Bio-Oil Review: Yeah or Ney?

Review: Bio-Oil: By Shikha Koli

Skin Type: Dry-Combination                                                                      Price: INR 450/60 ml

Skin-Tone: Medium-Dusky                                                              Available: Chemists and online

I had first heard about this product when I was living in the USA some 9-10 years back. It was popularly advertised for expecting mothers to prevent or diminish stretch marks and other post pregnancy scars and /or stitches. However, this is a product that even men can use for scars etc. Well Bio-Oil has only recently been launched in India. I saw its first advertisement on TV in this past winter. Wonder why it took so long to arrive here much like other things like the Magnum icecream (Yumm). Well anyways, I decided to finally try it out (though I am not pregnant or anything lol) and ordered it online on http://purplle.com/, which took ages to get it delivered. :-/

Bio-Oil is a skin specialist oil containing a marked ingredient PurCellin Oil,Vitamin A &E, Calendula, Lavender, and Rosemary Oils and Chamomile extracts. It claims to help in the following skin ailments:

• Scars
• Stretch Marks
• Uneven Skin tone
• Ageing Skin
• Dehydrated skin

With so many essential and exotic oils and so many skin issue this oil works on, I would like to believe this oil is a big boon and some kind of magic potion for all women as well as men. Men and women of all ages and races suffer from stretch marks. You don’t have to fall pregnant to have them. Sudden weight gain or weight loss causes them too. During puberty they are quite common. So is this a magic potion? Well in my opinion No..Sorry guys!  I bought this to use mainly in winters for my dehydrated and un-even facial skin

It's consistency is light and oily but not sticky like most hair oils. It has a light flowery medicinal fragrance which is not intolerable but would have been better if it were fragrance free.  

It's consistency is light and oily but not sticky like most hair oils. It has a light flowery medicinal fragrance which is not intolerable but would have been better if it were fragrance free. 

On rubbing the oil gets absorbed into the skin easily unlike most oils and does not leave a high shine or greasy feeling. Therefore, I think the oil can be used during the winter everyday and night. 

Instructions reads:Apply twice daily for a minimum of 3 months. WHAAT? Are you kidding me? I am today's girl and an impatient one at that. I cannot stick to any product for more than 2-3 weeks if no results. 

Here is what I did: During winters, when my facial skin is dry as the Sahara dessert, I would mix 1-2 drops of Bio-Oil into my Night cream and apply normally all over my face. Sometimes, I would even skip my cream and simply use the oil all over my face,hands and feet.  It would moisturize my skin wherever I applied it and leave the area smooth and soft, but than I think almost all oils would do that. :-/ 

The picture on the right shows the oil completely absorbed into the skin leaving no residue, shine or grease. So all users of Bio-oil can use it during winters day and night without having to worry about being too sticky, greasy and shiny or staining the pillows at night. ;) Extremely dry skin beauties, can also  mix Bio Oil with their daily moisturizer as their makeup base followed by foundation etc. Remember, to use it in winters if on the face. Not recommended for Indian summers!

In my opinion this oil is a good moisturizer but nothing more, at least for me. I cannot really comment on its effectiveness on scars, stretchmarks etc. because I haven't used it for that purpose yet. However, it had absolutely no effect on evening out my facial skin tone either. :( But than I am an impatient girl and I expect quick results. Well I used it all winters. The Ingredients reveal that the formulation can possibly never live up to the tall claims made by the product. However, I have heard that prolong use of this Oil does diminish stretchmarks post pregnancy. I think even using it during pregnancy will help prevent the appearance of stretchmarks and other scars. There is absolutely no harm in trying it. It is a unisex product, so both men and women can try it out and see if it works for them or not. 

Pros: 

• Easily available
• Good Moisturizer
• Non-greasy
• Easily absorbed
• Uni-sex product

Cons: 

•  Light medicinal fragrance 
• Does not live up to its tall claims
• Presented as a near medical option when the formula is basically a scented baby oil.

I would never repurchase this product again, as my kitchen has enough oils already that can do the same job as a lesser price. In my opinion it another over-priced, over-hyped product. 

Giving it a 2.5 out of 5. :-* :-* :-