There’s a good chance that when you hear StriVectin, you automatically think of its neck cream. According to the NPD group, StriVectin’s TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream was the best-selling neck cream of 2017, and the company says that one jar of it is sold every minute. Few products are as closely associated with anti-aging as StriVectin. It’s been around since 2002 and has legions of devoted fans, and has earned countless industry awards. But what exactly is in the products, and how do they work?
What is StriVectin?
StriVectin launched in 2002 as a stretch mark cream that was sold in health food stores such as GNC. It was a niche brand but then, according to company lore, women started to use it on their faces and claimed it helped to reduce their wrinkles. StriVectin capitalized on this by running ads that asked, “Could StriVectin actually be Better than Botox?
The ads and word of mouth recommendations kicked off a phenomenon. The product, SD Advanced Intensive Concentrate for Wrinkles & Stretch Marks, took off like a rocket and top department stores such as Bloomingdales started to sell it.
What does StriVectin sell?
Today StriVectin is a leader in the anti-aging skincare market with a wide range of products to treat the face, neck and body. The StriVectin line includes moisturizers, serums, cleansers and masks, as well as hand and body creams. Some of the most popular products are:
The Wrinkle Recode Line Transforming Melting Serum–This serum promises to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles in seven days, and contains nourishing dhatelo and macadamia oils, as well as StriVectin’s patented NIA-114, a form of niacin/vitamin B3 (more on that later). The serum contains “BioRecode Technology” which is meant to revitalize the skin’s own wrinkle fighting abilities to reduce the look of lines and creases. The serum should be warmed up in the hands before being pressed into the skin.
Line BlurFector Instant Wrinkle Blurring Primer— Apply this primer after moisturizing and before applying makeup t help fill in and blur the look of deep wrinkles. When this primer debuted, it sold out in Nordstrom the first week.
TL Advanced Light Tightening Neck Cream – This is the legendary StriVectin product that is a worldwide best seller. Now available in a lighter formula, the cream is meant to lift, tighten and firm the neck while helping to diminishes the appearance of horizontal neck lines.
StriVectin Intensive Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles– This lightweight moisturizing eye cream is designed to visibly reduce the look of crow’s feet, squint lines and deep-set wrinkles starting in just one week.
Strivectin Instant Facial Sculpting Cream – Apply this cream to visibly plump, lift and firm the face. It’s meant to rejuvenate facial contours and target loss of volume.
What ingredients are in StriVectin?
The hero ingredient in StriVectin products is NIA-114, a patented, optimized form of niacin/vitamin B3. The company says it is clinically proven to strengthen the skin barrier and supercharge the performance of other ingredients for visibly transformed, more youthful looking skin. The ingredient is also believed to protect skin from external stressors and prevent water loss.
NIA-114 is the result of 30 years of research led by Myron and Elaine Jacobson, a husband and wife biochemist team who worked at the University of Arizona. The duo were researching niacin’s role in DNA repair for skin cancer. Specifically, they looked into which cells were able to avoid developing skin cancer naturally and they discovered that niacin played a role. Their research led them to discover that NIA-114 worked as a viable alternative to retinol, a vitamin A derivative. Retinol is the gold standard in anti-aging skincare but can often cause redness and peeling. The Jacobsons found that N1A-114 delivered many of the same benefits of retinol, but without the side effects.
While NIA-114 is the key ingredient in StriVectin products, other ingredients rounding out the formulas include hydrators such as hyaluronic acid and oils, as well as peptides.
The TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream PLUS also contains hyaluronic acid, which can hold up to 1,000 times it weight in water; peptides (protein fragments) and a blend of ceramides, which boost water retention. Rounding out the list are a brightening complex of rice bran, licorice root and bearberry to help even out tone.
SD Advanced Intensive Concentrate is formulated with Collagex-CE Complex along with hyaluronic acid and ginger root extract. StriVewctin says that its Collagex-CE Complex StriVectin targets ‘Youth Collagen’/Collagen III to improve skin elasticity and firmness. The High-Potency Wrinkle Filler contains a blend of NIA-114 along with tri-peptides and hexapeptide.
Some of the other key ingredients are commonly found in skincare products, such as glycolic acid which is in StriVectin Advanced Acid Glycolic Skin Reset Mask, and retinol is the key ingredient in Advanced Retinol Intensive Night Moisturizer as well as the new S.T.A.R. Light Retinol Night Oil.
How does NA-114 work?
StriVectin says NA-114 is a skin multi-tasker. It’s thought to hydrate, smooth lines and inhibit the impact of environmental aggressors. It’s thought to give skin a youthful, clear and vibrant appearance. It may also help with hyper-pigmentation and give skin a brighter look.
Do StriVectin products work?
When deciding if a product works, always keep in mind that everyone’s skin can react differently to the same product. One person’s miracle product can cause a breakout in someone else. When it comes to StriVectin, it’s hard to argue with numbers. After all, StriVectin’s TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream is the best- selling neck cream in 2017, and the company says that one jar of it is sold every minute .
StriVectin products have also received many industry and editorial awards. Wrinkle Recode Line Transforming Melting Serum earned a Fall Beauty Award from O magazine in 2018. New Beauty magazine named StriVectin High-Potency Wrinkle Filler one of the winners of its 2017 Beauty Choice Awards. In 2018, Shape magazine also gave StriVectin TL Advanced Light Tightening Neck Cream an award, while StriVectin Retinol Eye Cream garnered a Best of Beauty Award from Allure in 2017.
StriVectin products have also made waves in independent tests. In 2002 the World Congress of Dermatology in Paris showed that the peptide Pal-KTTKS in SD Advanced Intensive Concentrate was more effective in reducing the appearance of wrinkles than creams containing retinol or Vitamin C.
StriVectin says its products are backed up by more than 30 independent studies, 90 patents and 150 published papers.
But as with any product, StriVectin also has its detractors. Some dermatologists have expressed skepticism that a cream can do two contradictory things at one- tackle stretch marks by tightening the skin while also relaxing skin to smooth out the look of wrinkles. One reason that StriVectin seems to have a temporary tightening effect could be chalked up to its humectants which attract moisture and give the skin a temporary plumping effect.
A tester for Allure magazine recently tried the StriVectin’s TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream on her neck and chest area, and gave it high marks for its rich, buttery texture but said she didn’t see any “tightening” effects.” Her conclusion? “My neck looked and felt more radiant from all of the hydration the cream provides” and for her, that was enough.
Reviews on Amazon are also mixed, with some calling it a miracle and others saying it did nothing for them. StriVectin’s TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream gets 3.5 stars from 703 reviews; 46% are five stars with reviews ranging from “very expensive and did not work. Used this product for three months and absolutely no change” to “Most effective neck cream on the market. No, it is not surgery, however having said that, this cream does help! The overall texture and firmness of your skin is noticeable improved immediately and continues to improve with use.”
How much are StriVectin products?
StriVectin is a prestige product and is priced accordingly. A jar of NEW TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream PLUS is $95, and Line BlurFector Instant Wrinkle Blurring Primer is $39. The products with retinol are some of the priciest- the new EW S.T.A.R. Light Retinol Night Oil is $99 while Advanced Retinol Intensive Night Moisturizer is $112.
Where are StriVectin products sold?
StriVectin products are sold at prestige department stories such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus but it are also found at Walmart, Amazon and the Home Shopping Network, as well as beauty retailers such as Sephora and Ulta.
