CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

“It also helps to soothe on contact that itchiness that I can get in my hand.”

Kelly Driscoll, watch at 14:26

Rough or uneven texture1 expert

“You know, can help with improving skin texture, water retention.”

Dr Dray, watch at 6:39

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"It's a nice moisturizing lotion that's lightweight, but it's got some good ingredients such as the urea, shea butter, ceramides, and vitamin E. It's fragrance-free. It is definitely on the lighter side. [...] I will layer this on days when my skin is really dry. I'll layer this underneath heavier creams because this has that urea in it which gives it the extra moisture and smoothness, and then to layer it with something that's even a little bit thicker gives my skin more moisture."

All 5 takes from No BS Beauty

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"This one has urea in it for some added moisture. This one is more of a lotion, I would say. [...] So this one's a little bit on the lighter side. [...] This one absorbs a little bit more quicker, but it's not quite as hydrating, but it's a really nice product. It's got urea, glycerin, shea butter, ceramides, no fragrance, all that good stuff. Really nice product."

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"Non-tacky. [...] The CeraVe does have quite a few isopropyl palmitate, cetyl alcohol, stearic acid, sorbitan oleate, carbomer, glycerol stearate, and two fatty acids and vitamin E. So it's got 10 total ingredients that I would consider comedogenic or pore clogging potential. If you're using this all over your body, not so much your face, it's not going to be as big of a deal. But for some people, it really can be an issue like on their back and things like that."

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"This one's got water, glycerin, some fatty alcohols, ceramides, cholesterol. [...] If you have very sensitive skin, this might be the one to go for just because the short ingredient list. [...] It's thick, but still kind of lotiony. [...] It's one of [...] my top four for very very dry skin days or very very dry skin or very very dry cold weather."

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"It's a nice moisturizing lotion that's lightweight, but it's got some good ingredients such as the urea, shea butter, ceramides, and vitamin E. It's fragrance-free. It is definitely on the lighter side. [...] I will layer this on days when my skin is really dry. I'll layer this underneath heavier creams because this has that urea in it which gives it the extra moisture and smoothness, and then to layer it with something that's even a little bit thicker gives my skin more moisture."

CeraVe New! Hydro-Urea Moisturizing Body Lotion First Impressions & Comparison to Original Version

"The urea they used in here is really nice. It's in some moisturizers for your face and things like that but it really does feel nice and hydrating and it does soak in pretty quickly. [...] It's definitely light, more lightweight. It's got more of a gel texture. It's got more of a lightweight gel lotion texture and it feels really nice. [...] The urea in here is very nice, it's a nice hydrating ingredient."

Kelly Driscoll

91k subs

✓Yay

"I absolutely love this especially for hand care. [...] Hand care becomes increasingly important to me in the winter time because this season causes my hands to feel really dry, dehydrated, sometimes even itchy, irritated, and I get rough skin around my nail beds and hang nails. [...] What's different about this than the original moisturizing lotion [...] is the intensive version includes 5% urea."

All 2 takes from Kelly Driscoll

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"I absolutely love this especially for hand care. [...] Hand care becomes increasingly important to me in the winter time because this season causes my hands to feel really dry, dehydrated, sometimes even itchy, irritated, and I get rough skin around my nail beds and hang nails. [...] What's different about this than the original moisturizing lotion [...] is the intensive version includes 5% urea."

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"This stuff, it's so good. [...] It's got this great lotion texture. It sinks in so quickly. It's just like the original moisturizing cream texture in my opinion, but [...] the 5% urea really helps the hydration deep down in your skin. It lasts a long time. [...] It also helps to soothe on contact that itchiness that I can get in my hand. It's not greasy, but really nice and moisturized and soothed as well."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"Both 5% and [...] 10% urea are great for hydrating dry skin. [...] This one is a little spicy, urea can burn, sting, tingle a bit, especially if you [...] have atopic dermatitis and you're in the early stages of a flare-up where things are a little raw and rashy. Sometimes that sting, that tingle is uncomfortable, but sometimes it kind of tricks the little itch nerves and you get some relief from itch."

All 4 takes from Dr Dray

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"Both 5% and [...] 10% urea are great for hydrating dry skin. [...] This one is a little spicy, urea can burn, sting, tingle a bit, especially if you [...] have atopic dermatitis and you're in the early stages of a flare-up where things are a little raw and rashy. Sometimes that sting, that tingle is uncomfortable, but sometimes it kind of tricks the little itch nerves and you get some relief from itch."

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"I put it on at night after showering and the following day my skin is moisturized, firm, and that hydrated skin that I appreciate. The softness, the suppleness, the firmness from better moisture retention, it's pretty long lasting into the next day for about 48 hours. If I skip moisturizing with this the next night, [...] my skin does stay moisturized for the next day. There's no fragrance, no aroma of the urea."

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"I have officially finished the CeraVe 5% Urea. Really enjoyed this. Didn't have the bite to it that the Lactic Urea one, the 10%, had a little spicy tingle. This did not. Really liked it. Would repurchase."

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"You know, can help with improving skin texture, water retention. You may find for some people that the combination of tretinoin and urea ends up being maybe a little too irritating, but I don't generally see that happening with urea. It's pretty well tolerated at 5%. So yeah, as long as that's tolerated, the urea can help with dryness. Great ingredient also to bring in in the colder winter months for optimizing water retention in the skin."

Abbey Yung

887k subs

✓Nay

"It's fragrance free but has a strange smell I don't love, and it [...] never fully absorbs for me, leaving my skin feeling sticky, with clothes sticking to my skin when wearing it. This might be perfect if your face is really dry, but for body purposes I personally wouldn't recommend it."

D

Doctorly

3.59M subs

✓Yay

"I would make the argument when it comes to a body moisturizer that I actually like the experience of their Intensive Moisturizing Lotion the best of between the regular lotion and the regular cream. [...] I kind of like that lipid slip that stays around a little bit longer. It feels a little bit greasier, [...] more of an oilier afterfeel, more of a slip, but I like that feeling when I'm moisturizing the body. It feels more like the lip barrier than any of the other products from CeraVe."

Top Pick: body moisturizer

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Urea

Urea both holds water in the skin and gently loosens dead surface cells. At higher strengths it has good evidence for very dry or thickened skin.

Source: DermNet

Ceramides

Ceramides are part of the skin's own barrier, and moisturisers built around them have evidence for holding water in and settling the tightness and flaking that come with a damaged barrier.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea?

A fragrance-free body and hand lotion from CeraVe that combines 5% urea with ceramides to hydrate and soften dry skin.

Is CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea worth it?

Mostly yes. 4 of the 5 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 79%.

What is CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea's Guru Score?

CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea holds a Guru Score of 79%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea best for?

CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea is generally suited to dry skin.

What is CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea is good for irritated or reactive skin (1 expert) and rough or uneven texture (1 expert).