Cicatricure vs Mederma: What's Better for Scars? (2023 ✅)

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In this post, I provide the facts on Cicatricure vs Mederma, including key ingredients, clinical studies, and my personal experience.

Overall, Cicatricure is a better and cheaper version of Mederma that's perfect for mild burns, cuts & bruises, and new scars.

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Cicatricure vs Mederma

Editor's Choice
#1 Bestseller
$19.99$14.96
$31.79 ($18.06 / Ounce)
Best For:
Burns, Cuts & Bruises, New Scars
Best For:
Burns, Cuts & Bruises, New Scars
Ingredients:
Glycerin, Centella Asiatica, Onion Extract, Chamomile, Bergamot Oil, Allantoin, Aloe Vera, Hyaluronic Acid
Ingredients:
Allantoin, Cepalin (Onion Extract), Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid
Pros:
  • Same Active Ingredient as Mederma
  • Plus Blend of Botanical Extracts
  • May Reduce Scar Thickness
  • Helps Soften Scar Tissue
  • Helps Soothe Redness
  • Cheaper than Mederma
  • Good Reviews (13K+)
Pros:
  • Cepalin (Onion Extract)
  • Helps Keep Scars Hydrated
  • May Reduce Scar Thickness
  • Helps Ease Pain & Redness
  • Works Best on New Scars
  • Only 1x Daily Application
  • Good Reviews (6K+)
Cons:
  • Contains Essential Oils
  • Requires 4x Daily Application
  • Less Effective on Old Scars and Keloids
  • Mixed Clinical Evidence
Cons:
  • Contains Alcohol
  • Contains Parabens
  • Contains Fragrance
  • Mixed Clinical Evidence
Editor's Choice
$19.99$14.96
Best For:
Burns, Cuts & Bruises, New Scars
Ingredients:
Glycerin, Centella Asiatica, Onion Extract, Chamomile, Bergamot Oil, Allantoin, Aloe Vera, Hyaluronic Acid
Pros:
  • Same Active Ingredient as Mederma
  • Plus Blend of Botanical Extracts
  • May Reduce Scar Thickness
  • Helps Soften Scar Tissue
  • Helps Soothe Redness
  • Cheaper than Mederma
  • Good Reviews (13K+)
Cons:
  • Contains Essential Oils
  • Requires 4x Daily Application
  • Less Effective on Old Scars and Keloids
  • Mixed Clinical Evidence
#1 Bestseller
$31.79 ($18.06 / Ounce)
Best For:
Burns, Cuts & Bruises, New Scars
Ingredients:
Allantoin, Cepalin (Onion Extract), Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid
Pros:
  • Cepalin (Onion Extract)
  • Helps Keep Scars Hydrated
  • May Reduce Scar Thickness
  • Helps Ease Pain & Redness
  • Works Best on New Scars
  • Only 1x Daily Application
  • Good Reviews (6K+)
Cons:
  • Contains Alcohol
  • Contains Parabens
  • Contains Fragrance
  • Mixed Clinical Evidence
06/05/2023 10:46 pm GMT

💡 Here's the key difference between Cicatricure and Mederma: While both are onion extract gels, Cicatricure has more ingredients like centella asiatica (promotes healing), glycerin and aloe vera (increases hydration), chamomile extract, and bergamot fruit oil, while Mederma only includes allantoin, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid.

Overall, I recommend using onion extract gels like Cicatricure and Mederma for low risk scars:

  • Kitchen Burns
  • Minor Cuts & Scrapes
  • Small Bruises

That's because the clinical evidence on onion extract is still mixed. 🤔

On the other hand, I recommend using silicone gels or silicone sheets for high risk scars:

  • Hypertrophic Scars
  • Keloids
  • Surgery / Post-Op Scars
  • Trauma
  • Acne Scars

That's because silicone is safe, supported by decades of clinical studies, and recommended by leading dermatologists in the International Clinical Recommendations on Scar Management.

P.S. I've personally tried almost every silicone gel on the market, including ScarAway, Kelo-Cote, NewGel+, Hiruscar, Strataderm, and Azally. Check out my full review here.

Cicatricure
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1
BEST MEDERMA ALTERNATIVE

Cicatricure 
Face & Body Scar Gel

Sold @ 
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Best For:

❌ High Risk Scars
✅ Low Risk Scars
✅ Mild Burns
✅ Cuts & Scrapes
✅ Bruises
✅ Minor Injuries

Key Ingredients:

⭐ Onion Bulb Extract
⭐ Centella Asiatica
⭐ Glycerin
⭐ Aloe Vera
⭐ Chamomile Extract
⭐ Bergamot Fruit Oil

Key Features:

👍 4x Daily Application
👍 Alcohol-Free
🏆 4,700+ Reviews

Are you looking for a Mederma alternative?

Cicatricure Face & Body Scar Gel is a better and cheaper version of Mederma, with the same purple packaging but a more extensive ingredient list. 👍

Manufactured by Mexico-based Genomma Labs, Cicatricure's key ingredient is onion extract (allium cepa).

That's the exact same active ingredient found in Mederma Advanced Scar Gel (a.k.a. Cepalin).

However, my analysis of the medical literature shows that the clinical evidence on onion extract is still mixed.

(for more info, see my full review of Mederma below)

That's why I recommend using onion extract gels like Cicatricure and Mederma on low risk scars only, such as mild burns, cuts & scrapes, bruises, and minor injuries.

For high risk scars, your best option is a silicone gel like Aroamas as silicone is clinically proven for scar treatment and recommended by the international advisory panel on scar management. (source: Dermatologic Surgery, 2014)

I also like that Cicatricure includes additional agents like centella asiatica (a.k.a. tigergrass) to promote wound healing, glycerin and aloe vera to improve hydration, chamomile extract to soothe sensitive skin, and bergamot fruit oil for fragrance. Cicatricure is also alcohol-free.

In contrast, Mederma only includes allantoin, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid for hydration.

Finally, Cicatricure recommends applying its scar gel 4x a day while Mederma is only 1x a day. However, it's best to apply an onion extract gel at least twice a day for continuous coverage.

My Verdict: In my opinion, Cicatricure is a better and cheaper version of Mederma with a more extensive ingredient list to help minimize scar formation and maximize recovery results.

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New Mederma Advanced Scar Gel 50g
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2
BEST FOR LOW RISK SCARS

Mederma 
Advanced Scar Gel

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Best For:

❌ High Risk Scars
✅ Low Risk Scars
✅ Mild Burns
✅ Cuts & Scrapes
✅ Bruises
✅ Minor Injuries

Key Ingredients:

⭐ Onion Bulb Extract
⭐ Allantoin
⭐ Panthenol
⭐ Hyaluronic Acid

Key Features:

👍 1x Daily Application
👍 Gel Texture
👍 Mild Fragrance
🕓 4-8 Weeks (New Scars)
🕓 3-6 Months (Old Scars)

With 16,000+ reviews, there's definitely no question that Mederma is the most popular scar treatment (currently the #1 Bestseller in Scar Reducing Treatments).

But does Mederma really work on scars? 🤔

Before I provide you the answer, let me first tell you that I've personally used Mederma for 6+ months, reviewed the original clinical study in 2012 by Dr. Draelos, and consulted the medical literature on scar treatment.

In addition, I'd like you to keep in mind that everyone scars and heals differently, as genetics play a key role in how your body recovers from a wound.

For example, people with a family history of keloids are more likely to develop keloids themselves (1/3 of people with keloids have a first-degree relative with keloids).

In short, use Mederma on "low risk" scars only.

Low risk scars are defined in the International Clinical Recommendations on Scar Management as:

  1. Low Risk of Scarring: no family history of keloids, no sensitive areas like the breast/chest
  2. Low Patient Concern: you're okay with how your scar turns out, regardless the outcome

In other words, I recommend using Mederma for less serious wounds, such as mild burns, cuts & scrapes, bruises & accidents, and other minor injuries.

That's because the key ingredient in Mederma Advanced Scar Gel is onion bulb extract (a.k.a. Cepalin in Mederma's marketing materials and allium cepa in the ingredient list).

Red Onions
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According to the 2014 International Clinical Recommendations on Scar Management (Part 2), a highly influential research paper authored by the world's leading experts on scar treatment, there's conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of onion extract for scars.

Some studies showed positive evidence, like the original clinical trial by Draelos et al. (2012) that was sponsored by Merz Pharmaceuticals (the parent company of Mederma).

In short, this study found a statistically significant difference in scar appearance between Mederma-treated scars (test group) and non-treated scars (control group) after 4-8 weeks.

However, there's a number of major flaws with this study:

  1. Control Group: in this study, the control scars were left completely untreated. This is an extremely low benchmark and even then, the test group only surpassed the control group after 4 weeks of treatment. I'd be more convinced if the control scars were treated with at least a moisturizer as keeping scars hydrated improves wound healing.
  2. Sample Group: out of 44 participants, the vast majority were Caucasian (39), followed by African American (4), and Hispanic (1). As you might expect, the Fitzpatrick skin type was mostly I and II (both are considered very light skin tones). However, this sample almost entirely excludes ethnic skin types which creates a bias because abnormal scar formation like keloids is more common in those of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent.
New Mederma Advanced Scar Gel Ad
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Other studies found that onion extract was no better than similar topical treatments but resulted in more frequent side effects (itchiness, redness) that caused patients to stop using it. (source: International Wound Journal, 2021)

In addition, many studies used multiple active ingredients in their formulations which made it more difficult to isolate the effects of onion extract. (source: Dermatologic Surgery, 2014)

Finally, here's my personal opinion of Mederma Advanced Scar Gel based on 6+ months of using it on my chest keloids:

  • Application: it's very easy to apply (a bit sticky but dries quickly)
  • Results: I did not see any significant improvements in scar height, thickness, or redness, however, my scars did feel slightly smoother
  • Side Effects: I experienced the occasional itchiness, but the more serious side effect was that the area where I applied Mederma turned slightly darker in color (discoloration)

My Verdict: Taking into account the key ingredients, clinical studies, and my own experience, I recommend Mederma Advanced Scar Gel for low risk scars as the medical evidence is mixed. Mederma may help minimize scars from minor injuries and accelerate the recovery process.

For high risk scars, however, I recommend using a silicone gel or silicone sheet because it's safe (no side effects), clinically proven for scar treatment, and reasonably affordable.

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