Works for:
based on ingredients and %- Moisturizing
- Anti-oxidation
Doesn't work for:
based on ingredients and %- Evens skin tone
Can it cause trouble?
- Irritation risk: medium
- Comedogenic risk ingredients: 2
Key actives
Product Summary
"MAC - Strobe Cream" is a well-rounded moisturizing product. This moisturizer uses a good combo of humectants and emollients. These both types of ingredients are essentials for improving the skin hydration and keeping the skin barrier healthy. Humectants in this product (panthenol, glycerin, saccharomyces lysate extract, sodium hyaluronate and sucrose) help to increase the water content in the upper layer of the skin. (These ingredients do so by "capturing" water molecules from the outside air or from within the deeper layers of the skin). Emollients in this formulation (ceramide ng, cholesterol, dimethicone, simmondsia chinensis seed oil and cetyl alcohol) help to reduce the moisture loss from the skin. They also soften the skin surface and relieve the feeling of dryness and tightness.
Ingredient callouts
- As a plus, this moisturizer also contains ceramides (ceramide ng 0.30% - 0.55%). Ceramides are a type of lipids that our skin produces itself. They are a building block of the skin's barrier. Ceramides used in skincare are synthetic or extracted from plants. They work well for softening the skin surface and "patch holes" in the skin's barrier.
Irritation risk
There are some common irritants in this product, including ingredients that do not have benefits for the skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be medium. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Price
The product retails for 60.33CA$ in Canada, from 28.00£ up to 43.40£ in the United Kingdom and for 36.00$ in the United States.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Moisturizing
What does the product description say?
Strobe Cream
Source: From product name
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
glycerin, saccharomyces lysate extract.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: dimethicone, simmondsia chinensis seed oil.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: ceramide ng, panthenol
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin. Can have some anti-inflammatory effect
Softens the upper layer of skin and helps restore the healthy skin barrier. Has shown to help calm down inflammation in skin. It is a stable oil, meaning that it retains its properties even when exposed to air.
Can support skin barrier function and reduce inflammation in skin
A silicone that helps to reduce water loss from the surface of the skin. Can temporarily "fill in" lines and wrinkles, absorb oil, and create a nice product finish
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
An emollient that is naturally found in skin
A type of lipid similar to ceramides naturally present in skin. Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin and supports the skin barrier function to keep it hydrated. Can help to prevent inflammation in skin
Can help attract water to the upper layer of the skin. In crystal form, it can work as a gentle exfoliant, gentler than the salt scrub. Helps stabilize the emulsion
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and can help improve skin barrier function
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Attracts water into the upper layer of the skin
An emollient that helps soften the upper layer of the skin
Used to stabilize the product formulations and works as an emollient
A plant extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin. It might be helpful in neutralizing free radicals in skin, but is less potent than the extract from the seeds
A non-drying alcohol that works to soften the skin and stabilize product formulations helping oil and water mix together
Helps soften upper layer of the skin and can enhance penetration of other ingredients into the upper layer of the skin
Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture
Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin
Improves the texture of the product and helps soften the skin. Helps oil and water mix together and can be used as a cleansing agent
A plant extract that might contain a compound baicalin that could be helpful in neutralizing free radicals and reducing inflammation in skin. The baicalin concentration in skincare products is often too low for an effective action. Can be used for its fragrant properties
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
An excellent emollient. Helps soften the skin, restore its barrier function, and can help to calm down inflammation. It can be helpful to prevent blemishes and clogged pores
Can have some moisturizing properties due to its sugar content
Anti-oxidation
This product contains antioxidants (camellia sinensis leaf extract) that might be able to help neutralize free radicals in skin to lessen the damage it gets from the UV light (sun). There is not enough evidence to confirm their effectiveness in skin though.
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
A plant extract that might contain a compound baicalin that could be helpful in neutralizing free radicals and reducing inflammation in skin. The baicalin concentration in skincare products is often too low for an effective action. Can be used for its fragrant properties
A plant extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin. It might be helpful in neutralizing free radicals in skin, but is less potent than the extract from the seeds
Can have some moisturizing properties due to its sugar content
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
A derivative of vitamin C that is more stable, but less bioavailable than the pure form of vitamin C. It does not penetrate the skin well, but has been shown to convert to pure vitamin C once in skin. It can be helpful in stimulating collagen production and lightening the skin tone, but the required concentration is likely to be very high
Evens skin tone
What does the product description say?
Helping to brighten and improve skin tone, it is rich in potent botanicals and utilises a time release delivery system to ensure long-term moisturisation.
Source: Lookfantastic
Effective ingredients missing or their concentration is too low
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
A derivative of vitamin C that is more stable, but less bioavailable than the pure form of vitamin C. It does not penetrate the skin well, but has been shown to convert to pure vitamin C once in skin. It can be helpful in stimulating collagen production and lightening the skin tone, but the required concentration is likely to be very high
A plant extract that might contain arbutin, a compound that has skin-lightening properties. Might have some anti-oxidant activity. Is unlikely to be effective though in the concentrations typically used in skincare products
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Moisturizing | |
| Evens skin tone |
Total Promises Fulfilled score: 50/100.
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Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
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| Product | Similarity | Price | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
 MAC Strobe Cream | Current | $28.00 | |
 GLAMGLOW GLOWSTARTER Mega Illuminating Moisturizer Sun Glow | 54% | $85.46 | |
BeautyLab Pre Face-Covering Barrier Defence Cream | 49% | $25.00 | |
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair BarriAIR Cream | 45% | $15.00 | |
 Skinbetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream | 44% | $-1.00 | |
 Hanskin Seven Layer Ceramide Cream | 43% | $32.00 |
Key Actives
Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
All ingredients
Ingredient list view
Water, Dimethicone, Butylene glycol, Cetyl ricinoleate, Glyceryl distearate, Trisiloxane, Glyceryl stearate se, Cholesterol, Simmondsia chinensis seed oil, Steareth-10, Cetyl esters, Cetyl alcohol, Silica, Vitis vinifera fruit extract, Camellia sinensis leaf extract, Pyrus malus fruit extract, Morus bombycis root extract, Scutellaria baicalensis root extract, Saccharomyces lysate extract, Tocopheryl acetate, Sodium hyaluronate, Panthenol, Ceramide ng, Xanthan gum, Sucrose, Glycerin, Cyanocobalamin, Tin oxide, Caprylyl glycol, Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, Hexylene glycol, Polysorbate 80, Sodium citrate, Sodium sulfite, Sodium metabisulfite, Acrylamide/sodium acryloyldimethyltaurate copolymer, Linoleic acid, Isohexadecane, Citric acid, Parfum, Edta, Disodium edta, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, Titanium dioxide, Ci 77891, Ci 14700
- Dimethicone as a protective ingredient in topical medications
- Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Dimethicone Copolyol
- Comparison of skin calming effects of cosmetic products containing 4-t-butylcyclohexanol or acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester on capsaicin-induced facial stinging in volunteers with sensitive skin
- Amended Safety Assessment of Alkyl Esters as Used in Cosmetics
- Safety Assessment of Vitis Vinifera (Grape)-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics
- Physiological and Whitening Effects of Morus alba Extracts
- Scutellaria baicalensis, the golden herb from the garden of Chinese medicinal plants
- Flavonoids in Treating Psoriasis
- Improvement of skin barrier dysfunction by Scutellaria baicalensis GEOGI extracts through lactic acid fermentation
- Safety Assessment of Scutellaria baicalensis-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics
- Use of Probiotics for Dermal Applications
- Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging
- Hyaluronan (Hyaluronic Acid): a natural moisturizer for skin care
- Skin moisturizing effects of panthenol-based formulations
- Safety Assessment of Panthenol, Pantothenic Acid, and Derivatives as Used in Cosmetics
- Topical emulsions containing ceramides: Effects on the skin barrier function and anti‐inflammatory properties
- Topically Applied Ceramides Interact with the Stratum Corneum Lipid Matrix in Compromised Ex Vivo Skin
- Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions
- Topical vitamin B12--a new therapeutic approach in atopic dermatitis-evaluation of efficacy and tolerability in a randomized placebo-controlled multicentre clinical trial
- Superiority of a vitamin B12-containing emollient compared to a standard emollient in the maintenance treatment of mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis
- Safety Assessment of Tin(IV) Oxide as Used in Cosmetics
- Stability, transdermal penetration, and cutaneous effects of ascorbic acid and its derivatives
- Topical L-ascorbic acid: percutaneous absorption studies
- Final report on the safety assessment of sodium sulfite, potassium sulfite, ammonium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, ammonium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite and potassium metabisulfite
- The Permeability Barrier in Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency: Evidence for a Direct Role for Linoleic Acid in Barrier Function
- Digital image analysis of the effect of topically applied linoleic acid on acne microcomedones.