Bio-Oil vs Portia M: SA Tissue Oils for Scars & Dry Skin, Compared
The household-name scar oil against Portia M's marula tissue oil — mineral oil bases, fragrance and real body-skin performance.
Two familiar bottles, one shared secret
Bio-Oil and Portia M's Marula Tissue Oil sit in the same category of South African medicine-cabinet staples — the bottle you reach for on stretch marks, scars and generally dry, rough body skin. What most buyers don't realise is that both are built on the same foundation: paraffinum liquidum, better known as mineral oil, with a signature botanical extra layered on top.
Reading past the marketing
Bio-Oil's formula centres on retinyl palmitate (a vitamin A derivative) and calendula oil alongside its mineral oil base, and it's the more clinically documented of the two — a brand-commissioned proDERM Institute randomised controlled trial reported 66% of subjects showing significant scar improvement after two weeks, rising to 92% at eight weeks. That's brand-funded research rather than independent peer review, but it's more formal evidence than most body oils on the shelf offer.
Portia M's Marula Tissue Oil is worth an honesty flag: despite the marula-forward branding, this is a mineral oil base with marula seed oil added, not a pure marula oil product. That's not a dealbreaker — mineral oil is an effective, well-tolerated occlusive for dry, non-acne-prone skin — but it does mean you're paying primarily for a very well-established base ingredient with a smaller proportion of the marketed hero extract.
Fragrance, and who should be cautious
Both products are fragranced, which matters if you're using either near the face or on genuinely acne-prone or reactive skin — fragrance is a common irritant, and mineral-oil-based formulas can feel heavy or occlusive enough to contribute to breakouts on already oily skin. For body use on dry, non-reactive skin, neither is a concern; for facial or highly sensitive use, both deserve caution.
Price and value
At R155 for 60ml, Bio-Oil costs roughly R2.58/ml. Portia M's 162 rand price for its bottle works out only marginally different per ml depending on pack size at your retailer — close enough that value comes down to whether you want Bio-Oil's more documented clinical positioning or Portia M's locally accessible, marula-branded alternative at a comparable price.
Our take
If scar and stretch-mark improvement with some published (if brand-funded) evidence behind it matters most to you, Bio-Oil is the better-supported choice. If you're simply after an effective, affordable body oil for everyday dryness and don't mind that "marula" is more of a co-star than the lead ingredient, Portia M performs a very similar job at a similar price. Either way: patch-test on fragrance-sensitive or acne-prone skin first, and keep both off the face if you're breakout-prone.
Which one actually makes sense for you
Better documented for scars and stretch marks
Bio-Oil — a brand-funded proDERM Institute RCT reports meaningful improvement from two weeks onward.
Better if you want a locally accessible marula-branded option
Portia M Marula Tissue Oil — comparable performance at a similar price, widely stocked at Clicks and Dis-Chem.
Better for acne-prone or facial use
Neither — both are fragranced mineral-oil formulas better suited to body skin than the face.
Better value per ml
Roughly comparable — the small price gap between the two isn't decisive either way.
Key takeaways
- Both Bio-Oil and Portia M's Marula Tissue Oil use a mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum) base, despite different marketing angles.
- Bio-Oil has more formal (if brand-funded) clinical trial data behind its scar and stretch-mark claims than Portia M.
- Portia M's 'marula' branding is accurate but the marula seed oil is a smaller addition to a mineral-oil base, not the primary ingredient.
- Both are fragranced and best confined to body use on dry, non-acne-prone skin rather than the face.
From the Knowledge Hub
Frequently asked questions
Is Bio-Oil actually better than Portia M for scars?
Bio-Oil has more formal supporting data — a brand-commissioned proDERM Institute trial reported 66% of subjects showing significant scar improvement at two weeks, rising to 92% at eight weeks. Portia M's Marula Tissue Oil is a similar mineral-oil-based formula without equivalent published trial data, though anecdotally many users find it comparably effective.
Is Portia M's Marula Tissue Oil actually made mostly of marula oil?
No — it's a mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum) base with marula seed oil added, not a pure marula oil product. This is worth knowing if you were specifically shopping for a marula-oil-led formula rather than a mineral-oil one.
Can I use either of these on my face?
Both are fragranced and mineral-oil-based, which can feel heavy or contribute to breakouts on oily or acne-prone facial skin. They're best kept to body use unless your face is dry and non-reactive, and even then, patch-test first.
Which is the better value option for everyday dry body skin?
At broadly similar prices per ml, the choice comes down to preference rather than value — Bio-Oil for its more documented scar-focused positioning, Portia M for its accessible, marula-branded everyday alternative.
Editorial disclaimer: SKINLABS's views and opinions are independent. This article is not paid or sponsored content. Product information is assessed using publicly available information, ingredient analysis, editorial research and, where applicable, product testing. Prices, availability and formulations may change.
Reader discussion
Refilwe_Polokwane
Had no idea Portia M's marula oil was actually a mineral oil base — good honesty flag to call that out.
2026/08/30
Craig_PE
Been using Bio-Oil on stretch marks since my daughter was born, that proDERM stat tracks with what I've seen.
2026/08/30
Zinhle_Benoni
Portia M is so much easier to find near me than Bio-Oil sometimes, good to know it's doing similar work.
2026/08/30