FAQ's

1. Where does the Urea in Eucerin® come from?

The urea (at room temperature a white and odourless powder) in Eucerin® is synthetically produced from inorganic salts and does NOT come from any animals or humans.

2. Do Eucerin® products contain lanolin?

All Eucerin® Dry Skin products, except Eucerin® Intensive 10% w/w Urea Treatment Lotion with Urea and Dry Scalp Relief Shampoo, contain lanolin alcohol. This version is one of the purest available on the market and the products have all been tested to ensure good skin tolerance.

A study carried out over a 6 year period showed that eczema patients only had a minimal risk of sensitivity to the lanolin used in Eucerin® (approximately 1 in 180 people with eczema). As eczema patients are more likely to have a lanolin allergy this figure should be lower with normal patients.

In the general population i.e. people with normal skin, this sensitivity to lanolin is extremely rare.

3. What is the youngest age at which Eucerin® can be used?

Intensive 10% w/w Urea Treatment Lotion and Cream can be used with a diagnosed dry skin condition such as eczema, ichthyosis, xeroderma or hyperkeratosis from the age of 1 year and upwards if recommended by a GP or dermatologist.

For non-diagnosed conditions (such as normal dry skin) we would advise the use of Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Shampoo with 5% Urea or Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Cream with 5% Urea as these have lower Urea concentrations, from the age of 3 years and upwards (or from 1 year of age with medical advice). For teenagers and adults higher concentration Urea-based products can be used if required.

Eucerin Dry Skin Relief Shower & Bath Therapy can be used on infants and toddlers while Eucerin Dry Skin Soothing Spray can be used from 2 years of age (or from 1 year of age with medical advice).

We recommend that you test the product on a small area first before widespread use.

4. Can Eucerin® be used on an open wound or inflamed skin?

Eucerin® Dry Skin products should not be used when the skin is broken (cracked or bleeding) as this may cause irritation.

5. Where can I buy Eucerin®?

Eucerin® is stocked by most branches of Boots, Alliance (formerly Moss) Pharmacies and Lloyds Chemists. You may also find it in your local independent Chemist.

6 . Can Eucerin® be prescribed?

Intensive 10% w/w Urea Treatment Lotion and Cream and Cream with Urea can both be prescribed by your GP or Dermatologist.

7. I get small dry patches of skin on my arms and elbows. They can become extremely dry, sore and irritated. Which product would you recommend?

Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Cream with 5% Urea is formulated for use on smaller areas of skin such as knees, elbows and hands. The consistency also means it is a pleasant and easy product to use.

8. Can I use Eucerin® Dry Skin on my face and does it contain any fragrance?

There are two Eucerin® Dry Skin products specifically formulated for the face - Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Face Cream with 5% Urea and Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Night Renewal Face Cream with 5% Urea.

The Eucerin® Dry Skin Range is fragrance and colourant free.

9. With age my skin has become drier and more prone to calluses and rough chapped areas. I am 70. Will Eucerin® help?

Your skin condition is associated with a lower level of moisture present in the skin. You may use any of the products in the range, try starting with the Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Cream with 5% Urea and progress up to a higher Urea concentration as necessary.

10. My skin sometimes feels rough and it flakes. I occasionally have sore, red patches. It always feels tight and rough after bathing or showering. What can I do?

Washing or showering can make your skin dryness worse. Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Shower & Bath Therapy acts as a gentle, effective cleanser that will help to prevent further dryness and tightness. The natural lipids in the product will hydrate and soothe irritated skin.

Remember the product must be washed off.

11. My skin is often chapped and sore in the winter. My hands and face are worst affected. Will Eucerin® help?

Of course, Eucerin® Dry Skin offers specific products for use on the face and hands:

• Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Face Cream with 5%Urea
• Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Night Renewal Face Cream with 5% Urea
• Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Hand Cream with 5%Urea

Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Cream with 5% Urea can be used for other dry skin areas and Eucerin® Intensive 10% w/w Urea Treatment Lotion and Cream or Cream with Urea for the intensive moisturising treatment of extremely dry skin conditions.

Remember to massage in until all lotion has been absorbed.

12. Will Eucerin® Dry Skin Shower & Bath Therapy irritate my skin?.

There is no evidence of the product irritating the skin, as long as it is used as directed, and as with other showering products, it is correctly washed off. Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Shower & Bath Therapy works in a different way to the lotions and cream, it is designed to build a 'protective lipid layer' to prevent water loss.

13. I suffer from eczema on my legs and arms for which I use treatment prescribed by my doctor, but I suffer from dry skin generally. Will Eucerin® help ?

You can use Intensive 10% w/w Urea Treatment Lotion and Cream all over your body. The Urea in the lotion will help restore your lost moisture and protect against further dryness and soreness. If your doctor has prescribed steroids/cortisone for your skin condition, please bear in mind that the use of other skin care products might affect the absorption of steroids/cortisone. So if you are already using prescribed creams in the same area, please consult your doctor.

14 . What's an emollient?

An emollient helps to replenish the lipid layer having a moisturising effect on the skin surface without necessarily penetrating the skin.

15. What's a humectant?

A humectant is a water binding substance that is capable of retaining large amounts of water (relative to their weight) in the skin, thereby helping to keep the skin smooth and supple. Binding of water at the skin surface is accomplished by humectants e.g. glycerin, glycols. Urea is a soluble humectant known as a natural moisturising factor NMF (along with certain amino acids).

16 . How is Urea present in normal skin?

Urea is an essential NMF in skin along with epidermal lipids and proteins, all of which are produced during the keratinisation process. It gets into the horny layer as an end product of the decomposition of the amino acid, arginine (a building block in proteins), during the keratinisation process. Urea represents 7% of the NMF in the horny layer.

17. What are Urea's advantages?

Urea penetrates and re-hydrates the stratum comeum. Also, the addition of Urea to dermatological preparations increases the penetration of other substances e.g. corticosteroids , which are attributed to Urea's ability to increase skin hydration after application.

It also has anti-pruritic activity (stops itching) based on local anaesthetic effects.

The proteolytic characteristics of urea are also well recognised, where depending on the concentration, urea modifies the structure of amino-chains as well as of polypeptides. This is significant for skin moisturising since a correlation exists between water content and amino acid content in skin - the drier the skin the lower the share of dissolved amino acids. Urea also helps in higher concentrations (10%) to reduce scales and calluses.

18. Can I use Eucerin® if I have Psoriasis ?

The Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief range of skin care products, are well tried and tested, and following our clinical development programme, the range is well documented as being most suitable and effective for use as intended on dry skin. However, none of the products in the range are specifically licensed for use in psoriasis, as we have no data to support such use. Consequently, we cannot make any specific claims as to how it may help with this condition.

However, as it is licensed for other extremely dry skin conditions, such as atopic eczema (dermatitis), xeroderma, and icthyosis, it is possible that it may help minimise any itching associated with your condition. The natural moisturising factor, Urea, which it contains is considered to have anti-pruritic properties (anti-itching) at concentrations of 10% and above. In addition, Urea has a softening action on proteins within the epidermis, which may contribute to softening of psoriatic plaques. Finally, it may also be helpful when used in conjunction with steroid containing creams, if these have been prescribed, as in concentrations of at least 10%, Urea has been shown to improve the absorption of the steroid, hydrocortisone, and thereby facilitates such treatment.

We would suggest using a small amount of cream on a test patch of psoriatic skin or plaque, before general use.

19. Can Eucerin® be used safely during pregnancy on stretch marks? (internally Urea crosses the placenta)

It is unlikely that Urea would penetrate the skin in sufficient concentrations to pose significant risk to the foetus. However, it would be prudent to exercise caution, by seeking advice from your doctor.

20. Why is renal failure a contra-indication if Urea doesn't penetrate further than the epidermis ?

Urea is considered to penetrate the epidermis, re-hydrating it. However, if penetration continued as far as the dermis, systematic absorption into blood vessels is a theoretical possibility. Patients with chronic renal failure are already at risk from increased levels of Urea in the blood causing uraemia (a toxic build up in levels of Urea in the blood). Although the risk is theoretical, as there are no reported cases we recommend erring on the side of caution.

21. Why are there two variants of Eucerin® Urea product, 5% and 10%?

The 5% Urea products may be used where skin is a little dry and needs a greater degree of moisturising.

The 10% Urea products will be most suitable where the skin is dry, itchy and flaky and needs rehydrating or is exposed to extremes of temperature or other 'drying' conditions.

22. Can I use the Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Face Cream with 5% Urea as a make-up base?

As the Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Face Cream with 5% Urea is easily absorbed it can be used as a moisturising make-up base.

23. I have atopic eczema. What creams can I use for my face care regime?

For daily skin care - also as a make-up base - we would suggest Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Face Cream with 5% Urea. At night, we would recommend Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Night Renewal Face Cream with 5% Urea for intensive overnight moisturisation and protection. When the facial skin becomes extremely dry, or a richer formulation is needed, Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Cream with 5% Urea may be more suitable.

24. I am male and have problems with my facial skin after shaving. The skin is sometimes rough, easily irritated and flaky. Is there a Eucerin® product that I can use?

To avoid further irritation of the skin after shaving, we suggest a perfume free moisturiser such as the light texture of Eucerin® Dry Skin Relief Face Cream with 5% Urea, which is easily absorbed.