There is a cream used by pregnant women to treat the stretch marks on the belly resulting from pregnancy. Urea is one of the components of this cream. Is it permissible to use it? Is it impure or not?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Principally it is permissible to use and benefit from things. This is based on the general indication of the verse in which Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {It is He Who Created for you all of that which is on the earth.}[Quran 2: 29]

Consequently, women are permitted to use any kind of cream unless it is harmful or impure. Having investigated the matter, we came to know that there are two types of urea, one is man-made and it is pure and one is natural and it is impure. If the latter, however, was treated by adding another substance to it so that the color, taste and smell of impurity no longer exist, it is permissible to use the cream. It is also permissible to use the urea when it is transformed into another substance that is pure.