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Save Your Thighs: The Unstretched Truth About
Cellulite Creams
Burke Jones
Dimples in your cheeks? Not so cute if we’re talking about your
other ones. Blotchy self-tanners, expensive lipo, invasive
lasers... women try all sorts of treatments and potions to smooth
out their cellulite. The most accessible treatment, though, is
cellulite cream. Many of these products promise to melt away
inches from your thighs and hips, firm and contour your skin into
a taut expanse, and refine and minimize your imperfections. There
are high-end brands and drugstore brands; gels, lotions, and
crèmes; and botanical ingredients that range from white tea to
black pepper. Which of these brews should you try? How do you
know that a certain ingredient will work? How the heck does a
cream get rid of cellulite?
Cellulite creams work on the surface of your skin. There is no
miracle cream that you can put on your thighs to eat away the
cellulite, but creams work by lifting and smoothing the surface
of your skin to reduce the appearance of the wretched skin
puckering. Cellulite is the accumulation of fat, fluid, and
toxins trapped into a network of collagen and elastin fibers in
the deeper levels of your skin. It forms because blood vessels
under your skin get damaged, weakening the outer layers of your
skin. Fat travels directly to these spots and settles in,
creating a hill and valley effect. The dense fat also decreases
circulation to the outermost layer of dermis, which gives you
white, ripply, cold fish skin. Ew! Women are more prone to
cellulite because they carry a higher percentage of body fat than
men do, but even skinny women have cellulite. Actually, doctors
say that 90% of women past puberty have it, so it doesn’t matter
if you’re overweight, average, or even super thin. Your genes
play more of a part in orange peel thighs than anything else,
although a nutrition-deficient diet and high stress levels also
factor in.
So bring on the fix! Doctors say that the two most important and
effective ingredients in a cellulite cream are caffeine and
retinol. These ingredients help the outer layer of your skin firm
up to help relieve the bumps. The other ingredients in cellulite
creams are there to improve the look of your skin. They smooth
the surface, decrease any stretch marks, and give you that
overall “baby’s butt” softness. When searching through the
various creams, you will find ingredients like Par Elastyl and
collagen, which are firming agents, ginkgo, green tea, soy, horse
chestnut tree extract, all which tone the skin, and various
pepper extracts to give your skin that “get up and glow.”
The formulation of your cellulite cream should be a personal
decision. There are creams that contain ingredients that will
make your skin tingle, like cinnamon, mint, cucumber, and other
plant extracts. This tingle is supposed to help increase
circulation to the area and give your cheeks a flush. You will
find that most of these creams have a light, refreshing, and
energizing scent meant to give you a pick-me-up.
Cellulite creams also come in different textures. The gels absorb
quickly into the skin and often make your skin feel tighter very
quickly. There are lightweight lotions that go on like regular
body lotion and don’t feel greasy. Then there are the rich
emollient crèmes that must be rubbed into skin very well to
prevent oil slicks on your clothes. This formulation is best
before bedtime. There are even creams that come with
paraphernalia to help aid in absorption. Some bring a special
mitt to rub the cream into your skin and there is even a brand
that includes a special pair of neoprene shorts to put on over
your cellulite cream.
Cellulite creams can be incredibly expensive, but there are
brands that are sold in drugstores that are just as effective.
How much you spend depends on what formulations, scents,
accessories, and extra ingredients work best for you. Many
doctors say that expensive brands do not necessarily work better
because the creams contain the same ingredients, but if you like
a particular scent or texture of a cream, go for it! No matter
what type of cellulite cream you buy, use your cream according to
the directions on the bottle or tube. Most treatments instruct
you to rub on at least once everyday. As with most skin
treatments, you won’t notice a transformation immediately. It is
the cumulative effect of the treatments that will create the most
dramatic change, so do use the cream at least once a day, and be
consistent! It's the massaging action that will make the
difference between an effective cellulite fighter and a useless
tube of body lotion.
Remember, cellulite cream is not a miracle cure. There are people
that never see any more positive effect from their treatments
than they would from rubbing cocoa butter on their skin. Creams
cannot increase your metabolism or seep into the deepest layers
of your skin to change your cellulite; but they can help your
bottom appear tighter and banish the lumpy mattress look forever.
Often, the texture of your skin will improve dramatically before
your cellulite will--the lush ingredients in cellulite treatments
are great for skin even if they don't work for your cellulite.
And even though it is possible to see a big difference, rarely
will cellulite 100% disappear. Your cream should give you the
boost to improve your diet and exercise habits, a tingle that can
be the kick in the pants that you need.
Burke Jones is a frequent contributor to the Cellulite Free Zone,
writing on the topic of cellulite.
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