Nikki's Cellulite Cream Blog

Cellulite Cream Ingredients - What Should You Look For?

Evaluating the best anti cellulite creams can be a daunting task to the uninitiated. The ingredients differ from lotion to lotion and relying on the glossy marketing pamphlet or website is a dangerous bet. Considering that creams can cost over $300 for 1 months supply, a little bit of knowledge about what ingredients you should look for can certainly save you from being ripped off. It can also mean saving you some money by choosing a cheaper but just as effective lotion.

The first thing you need to do is look through all the exciting marketing and hype that surrounds a cream. Narrow in on the actual ingredients. Forget about whether you like the look or color of the packaging, or those paid for or fake testimonials on the website (for example: http://www.revitashape.com/reviews.html). Also, be very, very careful about any scientific or clinical trials a company claims backs up the effectiveness of their product. These are often funded by the company and often use non-robust scientific methods. I still remember the case of one company that actually made up fake scientific journals and claimed that studies proving the effectiveness of their product have been published in these unauthentic journals.

So, what ingredients should you look for in a cellulite cream? There are really only three main ones you need to worry about.

Caffeine is probably the most common ingredient you will find in cellulite lotion. Caffeine is a stimulant and vasodilator, which means it opens up blood vessels and helps to reduce fat cells. By causing more blood to flow, it helps the body to naturally remove toxins and flush out the fat cells that have been rapture through exercise, diet or the cream.

Retinol A is derived from Vitamin A and often found in wrinkle creams. It is an ingredient which stimulates the production of collagen in the skin. This helps the skin to look more toned and smooth.

Aminophylline is actually a drug that is used to treat asthma. But when applied to the skin it can reduce fat cells. Creams containing this ingredients needs to be kept away from heat and used quickly.

Other ingredients to look for include CoffeeBerry (very similar to caffeine), Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA; accelerates the removal of dead skin cells), Shea Butter (softens, moisturizes and smooths the skin), green tea (detoxifies the fat and skin), bladderwrack (has slimming properties) and horsetail (firms the skin).

HINT: Choose the first three main ingredients and keep an eye out for the other ones when comparing two similar creams. For further information see caffeine and cellulite.

So, What is This Thing Called Cellulite?

Cellulite is a growing business. Just last year there were 40 new cellulite treatment creams that entered the market and the turnover in the industry as a whole topped $50 million in the US market alone. These numbers are evidence of a large unmet desire from women to get rid of their cellulite.

But what exactly is it?

According to Wikipedia, cellulite as a term was coined in the 1920s but it wasn’t until the 1960s that it began to gain acceptance. Before then the lumpy and uneven skin that appears on women’s legs, stomach and hips went seemingly unnoticed and was silently documented in paintings by Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and photographs by Arthur Albert Allen (1916-1930). The sudden preoccupation with cellulite most likely reflects a modern focus on women’s bodies that started in the 1960s which idealized a skinny and fat free image.

So what causes the bumpy, unattractive appearance on the thighs, stomach and hips? Cellulite is essentially caused by fibrous bands underneath the skin that pulls the skin downwards and fat pockets that are filled with fluid. This causes an uneven appearance on the surface of the skin.

The condition mostly always affects women with only about 10 percent of men having it. This is because women have three layers of fat in the areas mostly likely to be affected by cellulite while men only have one. They also have thinner skin than men. The result is that women are 7 times more likely to have the condition and 90 percent will have it at some stage of their life. In fact, it does not discriminate among women – it affects overweight and skinny women equally and also those from all racial backgrounds

The causes of the cellulite condition are varied. The main one is genetics. So, if your mother had bad cellulite chances are you will too. Hormonal factors are another major cause and estrogen is the main culprit because it causes humans to accumulate more fat (men who are undergoing estrogen therapy for prostate cancer are more likely to develop the condition).

Age is also a main cause. As women age, the skin and connective tissue begins to breakdown and become looser. This makes it easier for the fat to protrude upwards through the skin. Poor diet and lifestyle habits can quicken the ageing of the skin and cause fluid retention in the fat pockets.

Finally, believe it or not, what underwear you have can also impact on your cellulite. According to Dr. Lionel Bissoon, author of “The Cellulite Cure”, women should wear undergarments that don’t restrict blood flow to the buttocks. Apparently elastic found in panties and that sits around the hips can stop the circulation and cause dimples in the buttocks. He recommends that you choose elastic free underwear.