Review: Bio-Oil Skincare Oil Evened Out My Skin Tone (2024)

I hadn’t dabbled much in the world of body oil until a friend recommended I try it on my baby bump. So when I happened upon the Bio-Oil Skincare Oil and saw that it promised to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and scars along with helping to even out my skin tone (as per thousands of fie-star reviews), I was interested to see how it would work for me. I was skeptical—I’ve heard stretch marks are genetic—but still slathered body oil all over my baby bump every day while I was pregnant. And thanks to Bio-Oil Skincare Oil or not, I did emerge from nine long months of pregnancy stretch mark-free.

We asked dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD, to share more insight about Bio-Oil and its benefits. Keep reading to see what happens after using Bio-Oil Skincare Oil, who should use it, and how long it takes to see results,

About My Skin: Relatively easy, but acne-prone

I’ve had few issues with the skin on my body other than dryness and itchiness in the cold winter months. Even while pregnant, I didn’t get any stretch marks, and I don’t have much scarring. The skin on my face is another story, though: It’s prone to breakouts, and I definitely have some uneven tones going on. So while I was excited to try the Bio-Oil Skincare Oil on my body as a moisturizer, I was especially excited to try it on my face, especially because it’s non-comedogenic, however, dermatologist Dr. Nazarian says that there is always a "potential for occluding skin."

"The biggest benefit of this product is that very safe," adds Dr. Nazarian. "Especially in pregnancy and breastfeeding where the options for safe products are quite limited, this is a product that is unlikely to do harm and likely to offer some benefit."

The Feel: Lighter than most oils

I was a teenager in the early 2000s, meaning I was trained to think oil was the enemy of acne. I now know that by stripping my face of oil I only encouraged my skin to make more oil—cue the acne cycle—but I still get anxious when anything feels too oily. Since trying a few different oils in recent years, I’ve encountered some very thick oils, but this one is nice and light and doesn’t leave a lot of residue behind.

The Smell: Nice and light

I’m very sensitive to scent when it comes to the products I use. It’s not that I prefer products to be unscented, I just don’t want anything to be overpowering, and a well-scented product can make or break my experience with it. That said, I love the scent of the Bio-Oil Skincare Oil. It has a very light floral scent that makes the experience of putting it on soothing and enjoyable.

The Packaging: A little small

As much as I like this oil, I have to say that if I was using it for stretch mark prevention versus dabbing a little bit of it on my face twice a day (which is what I did in this case), I would be annoyed by the size. At only 2 ounces, I can see myself going through the Bio-Oil Skincare Oil very quickly. There are bigger sizes available, but even those are a little small for nine long months of pregnancy. That being said, this oil isn’t that expensive, so if you don’t mind replacing it often, go for it.

The Ingredients: Vitamin-filled

The ingredient list for Bio-Oil Skincare Oil isn’t super short, but the ingredients are high-quality. This oil includes vitamin A (great for collagen production) and vitamin E (which helps with skin issues related to aging), so I was all about putting this oil on my skin. Plus, it’s non-comedogenic, so I could feel safe applying it on my acne-prone face.

Dr. Nazarian recommends applying Bio-Oil daily to areas of the face and body that tend to be more dehydrated or are in need of recovery such as from injury or inflammation. "The oil is rich in fatty acids and antioxidants, and can support healthy skin while calming irritated and inflamed skin," she says. "And it’s the antioxidant activity that’s thought to improve aging skin and redness while the high fatty acid content is thought to improve skin barrier function, hydration, and healing."

The Results: Well-hydrated skin, but no big differences in tone

I love using the Bio-Oil Skincare Oil: It smells great, isn’t too thick, and doesn't leave too much of a residue behind. It’s also incredibly hydrating! At the same time, I can’t say I noticed a huge difference in the evenness of my skin tone, even after using it regularly for quite a while. That being said, I’m going to keep going—I have faith that it could happen, especially because the instructions on the bottle say it should be used twice a day for at least three months.

There’s also no doubt in my mind that if I get pregnant again, I’ll use this on my stomach. It’s a more affordable version of the almond oil I used when I was pregnant with my daughter, I love the way it smells, and one of its main uses is reducing the appearance of stretch marks. Although it doesn’t fully repair stretch marks, according to Dr. Nazarian, it does improve their appearance, she says by "Decreasing the redness many stretch marks have that make them so noticeable through the anti-inflammatory properties." Still, why not try it?

The Value: Very affordable

At just 2 ounces, this bottle may be small, but it also costs around $12—that’s on the lower end for body oils and definitely on the lower end for face oils. A bigger bottle (6.7 ounces) retails around $29. Oil is oil, so it goes a long way, and it’s safe to say the Bio-Oil Skincare Oil won’t break the bank.

Competition: You've got options

L’Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil: The almond oil I keep referencing is the L’Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil. I used it the whole time I was pregnant, and I really loved it, but if the goal is stretch mark prevention (or at least helping to reduce the appearance of stretch marks), the Bio-Oil Skincare Oil is a much more affordable option.