Mederma Advanced Scar Gel vs Silicone Gel: Which Works After 45?
Quick summary
Mederma Advanced Scar Gel is an onion extract gel, not a silicone gel. Its key ingredients are onion bulb extract and allantoin in a water and alcohol base, applied once a day. A silicone gel works differently: it dries into a thin film that holds moisture in the scar, applied twice a day.
A 2021 meta-analysis in the International Wound Journal found onion extract gel helped scars compared with nothing, but was no better than other common scar treatments. Silicone has the longer research record, though that evidence is modest too. We could not find Mederma in the Chemist Warehouse or Priceline online ranges, so in Australia it is mostly bought from online sellers.
At Genova Skincare we make an Australian silicone scar gel, so this comparison has our own product in it. Prices were checked on 23 September 2026, and results vary from person to person.
30ml, made in Australia and shipped from here. A cosmetic silicone gel for fully healed scars that dries clear in about thirty seconds and sits under sunscreen and makeup. Free standard delivery on Australian orders over $50, with a 30 day money back trial.
Mederma Advanced Scar Gel or silicone gel: which suits a scar after 45?
Mederma is one of the best known scar brands in the world, and many women first used it after a caesarean or a mole removal years ago. It is a fair question whether it still makes sense now.
At Genova Skincare, this is one of the comparisons women over 45 ask us about most often. The short answer is that they are two different kinds of product. Mederma relies on plant extracts soaking into the skin. A silicone gel relies on a film sitting on top of it.
- Mederma may suit you if you strongly prefer a once daily routine, your skin tolerates fragrance and alcohol, and you can buy it easily.
- A silicone gel may suit you if your scar is raised or red, your skin has become more reactive since menopause, or you want the option with the longer research record.
What is in Mederma Advanced Scar Gel, and what it means for mature skin
According to the published ingredient list, Mederma Advanced Scar Gel contains: allantoin, water, PEG 200, alcohol, xanthan gum, allium cepa (onion) bulb extract, lecithin, methylparaben, sorbic acid, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate and fragrance. It contains no silicone.
The onion extract is the ingredient the brand builds its story on. Allantoin is a soothing agent, and panthenol and sodium hyaluronate help hold water in the skin surface.
Two ingredients are worth a second look after 45. Alcohol and fragrance are both more likely to sting skin that has become thinner, drier or more reactive through perimenopause and menopause. That does not mean Mederma will irritate you, but a patch test is sensible.
What the research says about onion extract and silicone gel after 45
The best summary of onion extract is a 2021 meta-analysis of 13 randomised trials by Yuan and colleagues in the International Wound Journal. Onion extract gel improved scars compared with no treatment, but showed no advantage over other commonly used scar treatments. The authors also noted it may carry a higher rate of side effects.
A small double-blinded study in Dermatologic Surgery (Chung and colleagues) compared onion extract gel with plain petroleum jelly on new surgical scars and found no clear difference. A scar management textbook chapter by Poetschke and Gauglitz takes a kinder view, saying the data are contradictory but onion extract creams appear to help texture and itch compared with no treatment.
For silicone, a Cochrane review by O'Brien and Jones found it improved scar thickness and colour, and the same authors called the evidence poor quality and highly susceptible to bias. So neither option is proven beyond doubt. Silicone simply has the longer and more consistent record, which is why international guidelines published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery name it as a first-line option. Our complete guide to fading scars with silicone gel covers this in more depth.
Mederma vs silicone gel in Australia: price and routine for women over 45
Here is what we found on 23 September 2026. Mederma prices vary widely because most listings are imported.
| Option | Main ingredient | How often | Australian price | Roughly per g or ml |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mederma Advanced Scar Gel 20g | Onion extract | Once a day | $44.95 (Whiter Smile, sold out) | About $2.25 |
| Mederma Advanced Scar Gel 50g | Onion extract | Once a day | $77.60 (iHerb AU) | About $1.55 |
| DermaScar Classic 15g | Silicone | Twice a day | $19.49 to $19.99 | About $1.30 |
| Dermatix 15g | Silicone | Twice a day | From $25 | About $1.67 |
| Genova Silicone Scar Gel 30ml | Silicone | Twice a day | $52.95 | About $1.77 |
Grams and millilitres are not interchangeable, so treat the last column as a rough guide. Per gram, the 50g Mederma tube costs less than ours, and a once daily routine makes a tube last longer again, so we are not claiming ours is the cheaper course. We are not the cheapest silicone gel either: our DermaScar guide covers a lower priced one, and our Australian scar gel price table compares eleven brands.
Mederma's own directions are once a day, for at least 8 weeks on new scars and 3 to 6 months on older ones, starting once the wound has closed and any scab has come away on its own.
See the Genova 12-Week Course →
Realistic expectations
With either product, itch and tightness often ease first. Colour and texture change slowly across 8–12 weeks of consistent use, and older or surgical scars may need 3 to 6 months. Research in Seminars in Plastic Surgery describes scars maturing over 12 to 18 months.
Neither Mederma nor any silicone gel removes a scar. Results vary from person to person.
What Mederma and silicone gels cannot do after 45
Neither will fill a pitted or sunken acne scar, because the missing tissue sits below the surface. Neither is a fix for stretch marks, and neither is designed to fade flat brown marks. If colour is your main concern, our guide to why scars stay red or dark explains the options.
A large, growing or painful keloid needs a doctor, not only a gel. Our guide to keloid scars after 45 explains where that line sits.
Who should skip Mederma or a silicone gel after 45
Wait, do not buy yet, if the wound is still open, weeping or scabbed. Mederma says to wait until the wound has closed and scabs have come away, and ours is for closed skin only too. When to start scar gel after surgery covers the timing.
Skip Mederma if fragrance or alcohol usually makes your skin sting, or if waiting on an imported order would break your routine.
See a doctor first if the scar is growing, painful or changing in a way that worries you.
Mederma questions Australian women over 45 ask most
Does Mederma Advanced Scar Gel actually work?
It may help a scar look better than doing nothing, but a 2021 meta-analysis found it was no better than other common scar treatments. Results vary, and it works on how a scar looks, not whether it is there.
Does Mederma remove scars permanently?
No. No cream or gel removes a scar, and Mederma's own product information says no product can make scars disappear completely. The realistic aim is a softer, flatter, less noticeable scar.
What is the difference between Mederma and Mederma Advanced?
Both use onion extract. Mederma describes the Advanced Scar Gel as once a day, against three times a day for its original gel.
Does Mederma remove dark spots?
It is not designed as a pigmentation product. For dark marks, sun protection and brightening ingredients are more relevant than a scar gel.
Can I use Mederma and silicone gel together?
The meta-analysis found onion extract combined with silicone did better than other treatments, but layering two products on sensitive skin raises the chance of irritation. If you want both, ask your pharmacist, and patch test first.
Can you buy Mederma in Australia?
Yes, mostly through online sellers such as Whiter Smile, iHerb and eBay. We could not find it in the Chemist Warehouse or Priceline online ranges on 23 September 2026, and prices vary a lot between sellers.
If Mederma has worked for you before and your skin still tolerates it, it is a reasonable choice. If your skin has changed, or your scar is raised and red, a silicone gel is the option the research backs more consistently. Either way, give it at least 12 weeks before you judge it.
Silicone, made in Australia and shipped from here
A cosmetic silicone gel for fully healed scars. Dries clear in about thirty seconds and sits under sunscreen and makeup.
12-Week Course, 2 pack
2 x 30ml. For a longer scar, or a full course in one purchase.
Made in Australia. For fully healed skin only. Results vary from person to person.
Individual results vary. Mederma is a registered brand of its owner and is not affiliated with Genova Skincare; it is referenced here for comparison only. Genova Silicone Scar Gel is a cosmetic product designed to support the appearance of scars and is not a substitute for advice from your GP, surgeon or pharmacist. Apply only to skin that has fully closed. Australian prices quoted are from retailer listings checked on 23 September 2026 and change by seller and promotion. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
Sources:
- Yuan X, Shen J, Chen L, Wang L, Yan Q, Zhang J. Onion extract gel is not better than other topical treatments in scar management: a meta-analysis from randomised controlled trials. International Wound Journal. 2021;18(3):396-409.
- Chung VQ, Kelley L, Marra D, Jiang SB. Onion extract gel versus petrolatum emollient on new surgical scars: prospective double-blinded study. Dermatologic Surgery. 2006;32(2):193-197.
- Poetschke J, Gauglitz GG. Onion extract. In: Téot L, Mustoe TA, Middelkoop E, Gauglitz GG, eds. Textbook on Scar Management. Springer; 2020.
- Mustoe TA, Cooter RD, Gold MH, et al. International clinical recommendations on scar management. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2002;110(2):560-571.
- O'Brien L, Jones DJ. Silicone gel sheeting for preventing and treating hypertrophic and keloid scars. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013;(9):CD003826.
- Commander SJ, Chamata E, Cox J, Dickey RM, Lee EI. Update on postsurgical scar management. Seminars in Plastic Surgery. 2016;30(3):122-128.
- Mederma Advanced Scar Gel ingredients and directions, mederma.com, accessed 23 September 2026. Australian listings: Whiter Smile, iHerb Australia and eBay Australia, checked 23 September 2026.
