We had previously written about the original StriVectin-SD, when a reader asked about its ability to repair stretch marks. That was StriVectin’s initial claim to fame, though the fame was all self-promoted, as there is not a single independent, peer-reviewed study to prove that StriVectin is an effective option for repairing stretch marks. The studies that do exist about StriVectin’s benefits for stretch marks were paid for by Klein-Becker, the company that distributes StriVectin (and is associated with Bremenn Research Labs, which has a growing history of trouble with the FDA and various watchdog advertising organizations).
According to the company’s ads, they were surprised to find that not only was StriVectin-SD getting rid of women’s stretch marks, but also that somehow their facial wrinkles were going away, too. This discovery lead to the astounding “antiwrinkle breakthrough of the decade.” What followed were the now-famous magazine ads that posed the question of whether StriVectin was “Better Than Botox?” Not surprisingly, this ad captured the attention of millions of people concerned with mitigating signs of aging “without painful injections”.
Regrettably, no supportive research needs to be available to sell this kind of hyperbole. All it takes is to promise women that a product will get rid of their wrinkles and they will buy it in droves, no matter how many other product lines, infomercials, advertisements, or cosmetics salespeople pledge the exact same thing. StriVectin isn’t and was never “better than Botox”!
Of course, now the original, lauded StriVectin-SD product has been replaced by what the company describes as a “super-charged comprehensive skin repair cream for stretch marks, wrinkles, and aging skin”. It seems there’s no aging skin concern this product cannot address, but as it turns out, the updated formula presents the same drawbacks as the original, although it is arguably a better formulation (just not for stretch marks).
As for the rest of the StriVectin line, it contains proportionately more misses than hits. It isn’t the anti-wrinkle answer and in fact some of their products contain the type of irritating ingredients that hurt your skin’s ability to look and function in a younger manner.
For more information about StriVectin, call (800 698-2173 or visit www.strivectin.com.