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CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea.

CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea
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Moisturizers
About this product

A lightweight lotion moisturizer formulated with 5% urea, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter to hydrate and soothe dry skin.

Full ingredients

Aqua/​Water/​Eau, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/​Shea Butter, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Isopropyl Palmitate, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, C15-19 Alkane, Glycine, Stearic Acid, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Sorbitan Tristearate, Sorbitan Oleate, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Triethyl Citrate, Isohexadecane, Sodium PCA, Serine, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Palmitic Acid, Alanine, Tocopherol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

More from CeraVe 53 products · Guru Score 91% →

Guru Score

89%

Yay

4 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

The 5% urea is what sets this apart, it hydrates deeply and lasts well into the next day, though some people with very raw or inflamed skin may find urea's mild sting uncomfortable at first. Gurus praise how quickly it absorbs, how it firms and softens skin texture over time, and that it skips niacinamide (a plus for anyone sensitive to it), making it especially good for hands in winter or layered under heavier creams on very dry days. One note: at 5% the exfoliating effect is gentler than a 10% formula, and the lotion texture is lighter than CeraVe's regular cream, so those needing maximum exfoliation or richness may want to go stronger or thicker.
Synthesized from 4 expert reviews · most recent take March 2026

What they liked

  • Lightweight lotion texture, absorbs quickly
  • Fragrance-free
  • Silky smooth, non-tacky finish when set

What they flagged

  • Not exfoliating enough at 5% urea concentration

Best for

Type

MoisturizersLotion

Key actives

Hyaluronic acidVitamin ECeramides

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

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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
✓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
My Current Top Hair Care & Body Care Products
"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."
Moisturizer 🆚 CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion VS La Roche Posay Lipikar Urea Body Lotion
"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."
Holy Grail Body Moisturizer, Creams, & Lotions 🙌💗 All Skin Types - Unscented!
"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."
My Best Ulta Purchases in the Last Year - Favorite Skincare & Beauty Products From Ulta
"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."
✓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
7 Winter Skincare Essentials | Fight Dryness and Dehydration in the Cold!
"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."
November Faves | Dr. Reju-all, Paula's Choice, Cerave, Phlur
"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."
✓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
I Finished A TON Of Skincare & Hair Care | 2025 Empties
"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."
*NEW* Urea Lotions: CeraVe Vs La Roche Posay
"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."
*NEW* Skincare Finds At Costco
"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."
Stop Guessing Your Skincare Routine. A Dermatologist Breaks It All Down
"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."
✓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 lightweight lotion moisturizer formulated with 5% urea, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter to hydrate and soothe dry skin.

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

Yes. All 4 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 89%.

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

CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion with 5% Urea holds a Guru Score of 89%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 4 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.

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