I Tried the Bio-Oil Skincare Oil to Even Out My Skin Tone—Heres How It Worked

I hadn’t dabbled much in the world of body oil until recently, but at the recommendation of a friend, I slathered a body oil all over my baby bump every day while I was pregnant. Supposedly, applying this oil every day would prevent stretch marks. I was skeptical—I’ve heard stretch marks are genetic—but thanks to this oil or not, I did emerge from nine long months of pregnancy stretch-mark free.

Again, whether or not that oil actually prevented stretch marks remains a mystery. But what I do know is that I found the ritual of applying it every night after a shower to be very soothing, even if I sometimes got it all over my pajamas and sheets. 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, I was interested to see how it would work for me. Here’s what happened.

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 freezing 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, meaning it won’t cause breakouts.

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. For example, the oil I used while I was pregnant was almond-scented (it was almond oil), and I’ll never forget how much I loved putting it on.

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.

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. 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 ($50). 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, as the L’Occitane oil retails at $50 for just 3.4 ounces.