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tips, pointers, and some vaguely random rambling.
Reviewed by kristen, Wed Jun 1 2005
I have just started using Strivectin this week, so I haven't really seen any effects, but I can offer the following information for people that are put off by perceived problems with the product. I do not work for this company, nor do I sell it, but I have recently talked to a rep from the company itself, and what she had to say was very interesting. I also have some commentary to make about consumerism, if you read that far.
I admit, I do actually watch infommercials about things that interest me, I research things online, I visit company websites, I talk to reps or grill beauty consultants, and I read every inch of packaging, so I probably will sound like I'm selling it myself. I apologize. I just read through everyone else's comments and thought I would throw out a few things for other people to consider, as well as a few things that came to mind while I was writing this.
1. Because the product's packaging is marketed towards the stretch-marked demographic, it isn't specific about facial application, and as a result, people tend to overuse the product. For your entire face and neck, you should be using no more than a pea-sized amount per application. Anything more than that, and you are using way, way too much.
2. You should use a moisturizer after applying a small amount of the product. Despite the hydrating agents in the formulation, it really isn't intended to be used on the face as a stand-alone moisturizer. If you are using the proper amount of product, it shouldn't be working as a moisturizer or make you feel greasy.
3. When I asked how long you should wait before applying moisturizer, I was told that if you are using the proper amount of Strivectin, it should immediately absorb into the skin, and that you can apply moisturizer immedately afterwards.
4. People that have sensitive eyes or have sensitive skin around their eyes may have problems with the product due to the aromatic oils in it. Their eye cream is the exact same formula sans irritants. Also, I was told that the company has a product called Hylexin that is meant specifically to treat dark eye circles and puffiness. And we're talking genetically-programmed circles -- lots of people of Mediterranea extraction tend to have this problem. However, the Hylexin is about the same price as a small pony, so you might want to take that into consideration.
5. Strivectin is hypoallergenic and opthamologist-tested, but it does have a lot of botanical ingredients that may irritate some people's skin. As an example, mint can be overstimulating for some people, and some people probably have an allergy to one or more of the listed ingredients. (I know someone that used a tea tree foot soak that his girlfriend got him because he was a bartender and stood on his feet all the time, and then found out in from the people in the ER that he was incredibly allergic to tea tree. As you can imagine, he took some time off work to recuperate while the soles of his feet regenerated.) Unfortunately, not everyone is going to be able to use the product because everyone's skin isn't the same. Hell, I have very sensitive skin, so I may not even end up liking the product for these exact reasons. (Oh, and they don't test on animals, for the people that are concerned about that. They test on people.)
6. In terms of scar and stretch mark healing, the rep told me that she had a fairly significant scar across her forehead and down into her eyebrow. All that was visible to casual viewing was the nick in the brow where the hair was missing, so I thought she was full of it. However, she moved into an area that had very bright lighting, and pulled the skin on her forehead taut, and you could actually see where the scar was by the difference in skin texture -- it didn't look like scar tissue, but more like skin with a slightly thinner and shinier texture. I was also informed that it is supposed to help with acne scarring, chicken pox scarring, and should help make the pores in age-coarsened skin look smoother and less visible.
7. Much like many products on the market for a variety of reasons, if you stop using Strivectin, the more temporary results go away. Wrinkles and dark circles around the eyes will most likely come back, and plumped skin will look thinner. However, once scar tissue and stretch marks are faded, uneven pigmentation is corrected, or any of that sort of skin flaw is dealt with, the results are essentially permanent. However, if the skin damage is as a result of something that can be caused again -- let's say uneven pigmentation in the skin from sun damage or stretch marks from pregnancy, results should be lasting unless you again engage in whatever behavior created the problem in the first place, ie: get your hiney back out into the sun and create more damage, or get pregnant again and make that area stretch back out.
8. Strivectin has a generous return policy -- if you are dissatisfied with the product for any reason, you can return it within 30 days and get a full refund. I am fairly sure this won't apply to most online vendors, however, brick-and-mortar stores that have more stringent return policies are supposed to have an agreement with Strivectin to take back the product without question, regardless of amount used -- as long as it's in the first 30 days, and with proof of purchase.
As an aside, lots of people get weird about returning products that they have used and disliked to their respective stores of purchase. As a consumer, you have the right to return a product that you dislike, provided that you meet return requirements -- some places require receipt, original packaging, 50% or more of the product left in the container, have a time frame for returns, etc. If you are going to pony up serious bank for something and you hate it, can't see results, or it creates unwanted problems, get your money back, fool.
Personally, I tried the Go Smile teeth whitening system, and while I was actually impressed with the whitening action, I was less than impressed with the way that it ate large raw holes in my gums. You better bet that I returned it to get my $100 back -- and this was at the place I worked, no less.
(If you are worried about effecting the store's bottom line, most companies have arrangements with their distributors to take back returned products for credit, so you aren't jacking up the prices of the items in the store by bringing back some face cream. Shoplifters and thieving employees cause that sort of thing, so don't fret. It's the shady bastards actually working in the store that create the largest amount of company shrink, although shoplifters do a fine bit of damage.)
(And, if you're embarassed about making a return for fear that the people in the store are judging you, look at it this way: you can afford to purchase a $135 stretch mark cream, and they probably can't. Thus the internal theft. People that can't afford to shop at stores often work at them for the discounts, if they're younger. And if they're older and you're worried about them judging you, dude, they're working retail. It's not like it is the most glamorous of trades. Sure, no toilets are being scrubbed, but running a register or pimping skin cream isn't really that sexy, either.)
The same thing roughly applies to services as well. You lose a filling because the dentist did a bad job putting it in? You better get that tooth fixed for free at that office, or get your money back and go elsewhere. If you tell a stylist that you want a certain color or cut, and you decide later, after paying, that you didn't get what you asked for, go back to the salon and make them fix it, or get your money back. Doubly so if it is damage to the hair or a bad cut. Someone fries the crap out of your hair with a perm, but you can't tell until a week later when it starts snapping off? Get your money back. Get free reconstructive treatments. Raise a ruckus. You are a consumer and you have the right to demand quality of service.
And yes, I actually work in the cosmetology industry, so I know what I'm talking about. You might be effecting my livelihood and income, but if you trust me to give you something and I don't, I EXPECT to be told about it. If I can fix it, I will. Or, maybe you don't want me to ever touch your hair again -- but someone else as the salon might be able to hook you up with some sweet hair loving. Maybe you hate the salon and never want to go back, so get a refund and go somewhere else. (I don't have this problem, because I work hard to understand my clientele's needs, and I make damn sure that I know what I'm doing, but I'm illustrating a point here.)
Wow, did I go off on a tangent there!
Anyways, I hope that something I shared in here is helpful to someone else.
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Skin Care
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