Urea creams are extremely popular because they provide a lot of moisture to the skin – but how good are the products and which creams really contain urea? ÖKO-TEST tested 20 products. In the video we show what is important when choosing the right face cream.
In the Edition (12/2021) ÖKO-TEST tested a total of 20 urea lotions. These are body creams that are mixed with urea. Sound gross? But it isn’t, because: while real urea from horses was still used in urea lotions a few years ago, manufacturers now rely on synthetic urea. Natural urea only has to be used in natural cosmetics.
The substance is also found not only in our urine, but also in our top layer of skin. Urea can bind moisture in the upper skin layer, soothe itching, has a dandruff-removing effect and is also very well tolerated. But not all creams keep what they promise. We show you which products you should not buy and present the results of ÖKO-TEST.
Urea lotions in the test: cheap test winners
ÖKO-TEST examined a total of 20 creams containing urea. These are conventional products, all of which were made with synthetic urea. Natural cosmetics are not represented in this test. Eleven creams get the top rating “very good”, including the following price tips from supermarkets, discounters or drugstores:
- Aveo Med Urea 15% 2 in 1 Nourishing Body Milk from miller
> to Mueller - Balea Med 15% urea immediate care milk 2 in 1 from dm
> to dm - Bevola Body Lotion Urea 5% by Kaufland
- Today body lotion urea 5% from Rewe and Penny
> to Rewe - Pure & Basic Med body lotion with 10% urea from net
- Ombia Med Intensive Body Lotion 10% Urea from Aldi
- Elkos Med Body Lotion Urea 10% by Edeka
> to Amazon - Isana Med body milk 10% urea from Rossman
> to Rossman
None of the creams mentioned cost more than 3 euros for 200 milliliters. The cheapest cream listed above is the Kaufland product for EUR 0.98 per 200 ml. The lotions from Edeka and Aldi are still “the most expensive” at EUR 2.66 per 200 ml. Compared to the branded products in the test, these are still very cheap. The most expensive urea lotion in the test costs a whopping 17 euros per 200 milliliters.
Read the detailed test for a fee at ÖKO-TEST
Critical ingredients: You should keep your hands off these creams
Four products fail the test. In the Body Urea Skin Smoothing Cream Milk 5% by Garnier the laboratory finds PEG as well as PEG derivatives and silicones. Overall, the lotion scores “inadequate”.
Three other creams only collect “insufficiently” due to critical ingredients. In the Eucerin Urea Repair Original 10% Urea Lotion by Beiersdorf there are also PEG/PEG derivatives and paraffins – which is particularly disappointing for a pharmacy product.
Also in the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Lait Urea 5+ Lotion contains these substances. Here the laboratory also finds halogenated organic compounds that are considered potentially carcinogenic. The specified urea content of 5% deviates too much from the measured content of 4.1 percent. Points are deducted for that too.
In the Mixa Urea Cica Repair 5% Urea from L’Oréal the experts find critical substances: PEG/PEG derivatives, mineral oil as well as paraffins and silicones. Here, too, the grade 6 hails.
You can take the detailed test with all the results Read it for a fee at ÖKO-TEST.
Read the detailed test for a fee at ÖKO-TEST