There’s no doubt about it. Scars can be embarrassing, especially when they’re somewhere visible. Even when they’re not, scars impact the way you see yourself. Short of spending thousands on expensive plastic surgery, or regularly using exfoliating treatments, are there really any reliable scar removal creams (or anything else) that deliver what they promise? It depends.
They’re not necessarily the usual suspects either. In fact, our first inclination was to look at vitamin E oils and creams, because we’ve been led to believe they are so good for your skin. But when it comes to finding the best scar removal cream, that ingredient got a thumbs down, because it so often resulted in contact dermatitis. Surprised? We were too. See below for some of those breakthrough ingredients.
If you’re looking to minimize scars, stretch marks, and skin abrasions, these scar treatments will deliver visible results, with diligent use. None can give you instantly clear skin, because healing takes time. I personally have used a scar removal cream on this list and it works really well. Here are the best scar removal creams for your money.
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1. Puriderma Scar Removal Cream
Pros:- Allantoin helps skin to slough off dead cells minimizing scar thickness
- Herbal formula with plant botanicals and extracts
- Good for all skin types
- Works on old and new scars
Cons:- Can't be used during pregnancy or nursing
- Scent isn't everyone's favorite
- Isn't effective for all users
- More expensive than many
We love a scar removal cream that relies on herbal extracts to do the difficult work of minimizing scars and stretch marks, and this formula from Puriderma is natural, gentle and effective. It works on both old and newer scars with a moisturizing, skin nourishing formula that includes japonica flower, chamomile, dandelion along with aloe vera juice, and licorice root extract.
It also incorporates allantoin, which smooths your skin. Because it encourages dead cells to slough off, it reduces the thickness and depth of scars. Great for all skin types, it soothes, heals and smooths skin, while improving the texture, elasticity and appearance of old and new scars. But be attentive, it is not recommended for use if you are pregnant or nursing.
Find more Puriderma Scar Removal Cream information and reviews here.
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2. Mederma Advanced Scar Gel
Pros:- Proven to work on old and new scars
- Doctor recommended
- Works on all different kinds of scars
- Very affordable
Cons:- Works better on newer scars
- Very small tube for the price
- Takes a time and patience to see results
- Not effective for every user
Whether you have old scars or new, this advanced gel from Mederma is doctor recommended to help reduce them. Used for eight weeks on new scars, or three to six months on old ones, this fast absorbing gel is a solid option for diminishing scars that you feel undermine your confidence.
The main active ingredient in this gel is allantoin, which helps promote cell proliferation. Obviously, that’s a key in healing wounds and minimizing scars. This ingredient is also in many anti-aging beauty products, and you can see why. New cells look and act younger. Better yet, this scar remover works all kinds of scars, from acne to surgical scars, to burns and cuts.
This gel also contains onion bulb extract, which has been shown to significantly improve the appearance of new scars. In fact, a recent article in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology published on the National Institutes of Health site, outlines results from a test group, in which onion bulb gel was used on new scars. It was found to be both safe and effective.
If you’re looking to optimize those best skin healing hours while you sleep, Mederma PM Overnight Scar Cream is another great option.
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3. Scarless MD Advanced Silicone Scar Removal Cream
Pros:- Produces good results with consistent use
- Easily absorbed into the skin
- Creates a protective barrier against bacteria
- Reduces collagen production for flatter, smoother scars
Cons:- Best on recent scars
- Super spendy
- Lots of issues with pump bottle reported
This breathable scar cream relies on silicone and vitamin E to help reduce scars, most especially recent scars from surgery or injury. Silicone actually reduces the production of collagen at the scar site, thereby resulting in a softer flatter scar. Because silicone creates a protective seal on injuries, it also helps protect against bacterial growth, which can lead to much worse scarring.
Created by doctors, this scar treatment cream should be used throughout the entirety of scar development, which could be up one full year. After initial treatments, it’s recommended that you use the cream three times daily, rubbing in fully. Thankfully, this cream is a fairly large container, so you should see results with faithful daily use.
Buy the Scarless MD Advanced Silicone Scar Removal Cream here.
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4. BioCorneum Scar Treatment Plus SPF 30
Pros:- SPF 30 protects new scars from sunburn and over-pigmentation
- Creates a clear, protective coat on scars
- Moisturizes to aid in healing
- Reduces collagen production for smoother, flatter scars
Cons:- Feels greasy when you first put it on
- Small bottle for a big price
- Isn’t effective for ever user
This silicone based scar cream, as with others, creates a breathable protective layer over scars that allows them the perfect environment for healing. But this scar removal cream has a hidden secret that every dermatologist and plastic surgeon can get behind. It contains SPF 30. Because sun can easily burn and further damage newly scarred skin, this cream makes it safe to spend limited time in the sun without risking thicker, darker scars.
It also delivers hydration to your scar, moisturizing and minimizing over-production of collagen. It helps to flatten scars, and helps to reduce over-pigmentation. It is recommended for twice a day use once scabs have fallen off. With about six months of this scar reducing regimen, you should see significant effects.
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5. K Oxiderm OP Cream
Pros:- Effectively minimizes bruises quickly
- Helps to combat dark undereye circles
- Minimizes the look of scars
- Vitamin K promotes healing
Cons:- Expensive for a small tube
- Appears to be more effective on bruises than scars
- Not effective for every user
- Takes time and diligence to see results
Another ingredient to consider in scar removal is vitamin K, which is the key ingredient in this K Oxiderm OP cream. Vitamin K is a viable scar healer for its ability to promote fast cell regeneration, as well as encouraging blood flow to the original injury site. Both those things help to minimize scars after injury or surgery, especially cosmetic surgery.
Not only is this vitamin K cream useful for minimizing scars, it can help to reduce the time it takes for your bruises to heal, and can also help to reduce the appearance of spider veins. Another benefit of vitamin K cream is that it gets rave reviews for handling those tough dark under-eye circles.
A host of skin loving vitamins in addition to K1 oxide, including vitamins C, E and A in microdelivery liposomes, add to this scar removers effectiveness.
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6. Honeydew Natural Scar Cream
Pros:- Super affordable
- Nice natural formula
- Cruelty free
- Helps to heal and minimize appearance of scars
Cons:- Not effective for all users
- Has a bit of an odd scent
- Less effective on acne scars
- May cause skin irritation or rash
Honeydew natural scar cream contains a host of skin loving ingredients to help soften, heal and smooth scars, both recent and old. Enriched with vitamins A and E, along with moisturizing avocado oil and jojoba oils, this cream is terrific for those with sensitive skin, and helps to keep newer scars from feeling tight and dry.
This cruelty free formula also contains rosehip oil, which has been lauded for its scar healing prowess, even in some of the most serious cases. Check out this interesting write-up on rosehip oil, which includes some pretty compelling information, to find out a bit more.
At less than $12, this big four-ounce jar is a great deal compared to many other scar creams, and it’s quite well rated as well as easy on the wallet.
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7. ScarAway Scar Diminishing Gel
Pros:- Massage roller makes it easy to apply
- Made with doctor recommended silicone
- Can be worn under makeup
- Diminishes old and new scars
Cons:- Takes time and patience to see results
- Small tube for a big price
- Takes awhile to dry
- Leaves skin a bit sticky
We all have scars that are decades old, along with those newly acquired ones. In both cases, we want to get rid of them, and ScarAway scar diminishing gel helps to flatten and fade raised scars and keyloids. Using patented silicone technology, the number one recommended treatment by plastic surgeons and dermatologists, this gel cream creates an invisible barrier over scars.
This gel can markedly improve older scars in as little as six to eight weeks of twice daily use, and more importantly, helps to prevent abnormal scars from occurring. It’s effective on surgical scars, as well as those from injuries, C-sections, burns and more.
This transparent treatment gel is especially good for facial scarring as it can easily be covered by makeup. ScarAway also has popular silicone strip scar treatments that may be easier to use on large scars and C-section scars.
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8. Scar Zone Advanced Skin Care
Pros:- Effective for acne scarring
- Works on burn scars, and other scars too
- Lots of powerful scar fighting ingredients
- Moisturizing and healing
Cons:- Some complaints about change in formula
- Has a bit of an odd scent
- Doesn’t show immediate results
Scar Zone Advanced scar cream gets our nod as a best scar removal cream because it has many of the ingredients we love in traditional beauty products. There’s no question that keeping a new scar well moisturized can help it to heal better and more quickly. This scar cream contains hyaluronic acid, with draws moisture to the skin’s surface which can aid in that healing.
It also has one of our favorite ingredients for treating painful bruising, especially around a scar. Arnica helps to reduce discoloration of scars and bruises. It also contains onion bulb extract, which, as we’ve mentioned before, aids in the healing of new scars.
Naturally, skin protecting silicone plays a large role in the success of this scar removal cream. Additionally, the contains a powerful antimicrobial ingredient, especially important in protecting newer scars from bacterial contamination. While it’s already pretty affordable, you can get it at an even more reasonable price by buying it in a three-pack.
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9. ScarFade Silicone Gel for Scar Repair
Pros:- A blend of medical grade silicones
- Effective at healing and minimizing newer scars
- Helps to minimize even difficult hypertrophic scars
Cons:- Not as effective on older scars
- May cause rash or itching
- Pretty expensive for a tiny tube
- Feels a bit thick and sticky on application
It doesn’t matter what types of scars you’re dealing with, what’s probably clear by now is that the big hitter in scar management is silicone. That’s the magic in this formula from ScarFade. This clear silicone serum has been clinically proven to improve the look and feel of scars, leaving them smoother, lighter and flatter.
While it works well on new scars that are a few years or less old, that’s actually true for most of the scar treatments on our list. Newer scars are more amenable to these sorts of treatments. This scar cream is a blend of different medical grade silicones, and is often recommended by doctors, for post surgical treatment.
If you do have older scars, you might want to try the ScarFade formula that has skin brightening vitamin C to help lighten and minimize them.
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10. Best for Acne Scars – ArtNaturals 100 Percent Pure Extra-Virgin Tamanu Oil
Pros:- 100 percent pure Tamanu oil
- Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
- Especially effective for healing acne and acne scars
- Aids in healing of all wounds
Cons:- Can be too astringent for some
- It’s a little messy to use
- Works best if mixed with other creams or oils
Some of the most frustrating scars are from acne, especially when they’re on your face, chest and back where they’re highly visible. It might seem counterintuitive to suggest using an oil on acne prone skin, but this particular oil is a miracle worker at helping to stimulate new healthy skin cells, a key to reducing acne and other kinds of scarring.
Tamanu oil comes from the seeds of ati tree fruit, which can be found in the South Pacific, Indonesia and Southeast Asia. This green oil has some wicked astringent properties and is purportedly antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. It’s super effective at healing cuts, scratches and burns too. Plus, it fights breakouts, which is huge when it comes to avoiding those acne scars in the first place.
While we know it’s technically not a cream, we feel like it has a place on our list for all those acne suffers who are dealing with scars ongoingly, as well as those who want to target other scars too. Rosehip oil is another option that gets high marks for healing and minimizing scars. ArtNaturals has a highly rated vegan rosehip oil as well.
Buy the ArtNaturals 100 Percent Pure Extra-Virgin Tamanu Oil here.
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11. Body Merry Vanilla Orange Stretch Marks & Scars Defense Cream
Pros:- Helps prevent new and lighten existing stretch marks
- Nice organic and natural ingredients
- Very moisturizing
- Helps to promote collagen production to lessen scars
Cons:- Not effective for every user
- May cause rash or itching
- Scent is too much for some
We first fell in love with this organic beauty brand after trying their eyelash growth serum, so it was only natural that we’d want to try their all natural remedy to reduce stretch marks and scars. First, let’s just say, this stuff smells really heavenly, like citrus and hot cocoa. Yum. But does it work?
This natural scar cream is filled with skin loving ingredients like organic aloe, cocoa butter and sunflower oil that deeply moisturize and soften your skin. It blends Vitamins E, C, B3, and B5 with seaweed to nourish your skin, preventing and helping to fade existing stretch marks and scars. It helps to stimulate the production of new collagen, a key to smooth skin, while it also enhances your skin’s elasticity.
Buy the Body Merry Vanilla Orange Stretch Marks & Scars Defense Cream here.
The ingredients in the best scar treatment products most recommended by doctors are these:
Medical grade silicone - It creates a protective barrier that holds in moisture, and provides a healing environment that stays bacteria-free. It makes good sense because inflammation and bacteria will definitely cause new scars to get bigger and more unsightly. Silicone also blocks collagen production - that means you won't be producing tons of new skin cells that can lead to big, ropey-looking scars.
Onion bulb extract - That one threw us at first, but in scar healing tests done at the NIH, onion bulb extract gel proved to be an ingredient that efficiently improved the healing and appearance of new scars.
Tamanu oil - Another outlier, this nut seed oil from the South Pacific proved especially powerful in fighting acne, and healing often devastating acne scars.
Rosehip oil - This natural ingredient is rich in natural retinol, a vitamin A, as well as other skin-friendly vitamins and fatty acids that may help reduce scars. Retinol is extensively used in anti-aging beauty products.
We've included a couple of organic treatments in our list that are helpful for stretch marks in addition to other scars from surgery and injury. Most of them rely on moisturizing stressed tissues and promoting new cell growth.
We also took the liberty of writing this post about the best scar cream, but our recommendations include lots of gels and oils. We're all about results rather than semantics.