14 DAY TRIAL // Figures show that 95 to 99 percent of all women have cellulite at least on one area of their body, with the luckiest few being those who are either working out a lot to prevent it from appearing, or who are simply genetically blessed. With this in mind, and given that, as of now, no “cure” for cellulite has yet been found, except for a change in diet and starting to work out, beauty editor Elsa Mcalonan for the Daily Mail has set out to reveal the products that she and experts have tested – and proved to be at least half as efficient as they claim to be.
Birch oil is, in this sense, the “unsung hero,” as Mcalonan puts it, because not only does it work wonders in terms of eliminating lumps and dimples on the most affected areas (thighs, arms, abdomen), but it also softens the skin and helps it regain some of its lost elasticity. In more ways than one, anti-cellulite lotions and creams with birch oil as an ingredient are perhaps a good ally in the fight against the unsightly orange peel look, but only if accompanied by plenty of exercise and a balanced diet.
“This best-selling anti-cellulite oil [from Weleda], containing organic silver birch, is receiving glowing reports from those who have tried it. A study confirmed that when used twice daily over 28 days, testers’ skin was, on average, noticeably 35 per cent firmer and skin elasticity improved by 20 per cent. An earlier group of testers also reported an encouraging measurable loss in thigh circumference – an average 3.95cm on each thigh.” the Mail says.
Another cure for cellulite is, as noted above, working out. However, if we’re running short on time and a subscription at the gym is not exactly high on our priorities list, then there’s always a thing called FitFlop, the latest fitness-slash-fashion frenzy in the UK. They’re priced at £36 (at Victoria Health) and are guaranteed to work the muscles of the legs and derriere in such a way that the owner will no longer require going to the gym to get a toned skin.
Tripollar Pose, £349, is also listed among the few cures for cellulite – yet its price tag works strongly against it. “Tripollar Pose is a new gadget which claims to give you smoother, firmer skin, reducing the appearance of cellulite and helping to generate inch-loss. It works by emitting four lowpower beams into the dermis and hypodermis of the skin. Testers experienced a warming sensation as the TriPollar energy gently heats all skin layers from the inside.” the Mail writes of the so-called revolutionary, but costly, device. Presumably, it also does what it says, but not really to the extent of making it worth such a large amount of money.
One last “cure” for cellulite is self-tanners, perhaps the cheapest and most convenient of the lot. The idea is to create the impression that the leg is longer by drawing attention to its lower part – thus virtually prevent people from looking up, where cellulite may be. Moreover, a tan can always hide almost all imperfections and the same goes in this case as well. “Cellulite always looks better in brown. Use a self-tanner or temporary bronzer to make white legs look longer and more toned. A little bit of a shimmery golden glow down the front of your legs can also make the front of the leg visually protrude and the inner and outer thigh areas recede, so legs look longer.” Marcia Kilgore, founder of Soap & Glory and the FitFlop, says for the same publication.