Today’s Daily Question was submitted via the FutureDerm.com Facebook page:
Hannah ****: What do you think of Bio-Oil?
Dear Hannah,
I like Bio Oil, but definitely not for scars, due to the high vitamin E content. Despite popular belief, vitamin E has been shown recently to do more harm than good for recent injuries! I also do not recommend products with rosemary oil, even small amounts, for women who are pregnant. This is because rosemary oil currently has not been declared entirely safe for use by the American Pregnancy Association, as there is mixed evidence in relation to possible stimulation of the fetus.
For first-time users, I also like Bio Oil more for the body than for the face, due to the lavender oil, which is a common cause of allergic reactions. More details:
Never, Ever, EVER Put Vitamin E on a Scar!
For years, doctors have been recommending vitamin E, a known blood thinner, to patients to prevent scarring. Unfortunately, according to a 1999 study in Dermatologic Surgery, “vitamin E may actually “be detrimental to the cosmetic appearance of a scar.” The study notes that 90% of patients’ scars were not improved or worsened with use of topical vitamin E oil. This is mostly due to an allergic reaction known as contact dermatitis in some patients, which may exacerbate the scarring process.
Otherwise, for non-scarred skin, I still love vitamin E, because it has been shown to have higher antioxidant activity than ubiquinone, vitamin C, or lipoic acid. I also love that it helps to protect skin from the sun. In fact, according to a 2001 study, also in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, “topical vitamin E prevents oxidative stress and cutaneous and systemic immunosuppression elicited by UV.” Still,
Lavender Oil: Good, Bad, and Ugly
First used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, lavender oil is antibacterial, antifungal, carminative (smooth muscle-relaxing), sedative, anti-depressive, and effective for burns and insect bites (Phytotherapy Research, 2002). In the skin, lavender has been shown to exhibit some antioxidant activity, effectively diminishing UV-induced reactive oxidative species generation (ROS) in the skin of rats in at least one study (Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2005). In addition, many enjoy lavender’s aromatic properties, finding it to be calming and soothing. That’s the good news.
The bad news is lavender oil has been associated with a number of allergic reactions (Contact Dermatitis, 2002) and the linalool component in lavender may be toxic to cells (Cell Proliferation, 2004). To lavender’s defense, many beneficial ingredients in skin care - from AHAs to zinc oxide - have been shown to induce allergic reactions in certain patients, so this alone does not mean that lavender oil is necessarily worse than many other skin care ingredients. It does mean, however, you should talk to your dermatologist first, and most likely do a patch test to see how your skin will react before you apply Bio Oil all over your face. Also, the effect of linalool on cell toxicity has not been demonstrated by other studies as of yet, nor has it been demonstrated in cells in vivo (at least to the best that I could research!). Therefore all we can conclude is more research needs to be done – though I personally have avoided using lavender oil on my skin since reading this research.
The downright ugly effect of lavender oil is potential breast development (gynecomastia) in pre-pubertal boys. Published in the highly reputable New England Journal of Medicine in 2007, breast development was found to occur in three different patients, all pre-pubertal young men, only when they used a combination of lavender and tea tree oils. Indeed, when use of the lavender-and-tea-tree oil was stopped, the boys’ gynecomastia stopped. It is believed by the studies’ authors that both lavender and tea tree oil have hormonal activity.
Rosemary: Antioxidant Not for the Pregnant
Rosemary extract is generally used as a natural antioxidant, as it is a natural source of three antioxidant compounds: carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. In general, according to the “polar paradox”, polar antioxidants function better in polar emulsions (AKA oil), whereas nonpolar antioxidants function better in polar emulsions. For this reason, as suspected, the polar carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid have been found to be more effective in oil-based creams like Bio Oil.
Rosemary oil may not be wise for women who are pregnant to use is because rosemary oil is quite a potent stimulant, to the extent that it cannot be declared entirely safe for pregnant women in topical use, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Although it’s entirely subjective, there has been speculation that rosemary may stimulate the fetus, leading to miscarriage, according to LIVEStrong.com. The unfortunate part of this is that it is difficult to test, as no one wants to subject their baby to potential toxins, so the rumors will persist. Avoidance of rosemary remains the best advice for pregnant women for now. (If you are pregnant, Elemis Camellia Oil has had excellent reviews in treating and preventing stretch marks: FutureDerm review of Elemis Camellia Oil)
Sunflower Seed Oil
Sunflower seed oil is hydrating and antibacterial and one of my favorite additions to Bio Oil. Sunflower seed oil replaces dry skin’s fatty acid deficiency: According to a very small study (3 individuals!) published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, application of sunflower-seed oil to the individuals’ right forearms for 2 weeks markedly increased the amount of lecithin in the patients’ skin, the rate of transepidermal water loss was significantly lowered, and the scaly lesions disappeared. Interestingly (and surprisingly!), these results were not found with olive oil. However, the authors speculate that the reason is that sunflower seed oil is a natural source of linoleic acid, whereas olive oil is a source of oleic acid.
Another exciting finding with sunflower seed oil: topical application has been found to prevent bacterial infections in infants in one small, controlled Egyptian study.
Bottom Line
I like Bio Oil, but personally would not use it a.) on scars; b.) if I were pregnant; c.) if I were a prepubescent boy; d.) anywhere but a small patch of skin to test for allergic reactions first. That’s just my opinion based on the information above; I hate to give a popular hydrating product like Bio Oil a bad review, but I also think it is important to do my research and share honest conclusions. With that said, Bio Oil is very hydrating, and makes a lovely treatment for body skin (especially dry elbows and knees) when you first get out of the shower, locking in moisture!
Ingredients in Bio Oil
Paraffinum Liquidum, Triisononanoin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Bht, Bisabolol, Parfum, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexane Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone, Ci 26100.
