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 Bi-Product 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 bi-product 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.
Place Comments About Bio-Oil Bellow
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.
thanks for this im sure going to throw out my Bio oil now!
ashamed to say i used bio oil and although i didnt have any stretchmarks whatsoever im not so naieve as to believe it was the bio oil alone.. however can you suggest an alternative which does the same thing?
Hi
Thanks so much for your comment. I would definitely choose the Trilogy 100% Rosehip oil. This is what Trilogy have to say about this beautiful oil. “This 100% natural and highly effective oil for face and body immediately softens and smooths skin and with cumulative use will help you restore and maintain healthy radiant skin”. It has been clinically tested and the results showed it: Improved skin moisture by up to 45%, Reduce the appearance of wrinkles by up to 23% and improve skin smoothness by up to 21%.
Thanks for this! i have a big bottle of bio oil and been using it for a while on my surgery scars… i had some itching effect but did not bother me that much! now i know why!! this is really a big help!
i might just go for Vit.E
Sorry, but that’s ridiculous. Here’s a blatant copy & paste from one of my fave websites correcting the mineral oil myth (www.cosmeticscop.com):
The notion that mineral oil and petrolatum (Vaseline) are bad for skin has been around for some time, with Aveda being the most visible company to mount a crusade deriding these ingredients. According to many companies that produce “natural” cosmetics, mineral oil and petrolatum are terrible ingredients because they come from crude oil (petroleum) and are used in industry as metal-cutting fluid (among other uses) and, therefore, can harm the skin by forming an oil film and suffocating it.
This foolish, recurring misinformation about mineral oil and petrolatum is maddening. After all, crude oil is as natural as any other earth-derived substance. Moreover, lots of ingredients are derived from awful-sounding sources but are nevertheless benign and totally safe. Salt is a perfect example. Common table salt is sodium chloride, composed of sodium and chloride, but salt doesn’t have the caustic properties of chloride (a form of chlorine) or the unstable explosiveness of sodium. In fact, it is a completely different compound with the harmful properties of neither of its components.
Cosmetics-grade mineral oil and petrolatum are considered the safest, most nonirritating moisturizing ingredients ever found (Sources: Cosmetics & Toiletries, January 2001, page 79; Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2000, pages 44–46). Yes, they can keep air off the skin to some extent, but that’s what a good antioxidant is supposed to do; they don’t suffocate skin! Moreover, petrolatum and mineral oil are known for being efficacious in wound healing, and are also considered to be among the most effective moisturizing ingredients available (Source: Cosmetics & Toiletries, February 1998, pages 33–40).
xx -Lillybeth
Thank you very much for making the effort to reply to me. I do appreciate you doing this and letting me know of your opinion about Mineral oil, as well as the information you provided me with from the cosmetic directory/glossary.
Mineral oil is an ingredient that all natural skin care ranges try and avoid and will not add into their products as an ingredient. I do not stock any skin care products that contain mineral oil and many of my customers specifically ask for a range that is free of ingredients like this.
Luckily we live in a democratic country, where we have the ability to choose what is right for us, our family and friends.
Thanks again.
Regards
Leanne James
Dip. Herb. Med., Dip. Irid.
MNZNMA, MNZCHP
Herbalist and Health Coach
How upsetting to think I have used it on my face and also where I had moles removed. Thanks so much for sharing this – It makes me wonder how a product gets on the market??
Mineral Oil + Fragrance is also sold at your local supermarket known as ‘Baby Oil’ i.e. http ://www. johnonsbaby.com/product.do?id=35
I have been using it mixed with an organic cocoa butter on my pregnant belly… what else can I use with the cocoa butter to avoid stretch marks etc.?
Hi
The cocoa butter is a great choice. You could add a couple of drops of the Trilogy 100% Rosehip oil to each palm full of the cocoa butter and mix these together, in the same way you were possibly using the bio oil. There is information that also tells us that stretch marks can be contributed to by having low levels of zinc in the body. Also remember that Vitamin C taken internally helps with collagen formation and tissue repair and healing so it would be a good idea to consider increasing your intake of this.
I was a bit curious…. was the base oil Yohaba actually Jojoba, and Duranium essential oil Geranium??
Really good to hear the facts about bio-oil though! i have considered using it in the past, but definitly wont touch the stuff.
Hi
Yes Jojoba and Geranium. Jojoba makes a perfect base for a combination skin/beauty oil. Try and choose an organic one, like this one here.
Thanks so much for publishing this!! I had concerns about the mineral oil content years ago but was dismissed by the company as “probably propaganda from competitive products”. Never touched it, never will!
Thank you for sharing this information on Bio-oil and giving us your alternative natural remedy ingredients. Most pharmacists, health shops etc do not divulge these natural remedies. I look forward to your next email.
Fantastic & factual article – thanks – well done. 10/10
I had the worst case of adult chickenpox my doctor had ever seen! I had previously done some research on scarring as my toddler had chicken pox (little did I know I was going to catch them from him a few weeks later!) Two American skin doctors emailed me with replies to my request about the best way to avoid scarring from chicken pox – they both gave the same advice – apply Rosehip Oil to the chicken pox once they started to harden – I did this and have no scars even though I was one of the worst recorded adult chicken pox cases ever! These doctors told me in the email that the research from Rosehip Oil was compelling and that many doctors were using it post-operative to reduce scarring. They said to avoid Calamine Lotion and also Vitamin E which at the time was considered to be a good anti-scarring oil. Since then I’ve put many friends on to it who have had the same results as me. The Rosehip oil which Leanne recommends is the best to reduce scarring.
Yes I was aware of this thanks for getting the word out. I’m pretty sure when Bio Oil first came on the market it did not contain Mineral Oil.
I have thought about trying this product due to all the publicity and advertising – if sounded so good!! So glad I have never bothered. Thank you Leanne for the run down in basic terms that most of us can understand.
thankyou – bio oil had been on my shopping list recently but I had never actually got some. Am pleased now! I love the sound of the alternatives you recommend too.
Thanks Leanne for finally confirming what I always knew!!!
I am beauty therapist and always have clients asking what I think of Bio Oil for scarring and stretch marks,I always felt it was wrong to use, knowing what I know from my training.Mineral oil does not penetrate and just sits on the skins surface.As does “Baby Oil” ( which should go NOWHERE NEAR BABIES!!!) It is an oil that is in no way similar to our own skins sebum, I was always of the belief that nut oils where the closest to sebum.
I have a client who works in a pharmacy and has done so for many years, she says it in one the top selling product and she believes in it totally.
I always reccommend a good rosehip oil to anyone who asks me,as I know it is the best option for our precious skin.
But I do have to say that a lot of people I have met over my 20 years as a beauty therapist swear by it, which still confuses me as to how this can be????!!!
Also thank you for giving me the new improved Paw Paw cream which now comes in a non petroleum base unlike the old original version on my last visit to your store.YAY for knowledge!!
Oh my gosh -thank you for this info on Bio oil. I don’t use it but have a friend who uses it on her face & body. I am passing on you article to her
Thanks for the information regarding Bio oil. As a beauty therapist I have not been a fan of mineral oil due to it’s occulisve properties. However, my understanding is that there are different grades of mineral oil. There are some cheap supermarket skin care brands out there who use mineral oil and my understanding is that is of cheap grade not very well refined.Hence why people experience blackheads. I have also worked with a very good beauty salon only, up market effective brand and they used mineral oil as their base. No clogging of the pores from this product. Their answer was that it was a higher grade mineral oil.
Any comments Leeanne would be grateful.
Hi
Thanks so much for your comment. Unless we had the product analyzed, it would be difficult for us to know what grade of mineral oil they use. I was suspect, when I discovered the 2nd ingredient is a “skin penetrator”.
All in all, I think they are good marketers and they must have a big budget to get it out there. I see there is a sample of it and some info about it in the pregnancy packs given to women by their midwife. People are encouraged to use it after an operation, to help with the scaring.
Since starting this post, I have been told of a number of alternatives on the market, which I would like to have a look at and compare to Bio Oil.
Thanks again.
useful but i am not totally convinced that mineral oil is either bad or good, there is alwasy so much conjecture over issues like this. i dont accept the argument that because it came out of the rgound and is therefore good as asbestos was mined as well and i wouldnt want that near me.
Hi, thanks for this insight Leanne. Sounds like there are some good alternatives out there, and making your own is even better. Just so you all know (Leanne you probably already know this), a lot of the products that say they are 100% natural, or give the strong indication that they are, can often include preservatices that aren’t natural. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it’s the reality of producing cosmetics. They need to ahve something in them to keep them stable or they won’t last much beyond 3 months. The preservatives are usually used in quantitites under 0.1%. Some brands don’t even list their preservatices, but they will be in there! Trilogy’s prioducts are great. I use them myself and they are very close to natural. Some of their products do contain preservatives such as Phenoxyethanol though, but Trilogy are open about this on their Ingredients List – good on them!
Great? But you did not tell us the amounts of each oil and I would like to make up a batch of the oil mainly for my daughter who pay’s a fortune for what i think is rubish and i know can not afford it.thank you John.
I am sorry I didn’t put the amounts in. I have updated the formula now.
Don’t be to ridged with the formula. Change it, depending on the oils you like the smell of or the action these provide. I will put a sheet up that i have written, which mentions a number of essential oils and their use.
Thanks again.
I have a warning to people to be very careful putting Bio-oil on their face. I was doing that & it seeped into my eyes. The result was I developed a lipid keratopathy in my right cornea. In plain English I had blood vessels growing through the cornea of my eye which left scarring & without medical intervention leads to blindness. I had to have 2 lots of laser surgery to my cornea to cauterize the blood vessels. My sight has been preserved but I do have an opaque scar at the top of my right pupil. ( The cornea is the only organ in the body which does not have blood vessels)
So be warned!!!!
Thanks for the info. About to throw out my bio-oil that I’ve been using on my face for the last month or so
HI, Had a couple of itchy spots on my face and was recommended to squeeze out and apply the oil from vitamin E capsules – worked like a charm within two weeks.
During pregnancy rubbed olive oil on abdomen daily – result, no stretch marks at all. UNFORTUNATELY no-one told me to do the same to my thighs so they are well stretch-marked.
hi
thanks, i havent used bio oil and was thinking of using it now i wouldnt consider using it. can u give information on avacado oil would really appreciate it.
thanks in advance
Hi Leanne
Yes, I agree with your comments about Bio-Oil. I did use it once, when it first came out in the NZ market. Once I actually had a look at the ingredient listing, I thought ‘ how can this be marketed as a natural product, when it has mineral oil in it???’ So of course I would never use it again.
The trilogy range of products are fantastic. I love all the products I have used (which is probably nearly all of them!) I especially love the rosehip oil, and use it every night as a moisturiser. The skincare capsules are wonderful too! My daughter bought them for me as a gift, and they were so nice to use, very concentrated, with great results. (I must get some more and use them again over winter!)
So yes, marketing has a lot to answer for, it certainly captures people’s attention and is not always totally truthful in what it portrays.
Hi Leanne
Another great oil is Emu oil, which I guess is a base oil like Jojoba oil. It is high in vitamin A and is also antibacterial and is great as a moisturiser and in scar reduction!! What are your thoughts on this? I have never seen anyone mention it before…
Hi
Thanks for your comment Andrew.
I LOVE Emu Oil and recommend it to lots of people who come into our shop. I have read amazing things about its use with skin problems, but particularly eczema and psoriasis. I read how in Australia they would wrap a person in an emu skin and then put them into a “tent” with a fire. They would stay there for days, in the heat. The fat from the emu skin would liquefy and penetrate into the persons skin and they would come out days later with beautiful skin. We have the Silberhorn 100% Emu Oil. We also have capsules too. Thanks again.
Hi Leanne,
Thank you for the advice about Bio Oil. I have recently had an operation and was advised by the District Nurse to use Bio Oil on my wound once the dressings are all removed. This would help with the scarring. My daughter has a bottle that she has been using and I was going to use some, but after hearing this news, I will definitely use the Trilogy Rosehip Oil that I use on my face. I use all of the Trilogy products, courtesy of my lovely daughter, who bought them for me as a Christmas present. Exceptional products, all natural and good for the skin – love them!
I will be “binning” my bio oil. I had small surgerys on 2 sites on my arm recently and once the wound was sealed after the stitches were out I started using the bio oil. One site got a terrible infection which took 2 lots of antibiotics to clear up and a month longer than the other – I wondered about that stuff at the time.
Never again and thank you for informing us Leanne.
Thanks for that i look forward to makeing some.John
Agggh. I’m allergic to nuts (and soy). Will your formula work as well leaving out the nut oils? Or is there a substitute I can try? Thanks for your always helpful information Leanne
I have always avoided mineral oil after reading Adelle Davis 40 years ago. Her concern then was mineral baby oil being absorbed through the skin ‘collecting’the oil soluble vitamins and passing them out of the body so causing deficiences. she quoted many examples where she believed this had happened and had caused illhealth
I think the idea of a rose scented oil is quite appealing. I have to be careful about products I use because I have sensitive skin, if you know the ingredents is more reassuring you not going to do your self any harm or break out in spots
Short, sweet, to the point, FREE-exactly as ifnoramtoin should be!
Wow What A Wake Up Call Guess It Pays To Read The Lables On Everything Not Just What We Eat
I have necer used bio oil. I generally prefer natural products; rosehip oil is amazing! also, cocoa butter is fantastic for dry skin. I have a friend who used bio oil for a while and she didnt notice any significant changes to her stretch marks or scars so i guess its just a waste of money?
It seems strange that so many women are fanatical about the food they eat, and yet they will slap any old thing on their skin without much thought to its contents and the effect it is having on their body.
Very impressive article.. Total eye opener. Thanks so much.:)
Bio Oil hasn’t worked for me at all, but Rose Hip Oil worked well for me on my prominent scars and also stretch marks, I find it great and reccomend it to friends.
I agree, Rosehip Oil is much, much better! Very interesting article, I always enjoy reading your site, and I found this very informative.
Interesting article. Yes, I to was sucked in by the whole Bio Oil hype. Dare I say just one of many! I only wish I’d had the foresight to buy shares in the company a few years back. A few ‘suits’ must have made quite a bit out of us eh?!
Thanks that was interesting – its amazing how easy some of us women get sucked in by the selling point of anti ageing or scar healing – maybe its time to just go natural and accept we are who we are.
I did buy Bio Oil when It first came out but I was dissapointed with it and never purchased again.
Thanks!! Fascinating reading!! So glad I got a chance to study that:) I love rose scented anything; going back to my childhood, when I had some rose scented writing paper:) So I am looking forward to investing in some trilogy products…
Bio oil also has soybean oil in it, which I am also allergic to:(
I was given a bottle of Bio Oil to use during my pregnancy, and noticed no difference at all. Some friends of mine don’t touch the stuff, and others use it for everything from pimples to massage oil.
Inetresting reading…crazy how so much advertising can influence what we buy regardless of the effects.
look forward to trying the bio oil as it sounds like it works
Oh lord – thanks for alerting me to this, here I was thinking that I was doing my skin a favour by using Bio Oil!
Thank you for this fabulously informative article
A timely reminder not to trust the media when it comes to skin products!!