Review: Bio Oil

There are some skincare products that are so effective and so simple that they become essentials in our day-to-day life: Bio Oil is very easily one of them. I used this magical oil back in my college years, after having read online about it’s benefits of healing scars (and stretch marks, but those were a happy discovery later on). I talked on Instagram about my previous experiences with this product but also stated that I didn’t want to go into personal details here on my blog, as I do believe in keeping this a happy space and letting the past be bygone, so I hope you’ll forgive me for not being too explicit! Regardless, I will do my best to discuss with you my experiences and opinions on this great product.

I was approached to do a brand spotlight write up about Bio Oil and I was really happy to do this, since this is something that I’ve used for quite a while and really believe in. I have also gotten my sister and her family onto using this oil for various needs too, so you can definitely believe that I’m not just writing this because I can.

So this product claims to improve the appearance of scarring, stretch marks and uneven skintone. It has won 27 skincare awards and has become the number one selling scar and stretch mark product in eleven countries since it was launched globally in 2002. I have personally never used it as regular skincare (such as for skin tone, anti-aging etc) so I can’t vouch for those properties, but I can say that this product was great for minimising scarring and in helping to lighten stretch marks.

All of what I write has to do with my personal experience with the product, but I have noticed online that there have been some mixed reviews and concerns. Some, such as myself, saw great results from using the product while others question many of the ingredients included in it. I have put in an external link at the end of the post for people who want to look into that.

So I received all three sizes of the Bio Oil product line to show you guys – the smallest, at 60mL, then 125mL and the largest 200mL. How much that you will need of the product is up to you but, personally, I had the smallest bottle for my minor scarring (this was on a very small area) and the product has really lasted me for eternity. I will, however, be gifting the larger bottle to my sister as she uses the product over her entire body and will naturally need more. If you are looking after minor scars, the smaller bottle should be sufficient but the medium or large bottle would be more affordable if you are looking to fade stretch marks, as the effects will be gradual and take time.

Taking this from the information pamphlet I was given, here are the five possible uses of Bio Oil:

1. Scarring: Bio Oil helps to improve the appearance of both old and new scars – and I personally saw really great results with it. I started to apply it over my cuts or scratches once it healed, which minimised the scarring. However, it didn’t completely prevent it and I continued to use it for a period afterwards. Deeper scars took quite a while to completely fade but the lighter ones saw results fairly quickly.
2. Stretch Marks: This product helps to reduce the possibility of stretch marks forming during pregnancy, growth spurts and periods of rapid weight gain, while also helping to improve the appearance of existing stretch marks. I didn’t manage to test it’s effectiveness with prevention, but it did help to lighten my current stretch marks to a good point. It is important to note that Bio Oil does not completely get rid of them though.
3. Uneven Skin Tone: Helps improve the appearance of pigmentation marks and blemishes caused by hormonal fluctuations, skin lighteners or excessive sun exposure.
4. Aging Skin: Helps smooth and tone ageing and wrinkled skin on both the face and body.
5. Dehydrated Skin: Helps supplement the skin’s natural oils, stripped away by factors such as extreme weather, water with high chemical content, frequent bathing and the drying effects of central heating and air conditioning.

As you can see, Bio Oil has some really great properties but – naturally – does take time for it to take effect. The product should not be used on broken skin (so please wait for any boo boos to heal over before you use it), and should be applied twice daily for a minimum of three months. Bio Oil helps to improve the appearance of scars but scars are permanent on your skin, and will not be completely removed by a topical product. For those who are pregnant, the product should be applied from the start of the second trimester to areas that are prone to stretch marks.

So Bio Oil is a combination of plant extracts and vitamins in a oil base, the oil which allows the ingredients to retain their potency (being oxygen free). PurCellin Oil (a trademarked ingredient) however, changes the overall consistency so that the product is light and non-greasy and easy to be absorbed by the skin. It has undergone safety assessments and every ingredient has been deemed safe for use (even by pregnant women), so you can be assured that you are using a well formulated and safe product on your skin.

Here are the key ingredients:

• Vitamin A: promotes the formation of new collagen and assists in skin renewal, which helps to increase elasticity and improve the skin texture/tone
• Vitamin E: A widely used anti-oxidant, this assists in the maintenance of healthy-looking skin and protects it from the effects of free radicals. it also increases the moisture content of the epidermis to make skin soft, smooth and supple.
• Calendula Oil: Has cell regenerative affects (to treat sensitive, damaged or sunburnt skin), reduces inflammation and can be used to combat minor skin infections, rashes and superficial irritation.
• Lavender Oil: Provides a calming and soothing benefit.
• Rosemary Oil: Similar to Lavender oil, it also has a calming and soothing effect, while also helping to invigorate and condition the skin.
• Chamomile Oil: Anti-inflammatory, and also soothing and calming the skin. It is also very beneficial for sensitive skin.
• PurCellin Oil: Reduces the thickness of the formula to make it more easily absorbed by the skin.

I have personally had a great experience using Bio Oil, which is why I was so happy to do this write up about their product. Upon doing some online research though, I did notice that there have been some concerns about some of the ingredients that are used in the product. However, I do have to note that I don’t have a very in depth knowledge of these chemicals and I can only speak of what I see and experience physically; which are positive results! You can read more about the ingredients and the break down here, but I would love to get the opinion of someone who knows about more this.

On their website they also have listed and detailed study findings of a variety of research that has been conducted on their products (from 2002–2011) so you can definitely have a read and check out the observations of scientists from varying establishments and countries. Overall, they seem positive and the fact that so much focus is places on the scientific side of their formulation does sway be towards feeling like a lot of this negative concern is overhyped (?) but I will leave everyone to make their own judgement!

The only ingredient that I do know and have concern with is the use of mineral oil. As explained, the PurCellin Oil should help to break down the product to be absorbed (as mineral oil usually prevents absorption and will sit on top of skin) but I would still be hesitant to use this on my face. Instead, I would stick to using this on body for scarring and stretch marks.

Bio-Oil® is available in 60ml ($14.95), 125ml ($24.95) and 200ml ($34.95) from Priceline, Big W, Target, Kmart, Woolworth’s, Coles and pharmacies nationally in Australia. For stockist enquiries please phone (02) 8436 8300 or visit their website bio-oil.com.

Until next time!

Please note that the above three products were sent to me for PR purposes. All opinions stated are my honest opinions and experiences. Factual information (ingredients, product claims etc) is taken from the official press release only.