The 9 Best Scar Creams, Tested and Reviewed

Price at time of publication: $29

9 Best Scar Creams and Gels, Recommended by Doctors

Whether it’s a new one or a mark that’s been there for years, these treatments can help.

Reviewed by Birnur K. Aral, Ph.D. Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab Executive Director

Whoever said “nothing lasts forever” apparently never had to deal with a stubborn scar. Scars are the body’s way of healing certain wounds (from surgery, accidents, stretch marks, acne, etc.) so they are necessary — at first. “You can injure the epidermis [the outer layer of skin], without a scar, but as soon as you get into the dermis [the layer of skin underneath], a scar will form,” explains Heather D. Rogers, M.D., of Modern Dermatology in Seattle.

These are the best scar creams, gels and sheets that can be helpful at diminishing, fading and flattening those reminders of old wounds.

Our top picks:

Best Overall Scar Cream

Strataderm Professional Scar Therapy Gel

Best Value Scar Cream

ScarAway Treatment Gel

Best Scar Cream for New Scars

Mederma Advanced Scar Gel

Best Scar Cream for Post-Surgery

Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar

Best Scar Cream for Face

Mederma Advanced Scar Cream Plus SPF 30

Best Scar Sheets for Older Scars

Cica-Care Self-Adhesive Silicone Gel Sheet

Best Scar Cream for Keloid scars

ScarAway Kelo-cote Advanced Formula Scar Gel

Best Organic Scar cream

Earth Mama Organic Skin and Scar Balm

Best Scar Oil for Stretch Marks

Bio-Oil Skincare Body Oil

There are several factors that determine how long a scar will last, and how prominent it will be: “The biggest player in how someone heals is genetics — some people just heal better than others,” says Dr. Rogers. The severity of the initial injury can also have an effect on how long the scar lasts. But Dr. Rogers adds that you can help that mark fade away faster with proper scar care.

While there are a host of ingredients that can be effective one component is clearly a superstar: silicone. “Active ingredients, such as onion extract and vitamin E, are popular over-the-counter formulations,” says Adele Haimovic, M.D., a New York and New Jersey-based surgical and cosmetic dermatologist. “However, silicone-based creams, gels and tapes have the most scientific evidence to back their effectiveness in softening, smoothing, and minimizing the appearance of scars.”

After our reviews of the best doctor-recommended options to make those scars fade away, you’ll find the answers to some of your top questions about scars and scar care at the bottom of this guide.

The 9 Best Scar Creams, Tested and Reviewed

Reduce the appearance of unwanted scars with these top products.

No matter how careful you are, scars happen. Environmental exposures, infections, injuries—the possibilities for acquiring scars are endless. While some scars are small and inconspicuous enough to go unnoticed, others may be larger, darker, rougher, or in a highly visible location. If you have a more noticeable scar, you may have considered using a scar cream to help repair it faster. Scar creams can not only speed the healing process but also moisturize the skin, which further promotes health and regrowth.

That said, some scar creams make promises they can’t keep. We tested 30 OTC scar treatment products in the Verywell Testing Lab to see which ones lived up to their hype and which ones were just hype. Then we spoke with dermatologists about the most important things to consider in a scar cream, like their ingredients (silicone and hyaluronic acid), texture (the more lightweight, the better), whether the form of the treatment is well suited for the location of the scar on your body, and whether the treatment may interact negatively with another product in your skincare routine.

Best Overall

Biodermis Epi-Derm C-Strip Silicone Scar Sheets

• Washable and reusable
• Comfortable to wear 24/7
• Effective on dark scars

• May not work for non-cesarean scars
• Looks dirty after 1 to 2 weeks

Even with the advances in modern medicine, women who undergo cesarean sections to deliver their babies still have to live with a noticeable scar afterward—unless they use the Biodermis Epi-Derm C-Strip Package. We found this product not only simple to use but also more effective than most other treatments we tried. After wearing the strip 24/7 for two weeks, our staffer’s purple C-section scar turned a faint white.

Although it does require a prolonged commitment—you wear, wash, and reuse the strip every day, only removing it for bathing or swimming—we had zero complaints about the strip’s comfort. It didn’t stick to our clothes, come loose, pull at our skin, or leave any residue or discoloration except for a brief white cast for a few minutes after removing it. Most of the time, we totally forgot we were wearing it.

The only downsides we could find were actually just minor annoyances: The strip looked kind of dirty after the first week, and you only get one strip per package. Even though we were happy with the results after two weeks, we would have loved to have another go at it with a second strip without paying for an additional strip.

Price at time of publication: $29

Key Specs:
Form: Sheet | Active Ingredients: Silicone | Dose: 1 strip | Usage: C-section and hysterectomy scars

Best Overall Runner-Up

Boysea Professional Silicone Scar Sheets

• Sizing is easy to choose
• No residue or odor
• Leaves skin soft and smooth

• Uncomfortable to wear for prolonged periods
• May work better on old scars versus new ones

We were so happy with how the Boysea Professional Silicone Scar Sheets lightened and flattened out an old C-section scar that we picked it as our runner-up for best overall treatment. It wasn’t as comfortable to wear 24/7 as the Biodermis strip we ultimately chose as our top product, but it was incredibly easy to use and improved our scar enough that we’d still highly recommend it.

The sheets come on a perforated roll, making it easy to tear off the size you need and remove the backing before applying it to your scar. We were happy to find that the sheets left no sticky residue on our skin when we removed them. In fact, our skin felt soft, smooth, and supple.

Because the scar we tested with these sheets was more than four years old, we were impressed when they improved both the pigmentation and texture of the scar—especially since we only wore the sheets at night while we slept. However, it was pretty uncomfortable for us to keep them on for the recommended 24 hours a day, so keep that in mind.

Price at time of publication: $20

Key Specs:
Form: Sheet | Active Ingredients: Silicone | Dose: 1 sheet | Usage: Multi-use

Best Budget

ScarAway Silicone Scar Gel

• Easy, roll-on application
• Cooling and hydrating
• Lightens and smooths stubborn scars

• Results require a lot of time and diligence
• Leaves a slightly sticky residue

The Scaraway Silicone Scar Gel probably won’t work miracles on very noticeable scars, but we were pleased enough with its effects that we think it’s a solid choice for people on a budget. The scar we tested this gel on was the size of a nickel with a bumpy texture and multiple colorations. After several months, the bumpier parts of the scar had smoothed out and the overall pigmentation of the scar was closer to our skin tone.

While it took a while for us to see results, we can’t complain about how easy it was to use this product. Because it comes in a roll-on stick, remembering to use it twice daily is super simple. we loved how we could just roll on a thin layer of the gel as part of our daily routine. There was a little bit of residue, but not enough to bother us. The consistency made it feel like aloe and left us with a cooling, hydrating sensation. Ultimately, the effects weren’t outstanding, but they were promising enough to motivate us to stick with it (and considering how easy the gel is to use, that was fine with us).

Price at time of publication: $12

Key Specs:
Form: Gel | Active Ingredients: Silicone | Dose: Thin coating, twice daily | Usage: Keloid and hypertrophic scars

Best for Overnight

Cimeosil Scar and Laser Gel

• Noticeably lightens and flattens small scars
• Creates a waterproof seal for maximum healing
• Can be used twice daily

• Strange, plastic-like texture
• Works better on small scars versus large ones

Using this gel was a bit like laying down a waterproof seal of plastic wrap on our scars, which is why we recommend the Cimeosil Scar and Laser Gel for nighttime use (i.e. when no one will be giving your scar the side-eye). But we can’t argue with its effectiveness—we used this treatment twice a day for the duration of testing, and by the time we were done, the large scar we were treating had more flesh tones and less reddish-purple tones in it. It also felt both flatter and more sensitized to the touch. Meanwhile, the small scar we treated had a significant reduction in both color and puffiness, flattening out and lightening more to our skin tone.

Our biggest issue with the Cimeosil gel was the texture and consistency of the product itself. It created a tacky seal over the skin that was waterproof but also noticeable for the first few hours before blending better into the skin. Unfortunately, over time, it clogged up some of our pores. We didn’t mind it, that kind of application and appearance isn’t for everyone.

Price at time of publication: $36

Key Specs:
Form: Gel | Active Ingredients: Silicone | Dose: Thin coating, twice daily | Usage: Keloid and hypertrophic scars

Best for Discoloration

Rejuvaskin RejûvaSil Silicone Scar Gel

• Easy, smooth application
• Visibly lightens some types of scars

• May work better on old scars versus new ones
• Does not affect the texture of scars

We tested the RejûvaSil Silicone Scar Gel on two flat scars—one about two years old and one only three months old. The goal in treating both of these scars was to lighten their pigmentation since neither was raised at the start of our testing. While we saw a noticeable difference in the older scar, noting that it faded nicely to the point of mostly blending in with our skin, we didn’t see the same kind of results with the newer scar.

That said, this gel was fairly easy for us to incorporate into our daily routine; we could smoothly spread a pea-sized amount over each scar, and it left no residue or odor behind. At $50, we think this one is a bit overpriced for the results it delivers, but the manufacturer also recommends using the gel two to three times per day and we only managed once on average. With the right scar (i.e. an older one) and some patience, you might see improvement in discoloration with this gel.

Price at time of publication: $49

Key Specs:
Form: Gel | Active Ingredients: Silicone | Dose: Thin coating | Usage: Multi-use

Best Sheets

ScarAway Clear Silicone Scar Sheets

• Smoothing and hydrating
• Flattens and softens scars
• Can be worn for up to 10 days

• Hard to apply
• Sheets need to be trimmed for small scars

If you’re looking for something budget-friendly but don’t think a gel-based product like the Scaraway Silicone Scar Gel is for you, we recommend using the Scaraway Clear Silicone Scar Sheets instead. These soothing, hydrating gel sheets were a dream to wear and became nearly invisible on the skin. They also changed the texture and appearance of four out of five scars we tested them on, which Vicki Rapaport, MD, dermatologist and founder of Rapaport Dermatology of Beverly Hills says is one of the best reasons to use them. According to Dr. Rapaport, the sheets can be used to minimize the visibility of existing and fresh scars, helping to flatten, soften, and smooth them out.

Our only complaint? While these sheets are marketed as being easy to apply and wear for up to 10 days, your mileage may vary. Personally, we had trouble peeling off the adhesive backing without the sheets sticking to themselves, which decreased the overall value of these sheets (because we had to throw two out of six sheets away immediately). We didn’t like that they were all one size, forcing us to trim the sheets down to smaller sizes. We also didn’t get the extended wear advertised with some of our applications, but the scars we were treating were on our feet. If you’re using them on a different part of your body, you might have better luck.

Price at time of publication: $36

Key Specs:
Form: Sheet | Active Ingredients: Silicone | Dose: 1 sheet | Usage: Multi-use