StriVectin-SH Age Protect SPF 30 is a product that claims to be effective as a sunscreen and as an ant-aging cream. Using the sunscreen to block UV rays that damage the skin, and also using niacin as an anti-wrinkle ingredient, it claims that it is more effective than most sunscreens and also most anti-aging creams. We are interested in this product, since it would be convenient to have a product that does both of these things effectively, enabling people who protect their skin at the beach and simultaneously reduce wrinkles. We need to take a closer look at the ingredients to see if it would be truly effective as either a sunscreen or a wrinkle cream, however.

Ingredients

Active Ingredients:

Homosalate 7.5 %
Octisalate 5%
Avobenzone 3%
Octocrylene 2.6%
Oxybenzone 2%

Inactive Ingredients: Water (Aqua/Eau), Myristyl Nicotinate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Nylon-12, Glycereth-26, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Panthenol, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Bisabolol, Butylene Glycol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Ceramide 2, Ceramide 3, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-11 Methyl Ether Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Polysorbate 80, Isohexadecane, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Capylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Hexamethylindanopyran, Isopropyl Myristate, Methyldihydrojasmonate 2-Isobutyl-4-Methyltetrahydro-2h-Pyran-4-ol, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Methyl-Α-Ionone, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract.

What do these ingredients mean?

Niacin has been proven to reduce wrinkles to an extent, but we are actually very concerned with the ingredients in this product. It contains octocrylene, which has actually been tested and shown to increase the chance that DNA damage and skin cancer will occur. This means that you are at a higher risk for these conditions when you apply octocrylene than when you use no sunscreen whatsoever.

Conclusion

We would not recommend this product. It is potentially dangerous and harmful to the skin.