Bio-Oil

Bio-Oil Review: Does It Really Work?

Written By : Dr Ruby Shah   ✓ Fact Checked

Bio Oil is a skincare product that is designed to reduce the appearance of scars, stretch marks and unevenness of the skin.

(Last Updated on November 9, 2022)

If you are embarrassed by scars and stretch marks and looking for a way to minimize their appearance, Bio-Oil may be what you need.

Bio-Oil claims:

  • Help improve the appearance of uneven skin tone, dry and aging skin.
  • Non-greasy and won’t clog your pores.
  • Bio‑Oil is safe to use on scars once the skin’s surface is fully healed.
  • Ideal for all skin types, even sensitive skin.

We examined the product claims, keep reading this Bio Oil review to see what we found.

What is Bio-Oil?

bio oil for stretch marks

Bio-Oil is a moisturizing oil that improves the appearance of scars, stretch marks, uneven skin tone, aging and dehydrated skin1.

Developed in 1987, the company claims there is a Bio-oil sold every few seconds somewhere on the planet.

Bio-Oil Ingredients

ingredients

The ingredients in Bio-Oil are widely researched and readily available.

Bio-Oil consists of botanicals, vitamins, and fragrance.

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (Calendula Oil)

Excellent moisturizer, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antimicrobial, antifungal and generally soothing2.

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil (Lavender Oil)

Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant3.

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil (Rosemary Oil)

Moisturizes your skin, supports healthy collagen development and counteracts free radical damage.

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil (Chamomile Oil)

Anti-inflammatory, great for rosacea and eczema4.

Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil)

Mineral oil is widely used in a number of industries, including the cosmetics industry.

For decades it was extremely popular as a moisturizer in skin and hair products although its popularity has decreased in recent times.

Mineral oil is a colorless and odorless by-product of the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline.

It is lightweight, inexpensive, and helps reduce water loss from the skin.

Bisabolol

The primary component of the essential oil extracted from chamomile.

It contains high levels of panthenol which stimulates and promotes healing in the skin5.

PurCellin Oil

Makes the consistency of the formula light and non-greasy and promotes absorption of active ingredients.

How Does Bio-Oil Work

how it works

It increases and maintains the skin’s elasticity to prevent stretch marks from forming.

How To Use It?

Bio-Oil should be massaged in a circular motion into the scar, twice daily, for a minimum of 3 months.

It should not be applied on unhealed or open wounds.

Bio-Oil Side Effects

bio oil real users reviews

The ingredients in Bio-Oil are generally safe but there are a couple of ingredients with a slightly elevated risk of side effects.

Benzyl Salicylate, also known as benzyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, has been shown to cause irritations, sensitization and allergic reactions.

Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) is not well tolerated by some people.

Is It A Scam?

Bio-Oil has been widely available since 2002.

It is a well-established global product with thousands of reviews and ingredients that have been extensively studied.

The product is free from formal complaints and the company itself has undertaken the task of conducting experiments on the oil’s effectiveness which they share freely on their official website.

Bio-Oil Reviews & Complaints

There are multiple reviews available for the product.

Of 5524 reviews on Amazon, 77% are 4-star and above giving the product a 4.1-star rating overall.

Here are some testimonials from Amazon that you may find helpful.

Some customers found the product effective.

Anna Madison writes:

Gonna start by saying I have very sensitive and blemish/discoloration prone skin.

I have stretch marks on the inside of my thighs from gaining about 10lbs recovering from an eating disorder as a teen.

I suffered from cystic acne from 20-22 and occasionally now (23).

So when I learned I was pregnant, I knew my belly was going to be wrecked with stretch marks.

As long as your baby is healthy it’s worth it, but who doesn’t want to avoid them?

So I got online and researched and like lots of things when your pregnant, I forgot about it.

Around 5 months when I finally started to show, I said screw it and bought a bottle of BioOil at the grocery.

I kept telling myself “I’ll get one of those expensive special belly lotions/oils if this starts to not work” but it just kept working!

Here I am at 37 weeks, I’ve gone through about 24oz of BioOil and nothing else, and I am yet to have one stretch mark!

Time will tell and I’ll update this after my little boy gets here, but if anyone is looking for something easy to use that helps prevent stretch marks, try this first!

The texture is great, it soaks into your skin instead of just sitting on top and it really works!

(PS I also use it on my breasts, so far it has helped prevent sagging and marks there too, even through the crazy growth).

I really hope I didn’t jinx myself but I just had to share with anyone else out there looking for a low maintenance way to avoid stretch marks.

Twice a day, takes 2 minutes, and it works! I’ll be using this postpartum and into the future as I age.

Some customers saw results, but not what they expected.

Carla wrote:

I bought bio oil for a two month old surgery scar (vertical incision, bellybutton to pelvic bone).

Apply it on my scar mornings and nights for almost two months (only missed one night).

It is a keloide scar so it was deep red at first, after three days of applying bio oil it turned like deep pink….. An improvement and I was happy so continue using it….but no luck for me, i have not seen an improvement and I decided to buy a different product.

Bought Mederma, three times applying it to my scar and today I noticed that it has shrink like 20%, even my husband noticed.

I gave it three stars because I also applied bio oil to my face every night and it helped with my skin tone.

I will keep applying it every night.

I also applied it (mornings and nights) on some old stretch marks and I can see an improvement, probably I am the only one to see it but I will keep applying it.

I guess it depends on your skin type and you need to try what works best for you….. Good luck!

Some customers claimed dissatisfaction.

Markie wrote:

Don’t use it on your face especially if you’re acne prone.

Bought it to treat acne scars and it ended up breaking me out horribly and just making the situation worse.

I looked it up on cosdna.com per my dermatologists recommendation and it has ingredients in it that are acne causing as well as irritating.

It would maybe be tine on the rest of your body but I don’t really need it.

Going to give it to someone.

Bio-Oil: Packages, Prices, Where To Buy

Available for purchase on www.amazon.com and widely where skincare products are sold.

On Walgreens the prices are as follows.

  • 1 bottle (2 oz.): $12.49
  • 1 bottle (4.2 oz.): $21.99
  • 1 bottle (6.7 oz.): $28.99

Shipping and Handling vary.

See below how the official site looks like.

bio-oil official website

Money Back Guarantee & Refund Policy

Depends on purchase location.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Ease of application.
  • Inexpensive.
  • Realistic promises backed by scientific results.
  • Overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Cons

  • No ingredients specifically formulated to reduce stretch marks.
  • Contains ingredients that are known irritants.
  • May not be as effective on old scars.

Bio-Oil Review: Final Verdict

bio oils stretch marks treatment review - verdict

Bio Oil is a good, affordable moisturizer that will keep skin supple if used consistently.

Otherwise, nothing particularly unique about this product.

We laid out the facts, will you buy Bio-Oil? Comment below and tell us what you think!

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