Scarless vs Cimeosil: silicone scar gel comparison

Quick comparison

The differences that matter most

1. 1

   Product range. Cimeosil's range includes a gel and silicone Gel Sheeting in a variety of shapes and sizes, two formats for scar management. Scarless is one gel, in a 15 g tube. For anyone who wants the option of a sheet as well as a gel, Cimeosil's range offers both.

2. 2

   Formula. Scarless lists silicones plus squalane, an emollient, and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, a vitamin C derivative. Cimeosil Gel's US product page lists polysiloxanes, that is, medical-grade silicone. A longer ingredient list does not show better scar outcomes.

3. 3

   Daily routine. Cimeosil Gel is applied twice a day, in the morning and before bedtime, as a very small amount with the excess wiped away, since too much may stain bedding or clothing; make-up goes on once it has dried, after about 15 to 20 minutes, and the gel is worn over sunscreen. Scarless is applied two to three times a day, rubbed in until it dries in a few minutes, and sunscreen goes on top.

Application and daily routine

Each manufacturer's own instructions, side by side:

• How to apply. Scarless: squeeze out a small amount, spread a thin layer over the scar and rub in gently until it dries. Cimeosil Gel, according to its US instructions: wash the area and pat it dry, apply a very small amount with a clean fingertip and gently wipe away the excess, since too much may stain bedding or clothing.
• How often. Scarless: two to three times a day. Cimeosil Gel: twice a day, in the morning and before bedtime.
• How long. Scarless: two to three months, and longer for established scars. Cimeosil: a typical regimen is 60 to 90 days of daily use, and use can continue longer.
• Make-up and sunscreen. Scarless can be covered with cosmetics or sunscreen once it has dried. With Cimeosil Gel, make-up goes on after about 15 to 20 minutes of drying, and the gel is worn over sunscreen, so sunscreen goes on first. See how to apply Scarless.
• Day to day. With Cimeosil Gel, that means two very small applications a day, morning and bedtime, wiping away any excess. With Scarless, two or three thin applications a day, rubbed in until dry within a few minutes.

Scar types, stages and intended use

• Healed, closed skin only. Neither gel is for open wounds. Scarless is applied once the wound has fully closed and sutures are removed. Cimeosil's US information says it is not for open wounds or infected areas and puts it simply: when the sutures come out, Cimeosil goes on.
• Scar types each one names. Scarless: surgical, C-section, burn, hypertrophic and keloid-type scars. Cimeosil's US materials position it prominently for keloid and hypertrophic scars after burns, abrasions or lacerations. That is the manufacturer's positioning, not an independent comparison of results.
• New and older scars. Scarless uses the same routine for new and older scars. Cimeosil's FAQ says it can be used on older scars and advises starting as soon as possible once a wound has fully closed.
• Children. Scarless is suitable for children and sensitive skin once the skin has fully healed; ask a doctor or pharmacist before use in infants. Cimeosil describes its products as safe for adults and children when used as directed.

What the evidence can and cannot tell us

Silicone as a class. Silicone gels and sheets are widely recommended in scar-management guidance, particularly for hypertrophic scars and keloids. However, systematic reviews have found that the certainty of evidence for some outcomes is low or very low.

Cimeosil Gel itself. Two small randomised trials used Cimeosil silicone gel, named in their full texts. In 64 young children after hypospadias surgery, gel applied twice a day for two months improved scar redness, pliability and height compared with petroleum jelly, but not colour. In 32 women after a caesarean section, half of each scar treated with Cimeosil gel and the other half with another brand's silicone sheet showed no difference in scar scores. Both studies were small, and the second was not blinded.

Gel or sheet. That second trial compared a gel with a sheet and found them similar; it did not test Cimeosil's own sheeting, so no study identified here shows how Cimeosil Gel Sheeting itself performs.

The ingredients beyond silicone. The research on squalane and on vitamin C derivatives looks at the ingredients themselves, not at Scarless as a finished product.

Scarless itself. The published research that Goodness Care cites is on silicone, on the individual ingredients and on related formulations, not on Scarless as a finished product.

A direct comparison. No published study comparing Scarless and Cimeosil directly has been identified.

Scarless may help improve the appearance of scars. More on the research, and its limits, is on the published research page.