When I shared a photo of my new scar from last Christmas’ accident, I was suggested to use Bio-Oil. I realised that it’s about time to investigate this brand. Many are not aware that Bio-Oil is not cruelty-free, or at least I do not consider it to be cruelty-free. I will be explaining why later. In the meantime, I want to tell you that even I had bought Bio-Oil. This was before I found out that they were selling in China. I had bought a small bottle to try to treat my acne scars. However, it did not work its magic on my acne scars.
Is Bio-Oil organic?
Some of you might know that the word “Bio” in some languages such as Italian and German means “organic”. Most Maltese are fluent in both Italian and English. It would not be a surprise for me to find out that some Maltese support Bio-Oil also because they think it’s Organic-oil. By organic, I mean containing ingredients sourced from certified organic. However, it seems that Bio-Oil is not organic. Since there is not any info on Google about the subject, let me tell you how I came to this conclusion. In the EU there seems to be a law that does not allow you to label a product “organic” if it’s not certified organic by the EU. Since in the UK and possibly even Malta, this refers only to the exact word “organic”, Bio-Oil had no issue to sell in these countries under the name Bio-Oil. However, if you go to Germany, you will notice that the brand is called Bi-Oil. Why? you might ask. In Germany “bio” is the term for organic. If Bio-Oil is not certified organic, it can’t use the word Bio in the name.
Coming back to the status of this brand, let’s see why I decided to consider Bio-Oil as not cruelty-free.
Does Bio-Oil test on animals?
I could not find information about animal testing on the official Bio-Oil website. However, when I had once asked Bio-Oil Malta, they assured me that they don’t test on animals.
Is Bio-Oil owned by a parent that is not cruelty-free?
I could not find any information about who owns the company or where it is from. So I am assuming that it has no parent company.
Is Bio-Oil certified cruelty-free?
No, Bio-Oil is not certified cruelty-free.
Is Bio-Oil cruelty-free?
As usual, let’s go deeper to decide on an answer.
Does Bio-Oil sell in Mainland China?
When I had asked Bio-Oil Malta about the animal testing status of Bio-Oil, I had also asked whether they sell in China. While they confirmed that they don’t test on animals, they also confirmed that they sell in China. However, I was hoping they meant somewhere like Hong Kong. Hong Kong does not require animal testing. So I went to their website and checked whether they have a China website or a Hong Kong website. Unfortunately, I found a China website. So yes, Bio-Oil sells in Mainland China.
Are Bio-Oil products in Mainland China are cosmetics?
As far as I know, the Chinese don’t consider only essential oils, oral care products and soaps as cosmetics in China. Bio-Oil’s treatment product does not fall on any of these categories, in my opinion, so yes they are selling cosmetics in Mainland China. So based on these answers, I can confirm that Bio-Oil is not cruelty-free.
Which brands should I support instead?
If you are looking for a brand who is serious about their anti-animal-testing policy. Check my list of brands that are against animal testing.
Source: Bio-Oil Mainland China website as at 13/1/2020