Why I Dont stock Bio Oil
bio oil
As you can imagine I get a number of people coming into the shop asking me specifically about Bio Oil as there is just so much advertising out there about it. It really is a product promoted as “The Product for scarring”. Now I don’t necessarily have a problem with Bio Oil itself, but when I look at the ingredients I find it hard to see why we would ever want to put this on our body !
The first ingredient in it is “Mineral Oil”, a byproduct of petroleum. I have a book called the cosmetic ingredient glossary that defines Mineral Oil as “A heavy film forming oil and a Clear liquid mixture of hydrocarbons and a byproduct of petroleum. It is unsuitable for lotions or shampoos as mineral oil coats our skin. This ingredient is not designed to stay on our skin.
Mineral Oil acts as a layer that’s difficult to absorb & can clog the pores, which slows the skins’ ability to eliminate toxins.
This is such a problem, as our skin is one of our biggest eliminative organs in the body.
When our lungs, liver, kidney and our bowel are not able to keep up with their jobs dealing with those toxins and eliminating them, our body compensates and uses our skin as an eliminative organ. Now if it is clogged up with all of this mineral oil (like what is found in the bio-oil, how is our skin supposed to do its job ?
Its almost like putting glad wrap on our skin, preventing things from penetrating through it but also prevents it from being able to breath properly.
I also read from a material safety data sheet on mineral oil which says that it 
is dangerous if swallowed or inhaled. Don’t we put Bio-Oil on our face ? How close is that to our mouth and our nose ? Isn’t it a risk that we may sometimes be breathing that in ?
It also says that Mineral Oil causes irritation to our skin, eyes and respiratory system. In fact it specifically talks about causing breathing problems if we breath it in…. But of course, aren’t the majority of people using this going to put this on their face !
Lets look at the 2nd ingredient listed on the Bio Oil label. I cant pronounce it properly. I looked it up and found that it is referred to as a ‘penetration enhancer’. The info about this states that it alters the skins structure allowing other chemicals to penetrate deeper into our skin.
So the first ingredient (which is the main ingredient in the product) is a mineral oil that sits on our skin, so because of that, the second ingredient (which is the second largest ingredient in the product) is added to Bio-Oil so we can actually get it into our skin. This does not sound good at all!
So what I have decided to do is talk about some ways that we can make our own mixtures, that are going to be beneficial for our skin and allow it to breath. These are ingredients that you can easily pick up in your health shop or some of the ingredients at your supermarket.
A good base oil is Almond Oil or Apricot Kernel Oil. Nut oils are really good because there high in essential fatty acids. I would use about 100ml.
A good Almond Oil would be a cold pressed one and if it’s organic “even better”.
The next ingredient that I would then add to it would be something like Jojoba Oil which is absolutely fantastic for skin problems and makes a wonderful addition to the Almond Oil. I would add around 50ml.
Then the third ingredient that I would add would be Rosehip Oil ! I would add 5-10ml.
We hear a lot about Rosehip Oil these days and it has been scientifically proven to specifically help with fine lines, Wrinkles, aging skin, damaged skin and I have had first hand experience from people who have come into my shop. Particularly young people who have got a lot of acne scaring and even within one month of trying Rosehip Oil on their skin, they were getting results. The formula started working towards healing all of those wounds and diminish and lighten all of that scarring. Even within one month the improvements were dramatic.
To our three base oils we could also add some Vitamin E. Vitamin E is really fantastic for scarring.
If you can’t get a hold of wheat germ oil (which sometimes can have a funny smell to it, some companies do a deodorised type wheat germ oil ) what I would do is get a Vitamin E capsule which most of them are just in a little soft gel. You can get a pin and prick the soft gel and squeeze the Vitamin E oil out and that’s a really good way of getting un-oxidised Vitamin E oil to add into our 3 base ingredients. I would add the oil of 3 Vitamin E capsules. Just prick them and squirt the oil into the mixture.
Then you can add some essential oils like lavender which would be a great ingredient to add to your own oil mix as it’s great for helping with Scarring.
Geranium would be another really good addition to put in with your base oil.
It all depends on how strong you would like your oil blend to smell, as to how much essential oil you add. The usual dilution is a maximum of 5 drops per 10ml of carrier/base oil. I would tend to only use 5 or 6 drops of your chosen essential oil per 100ml of base oil.
Now it’s really important to remember that if we are using essential oils that if you are pregnant then there are a number of oils that you cant use. So check below down the list as I have included all of the different oils that you can and cant use during pregnancy.
Also there are some oils that are not suitable to use for babies. So the three main ingredients that you could use if you are making a formulation up for a baby is lavender, camomile and rose oil as these are the three safest to use.
This now should have given you a lot more insight into Bio-Oil and reinforce the importance of checking your labels carefully to make sure that the ingredients you are rubbing on your skin really are worthy of being on your skin in the first place and a few ideas on how to make up your own oils. Don’t forget that if you are pregnant to check the list below.
Bio Oil is a registered trademark of Union-Swiss.
I always thought Bio Oil was this wonderful, wonderful product that you couldn’t use enough of – thank you for letting me know the truth!
I have just had a complete knee replacement and was using Bio-oil to soften the scar. The knee became burning hot, painful and swollen and the whole leg ached including my ankle joint. I have stopped using it but the symptoms have been slow in subsiding. If I had known it contained petro-chemicals I would never have used it but the ingredients are not listed on the bottle and it was given to me. Throw it out!
I think I will learn to love my wrinkles & stretch-marks!
Wow that is quite scary, the things they market as being good for your skin. I like that you have given some homemade alternatives!!
I tried Bio-Oil after I had my first child, after a few applications I ended up with a huge boil on one of my stretch marks!!! It should be called Boil not Bio-Oil!
Was going to buy some the other day, glad I didn’t!
Tell me more. I appreciate the truth about what goes into & on my body. Thank you!!
Wow, that’s astounding. I’m glad I learnt of this before using Bio oil.
I had always thought that Bio Oil was great, it made scars fade and my skin felt good. Hmmm those were the days when I believed everything I saw not bothering to read labels and think about what I was putting onto and possibly into my body. I now use natural oils eg Rosehip and vitamin E and see great results as well. Becoming a mother made me realise that I have to be alert to the rubbish out there and i’m willing to make changes for me and my family. thank you for alerting people to the actual ingredients and the alternatives we can use.
Humm, I have been using Organic Rosehip Oil for over a year now as a daily moisturizer. My entire family uses it. It has been wonderful. And to think, I almost ran out and bought Bio Oil. I am so glad I came across this link. This was a great reminder of why I went all natural. Thank you!!!
Used it for my daughter after a scar was left on her face. Worked wonders.
I would love to try Bio Oil for my scars, but anything that is great for my body is the best thing ever.
I have used bio oil every single day and I still have my marks, then you get to the point were you give up, I mean the only reason why we buy it is to lighten or get rid of our scars.
Bio-Oil has PurCellin Oil™, which they say can penetrate the skin easily, so that vitamin e and other vitamins can be delivered quickly.
I have to say after using vitamin e and Rosehip Oil for more then a year,(with a strict routine) did not help that as much as Bio-oil helped me in 2 months.
I have been using Bio-Oil on my face several times a day for the past couple of months. In that time, I’ve had two nasty eye infections (probably not bacterial). I had no idea that the Bio-Oil may have been causing my eye irritation until I read the above post by Evelyn Windsor, regarding her eye surgery.
Although I liked Bio-Oil and was happy with the results I was getting on my skin, I am going to be very sure not to use this product on my face or around my mucous membranes from now on.
I am a 19 year old guy who is a bit of a perfectionist in every aspect of his life, including personal health. I have been using Bio-Oil to improve my skin tone where I have had scars from playing sports & a few pimples. I would like to look after my skin in the future and that is why I have been driven to find out the correct information!
This is a very interesting article, however it contains both true and false information which I hope to clear up.
Firstly, I would like you take into account the fact of a healthy diet. I’m sure everyone will agree that anything to do with the improvement, repair or maintenance of the skin may involve skincare treatment, but as with the health of every other organ in the body, it is ALWAYS supported by a good diet which includes drinking a decent amount of water daily.
With that in mind & after comprehensive research, here are the facts:
Mineral oil cannot be bad for skin as it is harmless to the skin. With regards to the eyes and respiratory system, it is only harmful when in direct contact. So just TRY NOT TO GET IT IN YOUR EYES & LUNGS and you will not be harmed. Thus, the above article is correct in implying that you KEEP THE Bio-Oil OUT OF YOUR EYES!
Mineral oil is not only present in Bio-Oil, but also baby oil & the majority of the petroleum jelly products which have all be proven to work wonders for skin over the years, both through clinical studies and in practice. Just ask Tara Banks who swears by Vaseline or all those moms who use baby oils. The concern above was that it was a barrier that blocks the exit of bodily toxins, however with the normal correct diet (Not involving alcohol etc.), the removal of toxins should be efficient enough not to cause skin trouble if there is a slight barrier around skin. We forget that the barrier created is also protective and will separate the skin from the harmful environment and demote the entry of pathogens and bacteria on the skin avoiding other skin problems. Ultimately, a barrier can do more good than bad for skin. As long as you are washing your skin regularly between Bio Oil applications & not taking in toxins excessively, you will not have to worry about toxin elimination thus making the mineral oil in Bio-Oil perfectly safe.
The “penetration enhancer” in Bio-Oil known as PurCellin Oil acts as a medium in which the vitamins in the Bio-Oil can be absorbed by the skin. It makes the mixture more soluble and therefore allows the vitamins to be absorbed quicker.
In conclusion, I have to say that Bio-Oil is legitimate and cannot be harmful, only beneficial. Like any other product it may work better for some people rather than others depending on their skin type and skin conditions, but never damaging.
Nonetheless remedy you suggest at the end of the article is also a great option for those who prefer the all natural route. According to research it will also do wonders, but maybe just not as fast as the Bio-Oil with it’s secret “breakthrough ingredients.”
Good luck to all those who use skin treatment, I hope you get best results. They say it takes a lot of drinking water, a balanced diet, persistent care and time!
Correction, Tyra Banks, cant spell that wrong..
A couple of new years ago, my girlfriend fell into a bonfire and got pretty nasty burns. Bio Oil healed her scarring, and did the job as recommended by friends. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for that job as it worked so well.
As a teen, I’ve been using Bio-Oil for a week or so despite having it on my dresser for more than a week or two, and it has made my skin more clean and smooth. I agree with Michael’s comment on having a healthy diet along with the use of these products. Bio-Oil is not as bad as people make it out to be; it will work differently for every person just like any other lotion or cosmetic.
There seems to be some strange comments on mineral oil being okay. Yes people use it on their babies etc but dosen’t make it okay! We are propagandaed to death and all our body products are full of poisons and our kids foods too. We just don’t die because its in small doses. My advise to anyone who wants to use petroleum products on their skin that they at least use pure raw crude because its the only one with health benefits to the hair and skin. Just a little messy and stinky lol. You all poison yourself any way you like though even with bio oil.
Jeez it’s not like you’re going to bathe in bio-oil. You only need a few drops and rub it on a scar.
ON A SCAR.
Also please keep in mind that mineral oil is also the main ingredient for baby oil and in lots of other cosmetic products.
I used fashion fair tube(contain clobestasol) on my face for over 2 years without knowing that it was a steroid. I had lots of withdrawal symptoms when i stopped using it such as dry patches, rosacea . I tried lots of moisturiser but i saw no changes even honey was of no help, fortunately i came across bio oil in a supermarket and i decided to give it a try that night, the moisturising effect on my face was noticed by my colleague at work the following morning. So It will be unfair if the product is now tagged as a bad one. I have use bio oil and several moisturisers and i can say that bio oil is one of the BEST.
Im so dissapointed… I just bought this product two days ago:(
Thank you for letting us know!!
I love bio oil, but am glad I have read all this informative information. I might try the natural remedies. I have rough slightly pimply skin on the back of my upper arms and upper legs, always been a problem. Bio oil (and sea water in summer) helps to reduce it.
Far OUT I can’t believe it I have been putting this on my face for a couple of weeks now and I haven’t been feeling very well now I know why. I am going to stay away from Bio-Oil from now on, FAR OUT!
After all this information I am Petrified OF using Bio-Oil now, FAR OUT!
Rosehip oil doesn’t work! I used it religiously for such a looong time, I eventually gave up! I like the positives added here tho. I’m gonna try Bio-oil for sure. Really hope it works! Coz my skin is so scarred, as it scars very easily. Stretch marks and acne scarring to boot.
Thanks for your comment. I have recommended Trilogy Rosehip oil to literally thousands of people and virtually all of them have come back commenting that they cannot believe the difference in their skin, particularly for scaring and their wrinkles. But, we are all different and all respond differently to different products. Perhaps consider taking extra vitamin c and zinc, as well as an essential fatty acid supplement to help your skin, by providing your body with some building blocks to repair it from the inside out. Thanks.
these comments have been really helpful. i also agree about having a healthy diet.
I have acne scarring and I have just started to use Rosehip Oil, I hope it helps!
Great blog! You should start many more. I love all the info thanks I will stay tuned
Bio Oil bleached my lips, they used to b red. Has that happened to anyone else, if so what did u do?
There is nothing that Bio Oil has ever done to me other than improve my dry, sensitive skin.
Has the person who wrote this article done any scientific testing? No.
This webtise makes things hella easy.
Thanks for doing this research, which is what I should have done before buying Bio-Oil. I have for some time now used my own healing oil mixture and every day someone will comment on the texture and condition of my skin. Why I thought Bio-Oil was a miracle for scars… hrmmm.
Read all the research conducted, not just what you read on one site. Michael has spent a lot of time doing this and has come up with accurate information. Petrified is a stupid thing to feel against bio-oil…be more scared about drunk drivers, smoking and the fatty KFC or hot chips you give your kids.
Two days ago I bought Bio Oil and started using it all over including my face.
I thought i had suddenly developed an allergic reaction to something in the air as two days ago my left eye started to itch like crazy. yesterday moved to my right eye. Today feel as if my eyes are going to itch right out of my skull. I realized oh didn’t i start something new 2 days ago when the symptoms started?
Should have stuck to my Eminence organic oil I love and trust. That’s what I get for getting suckered into buying this stuff from a magazine ad I read while sitting in my OB’s office. Feel like my eyes might burn out of my head if I don’t itch them out first.
There seem to be a “feast” of oil-sharks out there who have absolutely no idea of the relative significance of “medicinal delivery systems”! Yes, anything that is used to cure any form of intolerable body condition, be it internal or external, is a medicine.
As a 2 year old I was burned on parts of my body and was fortunate to end up with scarring only on one surface (front) of my right forearm. For many years my mom painstakingly rubbed me with olive oil to help minimise the scarring. And I’m sure it helped. So I do consider myself capable of speaking on this matter.
What really gets to me is that so many people are going on about how White oil is so bad for one. Fact is however that the white oil is only in truth meant to act as a carrier to the tincture levels of good aromatic oils that are contained therein.
Fact again is that many of those oils, if concentrated, can do more harm than good to the user. So too can many other oils, including many vegetable oils, bring slight imbalances to the skin. White oil is basically the most benign oil easily obtainable that can help to act as a temporary barrier to help the body to assymilate the small quantities of good oils delivered to the body on the skin.
White oil (whether alone or as a component of petroleum jelly), has for a long time helped people with dry skin to control the moisture level within their skin, especially in the driest countries of the world, and many of those people can’t even dream of using more expensive alternatives. Fact – look at Africa when you mutter that I’m talking rubbish once you catch up with yourself!
White oil is slightly soluble in water, hence the film that is left on the skin is in face transitory in nature. Also, the carbon length of the constituents is below what would be a permanent wax at body temperature, so the product will certainly not “block the pores permanently” as is being implied.
As a chemist cum biochemist I believe that what I’ve written above is not incorrect, and I further believe that many of the other comments come from fully uninformed people about the basic chemistry of oils and waxes.
Who could possibly tell all the people out there who were helped by the use of vaseline gauze to rather have foregone the treatment since vaseline gauze contains white oil. Not a hell of a lot of them would agree.
Bio Oil, like many other treatment oil delivery systems does have it’s place, but like with almost every other chemical (mixture or elementary) in the world, there will be people who won’t be able to tolerate the chemistry and or components of the product. As I always state on MSDS’s, treat all chemicals with caution, including those which we get so comfortably used to using, such as dishwashing liquid. All chemicals can be harmful to some people. Handle them with care. Including Bio Oil and similar products.
I had a lovely relaxing bath, used an exfoliating sponge and relaxed for half an hour. When I got out I dried myself and then put bio oil on my body. Two days later my left breast swelled up, I was in pain with a huge lump and the skin went red. I was really worried I had something awful. I went to the Doctors who gave me antibiotics for mastitas, I had a severe infection. This evening, I’m much better, although I still have a smaller lump and redness but after taking a bath I remembered what I had done a few days earlier so decided to look up bio oil as I’m not breastfeeding and mastitas is more common with breastfeeding mothers. I’m horrified and convinced that this product caused my mastitas, I’m not going to fling it in the bin! Thank you for the info!