Roonytunes said:
I know Strivectin...it's sold as an over-the-counter substitute for botox, but I hear it's not even that great for wrinkles on the face. It is pricy stuff too. I've heard people recommend the Avon cellulite fix over it which is supposedly more effective and affordable. Others say cocoa butter and vitamin E oil also are helpful. I'd go those routes first before investing in a $130+ tube of Strivectin.
I found this writting on Avon, I am not sure if it is the product you are talking about. It doesn't mentional cellulite, but it's marketed as anti-wrinkle etc.
"Avon
Anew Clinical Deep Crease Concentrate with Bo-Hylurox ($32 for 1 ounce) has a name not only reminiscent of Botox, but is advertised to make you wonder why anyone would subject themselves to an injection when they can achieve the same (or at least similar) results with this water-based serum. Sold with the scare-tactic tag line "Look stunning, not stunned," Avon's alternative to Botox claims to "reduce the overall length, depth and number of deep expression lines around your eyes, mouth and forehead, the areas that are in motion whenever you show emotion." Well, when done correctly, Botox injections absolutely do not make a person look stunned-the list of Hollywood celebrities who have had Botox injections is what's really stunning, and they don't look "stunned!" As one Hollywood plastic surgeon told me, if Botox was a problem half the town would be sick. Unlike genuine Botox injections, this Avon product absolutely cannot get rid of wrinkles.
Anew Clinical Deep Crease Concentrate contains two ingredients that are supposedly responsible for the crease-filling and wrinkle-smoothing. The first is Portulaca oleracea, a plant extract. Avon maintains it "helps you lose those hard-to-treat creases while keeping your facial expressions, naturally." However, there is no substantiated or published research showing Portulaca oleracea has that (or any) anti-wrinkle effect. Research has shown that it may have anti-inflammatory or analgesic properties, and it is also believed to be effective topically for wound healing (Sources: Journal of Ethopharmacology, October 2003, pages 131-136, and December 2000, pages 445-451). But none of that is related to treating expression lines in any way, shape, or form or duplicating Botox's effect on wrinkles. One study did examine Portulaca's effect on brain activity and resulting muscle relaxation, but the substance was used in a 10% concentration and injected into pigs' stomachs, quite different from applying lesser amounts of this ingredient to skin (Source: Journal of Ethnopharmacology, July 2001, pages 171-176).
The second hyped ingredient is acetyl hexapeptide-3 (trade name: argireline), which is described in detail in the DDF Wrinkle Relax review below.
DDF
Wrinkle Relax (previously known as Faux-Tox) ($75 for 0.5 ounce) is another Botox wannabe. This pricey product, which over a year's time wouldn't cost that much less than an actual Botox treatment, claims to contain a non-toxic, anti-aging peptide, chemically combined from naturally derived amino acids, [that] helps prevent fine lines induced by repeated facial movements without the loss of facial expression." And the results are supposed to be visible within two weeks. The miracle ingredient in this lightweight lotion is Argireline, which is the trade name for the synthetically derived peptide called acetyl hexapeptide-3. The company selling acetyl hexapeptide-3 is Centerchem (
www.centerchem.com), an ingredient manufacuter based in Spain and, according to their Web site, "Argireline works through a unique mechanism which relaxes facial tension leading to a reduction in superficial facial lines and wrinkles with regular use. Argireline has been shown to moderate excessive catecholamines release." Other than Centerchem's assertions, there isn't a shred of research substantiating any part of it.
However, even if it were vaguely true, these effects would not be good news for your body because you wouldn't want any cosmetic without any safety data, efficacy documentation, or independent research messing around with your catecholamines. Catecholamines are compounds in the body that serve as neurotransmitters such as epinephrine, adrenaline, and dopamine. Epinephrine is a substance that prepares the body to handle emergencies such as cold, fatigue, and shock. A deficiency of dopamine in the brain is responsible for the symptoms of the Parkinson's. None of that sounds like something you want a cosmetic to inhibit or reduce. What if you accidentally overuse the product or apply too much? What is excessive for your body? The entire notion is more worrisome than almost anything I've encountered in my research thus far. However, the good news is that the physicians I've interviewed say this ingredient can't perform as DDF suggests.
Also available is DDF's Anti-Wrinkle Eye Renewal Treatment ($48 for kit). The kit includes four products, with the main attraction being the Anti-Wrinkle Dermal Gel, a water-based serum that contains the same "active" ingredient the company uses in their Wrinkle Relax product above, with equally suspect claims. In addition, there are clinical studies for Argireline revealing that this ingredient was not as effective as Botox (Source:
www.cremedevie.com/clinical_details.htm). Again, this is not an ingredient to consider because there are too many unknowns about its effect on biological processes, not to mention its dubious anti-wrinkle claims."
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