Strivectin Cream Effectiveness
Strivectin SD was originally launched as a cream to eliminate stretch marks, but it quickly gained a reputation as a wrinkle reducer. This reputation has led to it becoming one of the best-selling wrinkle creams in the world. The manufacturer, Klein-Becker, claims that its product is more effective than Botox over time. At well over $100 a tube, it is expensive, but less expensive than Botox. The question is: Is it effective? Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
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FDA Response
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The FDA has disputed some of claims made about Strivectin SD. In a January 2005 letter to Dennis Gay, CEO of Basic Research, the FDA requested product claims revisions for Strivectin SD, stating the claims about its wrinkle-fighting capabilities were only possible by a drug. Since the product is a cosmetic cream, the FDA stated that either Strivectin SD needed to go through the required testing that accompanies drug approval or the manufacturer had to adjust its claims. The FDA went a step further in its letter and stated, "Furthermore, your products are not generally recognized as safe and effective for the above referenced uses..." The manufacturer changed some of its wording, but Klein-Becker's advertising for Strivectin still displays many of the claims referenced in the letter.
Clinical Testing Claims
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The "clinical testing" that Klein-Becker claims to prove the effectiveness of its product was done by Basic Research, a sister company, and is therefore not independent. The company has refused requests from multiple sources to release its test data that proves its claims for Strivectin SD. The doctors quoted in literature and on its website are not medical doctors. Dr. Nathalie Chevreau is a registered dietician and Dr. Daniel B. Mowrey's doctorate is in experimental psychology.
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Clinical Proof
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The proof of Strivectin SD's effectiveness that Klein-Becker claims was presented at the 2002 meeting of the 20th World Congress of Dermatology in Paris was actually a study for a peptide that is an ingredient in the cream. There has not been any substantiating research published for these presented studies. Neither the cream itself, nor the concentration of peptides in the cream, was part of this study. There has never been an independent test done on the effectiveness of the cream. Moreover, the peptide used as the "active ingredient" in Strivectin SD is too large to pass through the skin into the dermis, making Klein-Becker's claims questionable.
Product Effectiveness
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While many of the ingredients in Strivectin SD make it an effective basic moisturizer, the peppermint oil it contains is an irritant. Klein-Becker says that the "tingling sensation" a user feels upon application means that the cream is working, but is more likely the tingling is due to the peppermint oil and not any action of the cream.
Conclusion
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You could find a product at your local drug store that will moisturize as well as Strivectin SD, at a fraction of the cost and without the the irritation.
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