenance study",
      "duration": "26 weeks",
      "percentages": [
        "68%",
        "32%"
      ],
      "outcome": "relapse-free maintenance, time to relapse",
      "finding": "Randomized 26-week maintenance study in 44 people whose atopic eczema had cleared: 68% using the urea moisturiser remained relapse-free versus 32% with no treatment; median time to relapse was more than 180 versus 30 days.",
      "formulation": "urea-containing barrier moisturiser, no maintenance treatment"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17300239/",
      "journal": "Br J Dermatol",
      "year": 2007,
      "n": 78,
      "design": "Randomized forearm study",
      "duration": "7 weeks",
      "percentages": [
        "5%"
      ],
      "outcome": "transepidermal water loss, irritant response",
      "finding": "Seven-week randomized forearm study in 78 volunteers: the ordinary 5% urea cream decreased transepidermal water loss and reduced susceptibility to an irritant, while some simplified moisturisers weakened barrier measures.",
      "formulation": "5% urea cream, four other experimental moisturisers"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30378232/",
      "journal": "Dermatol Ther",
      "year": 2018,
      "n": null,
      "design": "Clinical literature review",
      "duration": null,
      "percentages": [
        "10%"
      ],
      "outcome": "moisturising action, keratolytic action",
      "finding": "Clinical-literature review: urea formulations at 10% or less act mainly as moisturisers, while concentrations above 10% exert a keratolytic action.",
      "formulation": "urea-containing topical formulations at 10% or less, urea-based preparations above 10%"
    }
  ],
  "peopleReport": null
}