Bio Oil safe for pregnancy?

Several of my friends have recommended Bio Oil as a stretch mark prevention. I noticed it does have vitamin A and lavender oil in the ingredients which I remember reading are harmful to take as supplements when pregnant. Does it matter when they're topical? I know that people who are prone to getting stretch marks will get them anyway but I bet if I used it I'd get fewer or they'd be less noticeable. I'm already starting to get a few on my love handles.

Has anyone been told not to use Bio Oil? I know my GP would say it's fine but he doesn't get fussed about much at all.

I wouldn't use it. Vitamin A can be toxic and lavender oil has been shown to produce gynaecomastia (breast development) in boys in a recent study, I believe that was in Endocrine News magazine; I'm steering well clear of both of those things! Despite my belly/abdomen almost doubling in size (and people still not noticing I'm pregnant!) I don't have stretch marks yet; I use cocoa body butter once or twice a day.

bio - oil is safe in pregnancy it says it on the pack and i asked my doctor about it and she said it is fine to use . I have used it with both of my pregnancys.

hope that helps

Adele

I don't know if it's safe or not, but cocoa butter does seem to work well for stretch marks.

I hope we can use it! I've been using Palmers on my one (!!) stretchmark and thus far it's only progressed to just under one inch long despite being there for about a month. I like to think the Palmers is hindering it but mmmm, it could just be luck. I ordered some bio-oil off ebay but it hasn't arrived yet. Surely we can use it if the packaging says it's safe for pregnancy....wouldn't it be a legal thing?

I was told a couple of years back that no essential oils are safe for pregnancy (when I used to do Body Shop parties) so you had to be careful at any Spa parties when you got out the ylang ylang/lavender/et cetera. While more research may have been done since then, I'd rather be cautious. Even so, I'd love a frankencense and rose-petal bath right now!

Yeah but do the Body Shop say that just cos it's legally safer? Like, in case they advocate a certain oil for pregnancy and then someone randomly reacts to it and sues?
Cos they told me 'oh no we can't sell you lavender stuff', which my midwife had recommended?

I didn't want lavender anyway, not the biggest fan since pregnancy :)
But I love the Body Shop's spray on oil in Papaya...mmm...or is it Paw Paw...well, either way, it makes me smell nice, and it's easy, since I can spray it! :p

Just check with your dr/midwife if you're not sure what's allowed.

I checked - there have been studies which show that it MAY be harmful to a foetus, but nothing conclusive. So although it's for their legal PoV, if studies show something MAY be bad then I wouldn't recommend it, despite what I would do myself. Like I wouldn't recommend someone eat Brie, even though I still eat the odd brie sandwich.

I have been using it as it was recommended to me, but I don't think I will now! I also have Palmers, so maybe I will stick to that instead!

Jo

I have been told by many friends that the Palmers *stretch mark* cocoa butter is the best! Yet to try it for myself, but it's sitting in the cupboard waiting.......

When you say "fades stretch marks" do you mean only as long as you continue to use bio oil or does it have a permanent effect? And if it's a permanent result, approx. how long did you have to use it to fade them? If it's a continual use sort of thing I won't bother.

Its safe during pregnancy as far as I know. Heaps of women I know have used it.

*hugs*
Cailin

I also used Palmers cocoa butter cream and was fortunate to escape all stretchmarks! I used Bio oil AFTER preg on my c/s scar to help it fade and flatten and it's been doing a good job. My personal suggestion would be to use the Palmers stuff DURING preg - religiously (supposedly it has as much to do with the actual circulation to the skin/blood - so the rubbing action into the skin each day helps ) and then use Bio oil AFTERWARDS on any marks to help reduce them. It's better to play it safe :)