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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$31.79 ($18.06 / Ounce)
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Best For:
Burns, Cuts & Bruises, New Scars
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Best For:
Burns, Cuts & Bruises, New Scars
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Ingredients:
Glycerin, Centella Asiatica, Onion Extract, Chamomile, Bergamot Oil, Allantoin, Aloe Vera, Hyaluronic Acid
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Ingredients:
Allantoin, Cepalin (Onion Extract), Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid
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Pros:
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Cons:
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💡 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:
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:
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.
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.
Shop NowBest 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:
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).
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:
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:
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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