Bio-Oil

A ‘Precious’ secret

By Demi Braque

                                “If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then the skin is the canvass of our soul …”

Celebrity mom and beauty queen Precious Lara Quigaman-Alcaraz revealed today that Bio-Oil, a formulation of combined plant extracts and vitamins suspended in an oil base, has certainly improved the appearance of her stretch marks after childbirth. If you’ve seen her anytime recently, the results absolutely speak for themselves.

“Aspen Philippines approached me to endorse a secret product. When they told me it was for stretch marks, I automatically said yes. My stretch marks grew faint and improved in appearance; it lightened, since mine were really dark. When I was pregnant I had dark spots in the hidden areas and was beset with the normal fears and worries that most mothers have on delivery and the condition of the newborn.

“I gained weight – from 110 to 160 lbs.! Gradually, Marie France helped with my weight loss. I gave birth Nov. 10 last year to a son – Noah Lamar. Noah, because he’s my favorite biblical character, and Lamar is a contraction of Lara & Marco. So last July, I started using Bio-Oil and saw the results three weeks after. I also use it as my facial moisturizer,” Lara intimated.

Bio-Oil has become the No. 1 scar and stretch mark product in over 13 countries. Containing the breakthrough ingredient PurCellin Oil which changes the formulation’s overall consistency, it makes the product light and non-greasy. This ensures that the potency contained in, both, Vitamins A and E, as well as the plant extracts from chamomile, lavender, rosemary and calendula, is easily absorbed by the skin. The brand has undergone safety assessments in accordance with the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Cosmetic Products; having been used safely by pregnant women for over 20 years now. Bio-Oil is also effective against ageing and dehydrated skin parts.

Stretch marks, known also as linear atrophy, is a dermal damage caused by the tinning out of the skin. Medically termed striae distensae or striae atrophicans, the condition results from pregnancy, puberty, growth spurts from steroids, rapid weight gain/loss, and obesity. “This also occurs if you’re genetically predisposed. Injectable, like corticosteroids, and topicals are some of the treatments available for stretch marks. Use topical formulations, like Bio-Oil, at the 2^nd or 3^rd trimester of pregnancy but not on the first. Foreign chemicals might affect the developing embryo during the first three months. Topicals improve skin elasticity,” intoned dermatologist Dr. Patricia Tinio.

Aspen is a supplier of generic and branded pharmaceuticals, including Bio-Oil, in approximately 100 countries across the globe and of consumer and nutritional products in selected territories. The company has 18 manufacturing facilities in 13 pharmaceutical sites on six continents. Four of the sites are located in South Africa (being the leading supplier of generic medicines to both the public and private sectors in the region), four in Australia, and one each in Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil, Mexico, and Germany. It has businesses, too, in Venezuela, Ireland, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Mauritius, Hong Kong, and the Philipines.

“Noah will be a year old this November. His birthday will have the Ark as theme. Invited kids will come as paired animals. His birthday celebration will also be his dedication day,” shared the former Miss International.

Bio-Oil is available at all leading drugstores nationwide at the recommended retail price of Php 495 (60ml bottle). For more comprehensive product information and/or results of clinical trials, simply visit their Web site, www.bio-oil.com.