
Highlights
WHAT IS IT?
Specialist skincare oil
FEATURES
Helps improve appearance of scars, stretch marks, uneven skin tone, effective for ageing and dehydrated skin, suitable for face and body
BEST FOR
sensitive
CHECKS
Do not use on broken skin
Who Is It For?
What Does It Help With?
Scars Stretch Marks Uneven Skin Tone Ageing Skin Dehydrated SkinBudget
Mid-range ($30-$75)How To Use
Which routine should it be used in?
Instructions:
Key Information
What BIO-OIL Says
Product Description:
Bio-Oil is a specialist skincare oil that helps improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tone.
About the Brand:
Ingredients Overview
Ingredients List
Paraffinum-Liquidum,Triisononanoin,Cetearyl-Athylhexanoate,Isopropyl-Myristate,Retinyl-Palmitate,Tocopheryl-Acetate,Anthemis-Nobilis-Flower-Oil,Lavandula-Angustifolia-Oil,Rosmarinus-Officinalis-Leaf-Oil,Calendula-Officinalis-Flower-Extract,Helianthus-Annuus-Seed-Oil,Glycine-Soja-Oil,BHT,Bisabolol,Parfum,Amyl-Cinnamal,Benzyl-Salicylate,Citronellol,Coumarin,Eugenol,Geraniol,Hydroxycitronellal,Hydroxyisoheyl-3-Cyclohexene-Carboxaldehyde,Limonene,Linalool,Alpha-Isomethyl-Ionone,CI-26100
Key Ingredients
PurCellin-Oil,Retinyl-Palmitate,Tocopheryl-Acetate,Anthemis-Nobilis-Flower-Oil,Calendula-Officinalis-Flower-Extract
Ingredients Details
Bht
Common Name(s): Bht
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Delivers targeted skin-conditioning or bioactive benefits through a specific mechanism of action suited to the formulation's intended purpose.
Why It's Used: Specialty actives address specific skin concerns through targeted molecular mechanisms, providing efficacy beyond what base formulation ingredients alone can achieve.
How It Works: The bioactive compound interacts with specific molecular targets in skin cells or the extracellular matrix โ enzymes, receptors, structural proteins, or signaling molecules โ triggering beneficial biological responses.
Typically Found In: Serums,treatments,moisturizers,specialty products
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Specialty actives
Secondary Functions: Skin-conditioning,anti-aging
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.01โ5%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Specialty active ingredient; check individual sourcing for vegan status.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1
Comedogenicity Rating: 0
Sensitivity Concerns: Low sensitization potential at recommended use concentrations.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Well-characterized cosmetic ingredient with established safety profile. generally non-irritating at typical use concentrations. suitable for leave-on and rinse-off cosmetics.
Works Well With: Niacinamide,hyaluronic acid,vitamin c,peptides
Avoid Combining With: Incompatible with oxidizing agents; check ph stability
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Specialty actives typically work through enzyme inhibition (e.g., tyrosinase inhibition for brightening, mmp inhibition for anti-aging), receptor activation (e.g., retinoid receptors, ppar-ฮณ for barrier genes), or transcription factor modulation (e.g., nrf2 for antioxidant gene upregulation). structure-activity relationships determine potency and selectivity.
Last Verified: Cosing eu database; pcpc cosmetic ingredient safety reviews; ingredient-specific safety and efficacy literature
Primary Sources: 2025-01-15
Bisabolol
Common Name(s): Alpha-bisabolol,levomenol,(-)-alpha-bisabolol
CAS Number: 515-69-5
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Reduces skin inflammation, soothes irritation, promotes wound healing, and enhances penetration of co-formulated actives.
Why It's Used: Premium natural soothing active with combined anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and penetration-enhancing activity โ clinically validated across sensitive, reactive, and irritated skin types.
How It Works: Inhibits nf-kb pathway reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines il-1ฮฒ, il-6, tnf-ฮฑ. enhances stratum corneum lipid fluidity increasing penetration of co-delivered actives. antimicrobial against s. aureus and c. albicans. promotes keratinocyte migration for wound healing.
Typically Found In: Sensitive skin products,post-procedure formulations,anti-irritant formulas,wound healing
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient โ soothing / anti-inflammatory
Secondary Functions: Anti-inflammatory,penetration enhancement,antimicrobial
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.1%โ1%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ from candeia tree (vanillosmopsis erythropappa) or synthetic
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Natural (-)-alpha-bisabolol from brazilian candeia tree is more sustainable and potent than chamomile-derived bisabolol. synthetic (ยฑ)-bisabolol is racemic with slightly lower anti-inflammatory potency.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating; ideal for reactive and sensitive skin.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes โ particularly recommended for sensitive skin
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. ewg score: 1.
Works Well With: Ceramides,panthenol,allantoin,hyaluronic acid,centella asiatica
Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Bisabolol's dual function as both an anti-inflammatory and a penetration enhancer is synergistic โ by reducing the inflammatory response that increases barrier tightness while simultaneously fluidizing stratum corneum lipids, it provides enhanced delivery of co-formulated actives in the very conditions where delivery is most needed.
Last Verified: Cosing database,piazza et al. bisabolol anti-inflammatory study,cir safety assessment
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Citronellol
Common Name(s): (r)-3,7-dimethyl-6-octen-1-ol,rhodinol
CAS Number: 106-22-9
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides soft, lasting rose-floral fragrance note.
Why It's Used: Essential rose fragrance monoterpene for lasting smooth floral notes in high-quality perfumery and cosmetic fragrances.
How It Works: Allylic alcohol monoterpene provides fixative property in fragrance blends. good skin substantivity for lasting scent. softer, rounder rose note vs geraniol's fresher character. natural in rose otto at 18-34%.
Typically Found In: Rose perfumes,floral fragrances,luxury skincare
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Fragrance component โ monoterpene alcohol
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.001%โ1%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ from rose, geranium, citronella oils
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Eu cosmetics regulation: declared fragrance allergen. ifra guidelines apply.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Citronellol's r-enantiomer (natural) vs s-enantiomer (synthetic) provide meaningfully different scent character โ a remarkable demonstration of chiral scent discrimination by olfactory receptors. the (r) form provides the characteristic rose note while the (s) form has a distinctly different, less pleasant character. this enantiomeric scent difference means that the biological handedness of naturally-sourced vs racemic synthetic citronellol produces perceptibly different fragrance quality.
Last Verified: Cosing database,ifra standards
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Coumarin
Common Name(s): 2h-chromen-2-one,1,2-benzopyrone,tonka bean compound
CAS Number: 91-64-5
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides the characteristic sweet hay-vanilla warmth central to fougรจre fragrance compositions.
Why It's Used: The fougรจre fragrance family-defining compound โ coumarin is the essential warm-sweet note in lavender-oakmoss-coumarin fougรจre compositions that define men's cologne classics.
How It Works: Bicyclic lactone provides sweet hay-vanilla scent from its conjugated carbonyl system. good skin absorption for lasting fragrance. low volatility provides fixative properties.
Typically Found In: Fougรจre fragrances,men's cologne,warm oriental fragrances
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Fragrance component โ lactone
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.001%โ1%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ synthetic; natural from dipteryx odorata
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Eu cosmetics regulation: declared fragrance allergen. ifra guidelines restrict due to hepatotoxicity at high oral doses (not from topical use).
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Coumarin's natural source (tonka beans, dipteryx odorata) led to its historical use in food flavouring until toxicological studies revealed hepatotoxicity at high oral doses. the restriction of coumarin from food flavouring (eu and fda) drove fragrance reformulation in some cosmetic categories, though topical exposure levels from cosmetics are orders of magnitude below hepatotoxic doses.
Last Verified: Cosing database,ifra standards
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12