StriVectin is an anti-aging skincare brand. The company has great visuals and packaging, and sells a wide range of products from eye creams to serums to lip balms.
But does StriVectin contain ingredients proven for anti-aging? Does the brand use any unhealthy ingredients? Why was the company sued? And is StriVectin better or worse than popular anti-aging skincare brands like Insta-Tox?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in two of StriVectin's most popular products (neck cream and eye cream) to give our take on whether or not they're likely to have an anti-aging effect, and whether or not they're healthy.
We'll also explain why StriVectin was sued, discuss the results from a clinical trial on StriVectin's moisturizing cream, and compare the brand to other popular anti-aging skincare brands to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Neck cream has significantly improved formulation
- Both products reviewed contain ingredients we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend StriVectin
StriVectin Neck Cream Review
The ingredients in StriVectin TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream PLUS are shown below:
This cream contains a large number of active ingredients with research backing.
Shea butter was shown to repair the skin barrier, and to have an anti-inflammatory effect in a 2018 medical review.
Sorghum bicolor stalk juice was found to have an anti-wrinkle effect in a clinical trial published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science.
Tetrapeptide-21 and Dipeptide-1 cetyl ester are peptides, and this class of compounds has been clinically shown to improve skin quality in some cases.
Adenosine may counter the effects of skin aging according to a medical review published in the Biofactors journal. The study authors concluded the following:
"Activation of adenosine receptors by interacting with various skin layers may induce a decrease in the amount of wrinkles, roughness, dryness, and laxity."
While StriVectin's neck cream has a number of potentially effective ingredients, it also contains two inactive ingredients we recommend avoiding.
Fragrance is an additive ingredient we always recommend consumers avoid, and it's been described in a medical review published in the Medical Hypotheses journal as a “pervasive health risk.”
Limonene is a fragrance ingredient that may be skin sensitizing, as we discussed in our Monat review article.
Overall, we consider StriVectin TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream PLUS likely to have an anti-aging and skin-quality-boosting effect, given its many research-backed active ingredients.
This formulation has been significantly improved since our initial publication of this article, as the brand has removed three synthetic preservatives that we called out as being questionable from a health perspective: BHT, phenoxyethanol, chlorphenesin.
We don't currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of fragrance.
Is StriVectin Proven to Work?
We can only identify one clinical trial published in a peer-reviewed journal which tested the efficacy of a StriVectin product.
The 2006 clinical trial was published in the Dermatologic Surgery journal, and compared the effects of botox and various commercial skincare products (including one from StriVectin) on wrinkles.
The StriVectin product tested in this study was StriVectin-SD, which is an anti-wrinkle moisturizing cream sold by the brand.
The study authors found that botox was significantly more effective than StriVectin's cream for reducing the visible apperance of wrinkles, and StriVectin-SD caused a small reduction in facial lines (FWS scores decreasing from 2.8 to 2.7 with treatment) that did not appear to be statistically significant.
It's also notable that the only adverse events (side effects) experienced by any trial participants were all experienced by those using StriVectin's cream.
Three out of the 16 trial participants using StriVectin experienced side effects, which were described as flushing, erythmatous papules and one patient experienced itchy papules that caused them to discontinue treatment.
We consider this to be a relatively high number of patients experiencing side effects given the small total number of participants.
It's worth noting that StriVectin may have re-formulated this product since this trial.
StriVectin Eye Cream Review
The ingredients in StriVectin's Contour Restore Firming Moisture Balm for Eyes are shown below:
Like the previous formulation, this one contains a large number of research-backed active ingredients.
Palmitoyl hexapeptide-19, palmitoyl tripeptide-1, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 are included in this eye cream, and we documented in the previous Ingredient Analysis section that topical use of certain peptides can support optimal skin quality.
Pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract was shown to improve skin hydration and skin elasticity in a 2019 clinical trial.
Sodium hyaluronate has documented anti-aging effects, as we documented in our recent Hanacure face mask review article.
Betula alba bark extract was found in a medical review published in the Skin Pharmacology and Physiology journal to reinforce the skin barrier.
Morus nigra leaf extract is documented to be effective for treating skin hyperpigmentation.
There are two inactive ingredients in this formulation that we consider to be unhealthy.
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative shown to be toxic to human cells in a 2020 clinical trial.
Chlorhexidine gluconate is another preservative in this formulation that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a warning letter about, indicating a risk of rare but serious allergic reactions when this ingredient is used topically.
Overall, we consider StriVectin's eye cream likely to have an anti-aging and skin-moisturizing effect, but we don't currently recommend it due to the use of two synthetic preservatives that may be questionable from a health perspective.
Why Was StriVectin Sued?
In 2021, StriVectin was sued over allegations of false advertising related to some of their sunscreen products.
The company was allegedly marketing some of their sunscreens as "Reef Safe" while they contained active ingredients shown to cause harm to coral reefs, according to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, as documented by Bloomberg Law.
Some "chemical" sunscreens contain active ingredients like octinoxate which are clinically shown to be harmful to human health and to natural ecosystems, as we documented in our EltaMD Sunscreen review article.
We recommend that consumers choose "physical" sunscreens that use active ingredients like zinc oxide which don't appear to be systemically absorbed.
At the time of updating this article, it's unclear what the status of this class-action lawsuit is.
StriVectin vs. Popular Anti-Aging Brands
Here's how StriVectin compares to other popular anti-aging skincare brands in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:
Insta-Tox
Contains magnesium aspartate, which is clinically shown to significantly improve skin hydration.
Only contains one ingredient we consider (mildly) unhealthy, so Insta-Tox wins based on healthiness of the formulation.
Winner: Insta-Tox
Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream
Contains two significantly unhealthy ingredients (fragrance and synthetic dye), as we documented in our Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream review article.
Both StriVectin formulations we reviewed were synthetic-dye-free, and one was fragrance-free, so we give the brand the edge from a healthiness perspective.
Winner: StriVectin
Skinbetter Science
Contains synthetic preservatives we consider unhealthy, but no fragrance or ingredients which are the subject of an FDA warning.
Winner: Skinbetter Science
Our Clean Skincare Pick
MindBodyGreen Best Skin+ is our top anti-aging skin supplement.
It contains orange extract which is clinically shown to increase skin moisturization, skin elasticity and skin radiance.
This supplement also contains astaxanthin which is clinically shown to cause "wrinkle formation reduction."
This supplement is free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
StriVectin Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Neck cream should have anti-aging effect
- Neck cream should have skin-hydrating effect
- Company significantly improved neck cream formulation
- Eye cream should have anti-aging effect
- Eye cream should have skin-moisturizing effect
Cons:
- Brand sued over allegations of false advertising
- Moisturizing cream performed poorly in independent trial
- Neck cream contains fragrance
- Eye cream contains phenoxyethanol
- Eye cream contains chlorhexidine gluconate
