Thread: Bio Oil

Has anyone used this product for stretch marks, and if so, does it work or should I put my money to better use, like say, the swapmeet??

I used it when I was pregnant, and it did seem to minimize the stretchmarks that I got and make them fade faster. Alas, it didn't prevent them entirely, but I think I got a lot fewer than I otherwise would have. Unfortunately, I didn't see all the stretchmarks I had on the BOTTOM of my stomach until after I had Maggie, and those were bright red! So I think the Bio-oil did make a difference.

FWIW, I bought the generic CVS brand.

Seriously, I think it's just mineral oil jacked up outrageously in price. Can you find a description of the ingredients?

if you go on the website of Bio-oil, they show a full ingredient listing ...

Bio Oil - Ingredients

My best friend's Mom swears by a (very expensive) brand product by Clarins. It had been recommended to her for preventing stretchmarks, and after 3 kids she has NONE.
On a sidenote, with no sports ever in her life, she is said to have no cellulite either. my friend, slender but not very much into sports either, started using the product when she had first signs of cellulite. They disappeared with that product.

I would get it, certainly for pregnancy, but at this point I just cannot afford it :)

The product is called Huile Tonic, I had to google it and found several Moms saying that they prevented stretchmarks with it, and that even the first pregnancy's stretchmarks disappeared in the course of the treatment..
It IS expensive I believe 40 or 50 dollars per bottle. In the forum I found the Moms used 2 to 3 bottles through their pregnancy, applying it everyday.
Maybe one can use the ingredients the bottle says. There again, I know I will not take the risk but make the investment if I ever have a baby :)

Yeah Ive used it. It did make my skin smoother and faded my stretch marks a bit. I love the smell. Not sure if it prevented more from apearing but I didnt get anymore stretch marks in my third pregnancy. I was also using palmers cocoa butter, so Im not sure if it was bio or palmers or both combined.

I got deep ones in my first and a few extra in my second. I didnt use bio for those pregnancys.

I like using cocoa butter & sweet almond oil- both absorb really well & aren't greasy, and they really aren't expensive!

Just a note- oils & creams can help prevent stretch marks, and can help heal them faster, but nothing can ever 'get rid' of stretch marks completely. Having healthy skin in general will do the most for you- so drinking enough water & eating healthy is *just* as important!

Depending on what one understands about "getting rid of completely". Some creams can so significantly reduce imperfections that the human eye (at least of the average person) really does not see it anymore. How the skin damage might persist in deeper layers that might not be "reversible".

I know this happened with scars for both me and my Mom. My Mom used a (medical) cream on fresh burn scars, they disappeared completely. I then used the product on a 10 year old one and same effect. Superficially, nothing remains. And I picture those stretchmarks are similar to scar tissue - in essence, it is "damaged" skin healed, which gives that different look to the rest of the skin. Right?

The drinking part is good to know. So drinking lots helps keep the skin flexible I guess?

I used it on my appendectomy scar, it was a late night emergency op (they were supposed to be doing it keyhole but it all went wrong) and the incision was huge and looked like it had been done with a rusty breadknife. It's barely visible now and I am sure the biooil has a lot to do with that.

Wow! sounds frightening!
glad for you it's almost disappeared :)

oh, kash- wow! what a wretched situation! glad you're doing well now!

Dina- yes, you're right, it depends on how deep the problem is- superficial stretch marks will usually heal on their own if given enough time- oils & vitamin E & the like will speed the process- the stretch marks that don't completely go away happen when rapid growth causes the lower layers of the skin to tear. a stretch mark is basically skin that was forced to grow faster than the body can produce the elastin & callogen to support that new skin. At least that is how the midwife explained it to me 8 years ago- hope I haven't gotten too far off the mark with muddled thinking & passing of years! her main point was to make sure I was eating right too & not just depending on magic creams- & it seems to have worked for me!

I've been using it since I was 2 months pregnant, I'm 6 months now. I don't have any stretch marks on my belly, but I do have them where I didn't think about putting the oil early on, boobs and hips.
I can't say that I swear by the bio oil, maybe my belly just hasn't stretched as much as the hips and boobs. But so far so good.
I didn't know CVS had a generic brand! I'll be checking that out!

how much is bio oil in the states?

i bought from south africa and it's just under 10 us dollars for 200ml. i bought it when i flew there because my japanese colleague told me it's very very popular in japan right now. i use it as body oil in the winter when it's dry here and my skin stays nice for whole day. my male colleagues told me he managed to get rid of the frown lines on his forehead with bio oil. some of my colleagues use it as cleansing oil for face. it seems to work magic.

Wow! I dodn't know you could do so much with it!
4oz is about $15

Originally Posted by Lara L

her main point was to make sure I was eating right too & not just depending on magic creams- & it seems to have worked for me!

That sounds like a very reasonable piece of advice :)

Hmm now you're making me VERY curious about this magic oil though!!
Is it available in Europe? I'll have to google it..

oh cr*p :(
Bio Oil - Global Availability

Does not seem to be available anywhere close..

Online Pharmacy UK - Express Chemist have it, and they ship to Austria :)

Awe thanks!!!!

No problem :)

This is timely! I was just whining that Trader Joe's has discontinued their lavender oil, so I'll definitely have to be check this out.

I'm also a big fan of Jason's "Pure Beauty Oil" in the lowest Vitamin E formulation. As long as you don't mind smelling a bit like an almond macaroon after your shower, it's great stuff.
Buy Jason Natural Cosmetics Pure Beauty Oil, 5,000 IU Vitamin E Oil Online at drugstore.com