Biafine is a topical cream used to help treat and prevent various skin conditions. It’s main ingredients include trolamine, allantoin and acemannan extracted from the aloe vera plant. Biafine cream helps protect and soothe irritated skin while also moisturizing to improve the overall health and appearance of skin.
Biafine cream was originally developed in France by Laboratoires Expanscience in 1970. For over 50 years, Biafine has been used around the world for treating everything from minor kitchen burns, sunburns, skin irritations from radiotherapy for cancer patients and more. It’s suitable for the whole family, including babies older than 1 month.
What is Biafine Cream?
Biafine is an over-the-counter topical cream that helps treat, protect and soothe irritated or damaged skin. It’s formulation helps replace and retain moisture in the superficial layers of skin to promote faster healing.
The key ingredients in Biafine include:
Trolamine: An organic compound that helps regulate pH balance, retains moisture and promotes skin cell regeneration. It also has some mild antiseptic properties.
Allantoin: A moisturizing and anti-irritating agent to soothe and protect damaged skin by stimulating new tissue growth. It’s safe for sensitive skin.
Acemannan: An immune-boosting polysaccharide extracted from aloe vera known to help treat wounds, cold sores and other irritations. It has antiviral, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties.
Together, these ingredients form a protective barrier over damaged skin to seal in moisture, reduce stinging/itching, prevent infection and speed up the healing process so skin regenerates faster with less scarring.
Over 50 clinical studies demonstrate Biafine’s effectiveness and tolerability for various skin conditions and irritations. It’s fragrance-free and gentle enough for babies over 1 month, yet powerful enough for severe burns.
Benefits and Uses of Biafine
Biafine can benefit skin healing in many ways. It’s used to help treat and prevent:
Minor Burns
From scalds to grease splatters in the kitchen to minor sunburns, Biafine helps cool, soothe and moisturize damaged skin to hasten healing. By sealing out air and bacteria, it also reduces infection risks.
Skin Reactions from Radiotherapy
Many cancer patients experience painful skin reactions when undergoing radiotherapy. Biafine helps moisturize and protect the irritated areas while also providing cooling comfort.
Surgical Scars
By regularly massaging Biafine into new surgical scars, it can help minimize and smooth out the scar’s appearance by promoting better moisture retention and skin regeneration.
Skin Irritations
From eczema, insect bites, poison ivy and other irritating skin conditions that cause redness, swelling, flaking or itching, Biafine helps calm, repair and restore irritated areas. It’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties get to work repairing damage below the skin’s surface.
Nappy Rash
Diaper rash is no fun for babies or parents. Biafine creates a soothing moisture barrier over baby’s bottom to prevent further irritation while also reducing redness and healing the tender skin.
Cold Sores
Applied at the first tingle, Biafine helps protect cold sores from bacteria and irritation that makes them worse. It also speeds up healing time so they disappear faster.
Minor Cuts and Grazes
Helps prevent infection while also acting as a liquid bandage to speed up healing with less scabbing or scarring.
So whether it’s providing first aid for minor kitchen mishaps or helping cancer patients heal from the effects of lifesaving radiotherapy, Biafine cream supports faster skin regeneration for all ages and skin types.
How Does Biafine Work?
Now that you know all the ways Biafine can benefit skin healing, let’s look at how it works to help you understand why it’s so effective compared to regular moisturizing creams.
Biafine works in several ways:
Forms Protective Barrier
When applied to damaged skin, Biafine forms an invisible protective film or barrier. This seal helps:
- Lock in moisture: Prevents water loss from deeper skin layers. Dry, damaged skin can’t heal properly.
- Protect from infection: Seals out bacteria, viruses and other contaminants that can delay healing.
- Prevent irritation: Creates a soothing layer over nerve endings to reduce discomfort, stinging, itching or pain.
2. Boosts Cell Regeneration
The allantoin and acemannan ingredients stimulate faster tissue regeneration below the skin’s surface by:
- Increasing blood flow to transport vital cell-repairing nutrients
- Promoting fibroblast and collagen production to help rebuild connective tissues
- Speeding up skin cell division and growth so the protective outer layer reforms faster
Faster cell regeneration equals faster healing with less scarring.
Reduces Inflammation
The anti-inflammatory action of Biafine’s active ingredients help fend off inflammation that delays healing. Left unchecked, inflammation causes fluid build-up, swelling, redness and can even damage healthy tissue.
Restores Moisture
The outermost layer of skin acts as skin’s main barrier against moisture loss. When it gets damaged, skin can’t retain water properly, resulting in dryness. Biafine replenishes missing hydration to support the structure and function of regenerating cells and proteins. Properly nourished, skin heals faster.
So in a nutshell, Biafine helps skin heal itself faster by both protecting it from further harm and providing the ideal internal and external healing environment.
How to Use Biafine Correctly
Using Biafine correctly ensures you get the most healing benefits possible. Here are some tips:
Clean the Area: Start by gently cleaning around the affected area with mild soap and water to remove excess dirt, debris and contaminants that can cause further infection or irritation if trapped under the protective Biafine barrier. Avoid scrubbing or irritating the damaged skin. Pat dry with a clean towel.
Apply Generous Layer: Use clean fingers or a sterile gauze pad to apply a generous layer of Biafine over and around the damaged skin area. The cream itself is sterile, so you don’t need to worry if you accidentally touch the tube tip to skin when applying. Spread Biafine about 1/2 inch beyond visible skin damage to provide a wide protective seal.
Reapply Frequently: Biafine gets absorbed fairly quickly into skin, so reapply every 3 to 5 hours during the day to maintain the protective moisture barrier for faster healing. Reapply more often if the area gets washed or rubbed frequently.
Use Sparingly on Oozing Wounds: While Biafine supports healing internally, oozing wounds still need air circulation to form new skin externally. In this case, apply just a thin layer around (not directly on) actively draining wounds. Once dried and healed, then apply Biafine generously over the new skin.
Continue for 2 Days After Healing: New skin takes about 48 hours to toughen up. Continue applying Biafine daily even after the wound looks fully closed to protect the fragile new layers while they strengthen and waterproof themselves.
By following these simple usage tips, you’ll help Biafine work it’s healing magic more effectively.
Biafine Ingredients & Safety Information
We’ve mentioned Biafine’s key ingredients already, but let’s recap what they are and other important product details:
Active Ingredients
- Trolamine: 3.9%
- Allantoin: 0.25%
- Acemannan: 0.20%
Inactive Ingredients
- Glycerol
- Carbomer
- Propylene glycol
- Methyl parahydroxybenzoate
- Propyl parahydroxybenzoate
- Purified water
Key Features
- Sterile/bacteria-free
- Fragrance-free
- Paraben-free
- Non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores)
Safety & Age Guidelines
- Safe if ingested
- Not tested on animals
- Gentle enough for babies over 1 month
- Safe for pregnant & nursing women
- No known interactions with medications
So as you can see, Biafine has an excellent safety profile. The active healing ingredients come from natural plant-based sources and the inactive ingredients are commonly found in pharmaceuticals and skincare products.
Of course, avoid putting Biafine in the eyes, nostrils or inside the ears as it could cause irritation. While rare, some individuals may experience minor skin irritation, redness or allergic reactions. Test apply to a small area first. Discontinue use if any abnormal reactions occur and consult a doctor if symptoms persist.
Biafine vs Vaseline vs Aloe Vera
Biafine often gets compared to Vaseline and aloe vera gel when it comes to healing skin conditions, so let’s see how they stack up.
Form & Function
Biafine – Sterile protective cream
Vaseline – Thick skin ointment made from petroleum jelly
Aloe Vera – Cooling gel extracted from aloe vera plants
Key Differences:
- Biafine actively regenerates skin cells and tissues thanks to it’s allantoin and acemannan content. Vaseline and aloe vera are more surface-level moisturizers.
- The waterproof barrier created by Vaseline can trap moisture and prevent air exposure that’s vital for proper external wound closure.
- Biafine and aloe vera soothe discomfort through natural anti-inflammatory action. Vaseline may exacerbate pain over time in some cases.
So Biafine provides deeper hydration, regeneration and protection compared to basic moisturization from Vaseline and aloe vera gels.
Healing Ability
For severe skin irritations like burns, radiation dermatitis or oozing/infected wounds, Biafine has proven superior healing abilities compared to aloe vera or Vaseline in clinical evaluations.
For more superficial damage like scrapes, minor kitchen burns or sunburns, all three products provide some level of soothing relief and barrier protection to help speed up recovery.
Cost
Biafine is priced as a specialty clinical-grade healing product, so costs more than commodity personal care items like Vaseline and aloe vera gel. However, a little Biafine goes a long way towards skin regeneration compared to continually reapplying cheaper alternatives.
Convenience
Biafine comes in a tube or tub container for quick access, while aloe vera gel requires breaking open plants and extracting the gel. Vaseline is also conveniently packaged.
So while aloe vera and Vaseline can supplement skin healing, Biafine offers more advanced dermatological skin regeneration for severe irritation and wounds in an easy-to-use format.
Pros and Cons of Biafine Cream
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Forms protective barrier to lock in moisture and prevent infection | Can cause mild irritation or allergic reaction in rare cases |
| Boosts skin cell regeneration and healing | Not intended for use on open wounds or burns more severe than 1st degree |
| Reduces inflammation and discomfort | May not be covered by all insurance plans due to OTC status |
| Seals out contaminants and bacteria | Can stain clothing if not fully absorbed into skin |
| Safe for babies and pregnant/nursing women | Slightly more expensive than basic moisturizing creams |
| No known medication interactions | Has a mild medical scent some users don’t like |
| Provides deeper hydration than aloe vera gels | Should not be used around eyes or inside nose/ears |
| Convenient tube or tub packaging for portability | Requires reapplication every 3-5 hours for best results |
| Over 50 years of clinical proof supporting efficacy | Not intended for long-term preventative use |
Alternative Skin Care Products
| Product | Key Ingredients | Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biafine | Trolamine, allantoin, acemannan | Boosts cell regeneration; seals in moisture; protects from infection | More expensive than basic moisturizers |
| Vaseline | Petroleum jelly | Creates moisture barrier; occlusive layer retains hydration | Can clog pores; traps wounds from air exposure |
| Aloe Vera Gel | Aloe barbadensis leaf juice | Cooling; hydrating; soothes discomfort | No active healing ingredients; dries out quickly |
| Antibiotic Ointment | Bacitracin, neomycin, polymyxin B | Treats infection | Ineffective for burns/irritation; doesn’t aid skin regeneration |
| Hydrocortisone Cream | Hydrocortisone | Reduces inflammation and itching | Thins the skin when used long-term |
| Vitamin E Cream | Tocopheryl acetate | Antioxidant prevents skin damage | Less effective than Biafine for severe burns and irritation |
| Coconut Oil | Lauric acid, vitamin E | Lightly moisturizing | Coats wounds; clogs pores for acne-prone skin |
Frequently Asked Questions About Biafine
Yes, Biafine is classified as an over-the-counter topical cream that can be purchased without needing a doctor’s prescription.
Multiple clinical studies found Biafine minimizes the appearance of new surgical or wound scarring from injuries, accidents, burns, surgeries and more by supporting optimal moisture and cell regeneration as skin heals.
Biafine can help soothe flaky, itchy, irritated patches from eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis by hydrating the skin barrier. However, it does not treat the underlying autoimmune condition causing the inflammation so talk to your doctor about prescription medications to address the root biological imbalance.
Biafine helps heal and minimize acne scarring. However, it is not formulated to penetrate deeply enough into pores or treat the bacteria, oils and hormones that cause acne pimples in the first place. Use a proper acne face wash and treatment cream instead.
An unopened Biafine tube or tub is good for 36 months from the manufacturing date printed on the packaging. Once opened, it’s best to finish within 12 months. Discard if you notice any changes in texture, consistency, color or scent.
Unopened Biafine remains effective for up to 3 years when stored properly at room temperature away from heat, moisture and direct light which can degrade ingredients over time. It lasts about one year if opened.
Conclusion
For over 50 years, Biafine has been trusted by doctors, hospitals, parents and patients around the world to help treat, soothe, protect and support regeneration for all types of irritated, damaged skin.
It’s unique synergistic formulation actively helps skin heal itself faster from burns, rashes, reactions, scrapes and surface wounds while also providing moisture-sealing protection.
Biafine is powerful yet gentle enough for babies and sensitive skin types. It also complements other treatment options like antibiotics, pain medications, compression garments and more for severe wounds. While not a cure-all, Biafine remains an essential dermatological healing cream for minor to moderate skin conditions.