Does your own urine work against eczema?

Your own urine is not a proven or safe treatment for eczema. Many natural home remedies circulate online, but this idea is largely based on misconceptions.

The idea that urine has healing properties comes from urine therapy, an alternative practice that claims urine contains substances that can help the body heal. Some people apply it to their skin for eczema, acne, or burns because urine contains urea, a substance that is indeed found in small amounts in medical skin creams.

There is no solid scientific evidence that fresh urine helps with eczema. The arguments against are clear. The urea in urine (about 2%) is much lower than in medical creams (10–40%). Therefore, the amount is too small to have any effect.

Urine is usually sterile in the bladder, but once it leaves the body, it can contain bacteria. On damaged skin (such as in eczema), this can cause irritation or infection. Urine can form ammonia upon contact with air, which can irritate the skin and even worsen eczema.

Urine is therefore not a recommended treatment for eczema. The urea present can actually irritate or infect the skin. It's best to use approved urea creams or other treatments recommended by a doctor.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21614793/

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2025-11-13 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2026