Urea is one of the skin's own natural moisturizing factors, so it is something your barrier already uses. At lower strengths it acts as a humectant, binding water into the skin.
10% urea is a well-studied, effective emollient for very dry skin, and Eucerin's UreaRepair line is a well-made version. It also includes ceramides and other natural moisturizing factors.
Urea is not automatically the best choice, though. One 2025 trial found a modern "emollient plus" outperformed 10% urea on barrier measures in mild-to-moderate eczema. And if you are in the US, the properly sold Eucerin Advanced Repair, with 5% urea and ceramides, is almost certainly what you want.
| Key active | Urea (5% or 10%, depending on which you get) |
| Texture | Lotion |
| Best for | Very dry, rough skin |
| Approximate price | $18–$28 |
| Fragrance | Fragrance free |
Urea at sensible strengths is genuinely well evidenced for dry skin and eczema, and Eucerin's UreaRepair line is a well-made version of it.
Urea does two things at low concentrations: it is a humectant — it binds water into the skin — and it is one of your skin's own natural moisturizing factors, so it is something your barrier already uses.
10% urea is an effective, well-studied emollient for very dry skin.
The line also includes ceramides and other natural moisturizing factors.
It is not a US product. UreaRepair is Eucerin's European line. If you are buying it in America, you are buying it from a grey-market importer — which means no US labelling, no US consumer recourse, and no guarantee of what you are actually getting.
The US equivalent is Eucerin Advanced Repair, which contains 5% urea plus ceramides, and is sold properly here. That is almost certainly what you want.
"UreaRepair Plus" does not tell you the strength. The name is used for both a 5% and a 10% product — and those are functionally different things. Check the box.
Urea is not automatically the best choice. A 2025 trial found a modern "emollient plus" outperformed 10% urea on barrier measures in mild-to-moderate eczema.
Aqua, Urea, Glycerin, Isopropyl Stearate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium Lactate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tapioca, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate-Polyhydroxystearate-Sebacate, Carnitine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide NP, Arginine HCl, Sodium PCA, Histidine, Alanine, Citrulline, Lysine, Serine, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Mannitol, Sucrose, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Glycogen, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Arginine, PCA
Note: list reflects the EU/international formulation; U.S. inactives may differ slightly.
1. Urea in Dermatology: A Review of its Emollient, Moisturizing, Keratolytic, Skin Barrier Enhancing and Antimicrobial Properties (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13555-021-00611-y) — Confirms urea is a hygroscopic humectant and a component of the skin's own natural moisturizing factor (NMF), and that urea-containing formulations are well evidenced for dry, scaly skin including atopic dermatitis and xerosis. 2. Non-invasive assessment of urea efficacy: A review (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32639641/) — Backs the claim that urea is a well-studied moisturizing/hydrating agent whose water-binding effects on the skin are measurable and documented. 3. Treatment by a moisturizer of xerosis and cracks of the feet in men and women with diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/search?query=EXT_ID:28627029&resultType=core&format=json) — Randomized controlled trial showing a urea-containing emollient significantly improves xerosis (very dry skin) versus placebo, supporting urea's efficacy as an emollient for very dry skin. 4. Eucerin UreaRepair PLUS product range (https://int.eucerin.com/products/urearepair) — Manufacturer page confirming UreaRepair PLUS is a European Eucerin (Beiersdorf) line formulated at 5% and 10% urea with added ceramides and natural moisturizing factors, marketed for very dry skin.