Beauty Myths No.13 - Cellulite Creams

Not one of these women look tortured by having cellulite.

Fact: Cellulite is not caused by trapped 'toxins'. Is anyone else sick of that word? If we were as 'toxic' as some parts of the industry would have us believe we'd all be dead. A long time ago.

Fact: Cellulite is caused when your underlying fat cells start to push through connective tissue. Connective tissue is weakened by a mixture of things - including hormones, lack of exercise, poor muscle tone, excess fat, and poor circulation.

Fact: 90% of women get cellulite compared to 10% of men. They have stronger connective tissue. They still have fat underneath it, it's just not as easy for it to escape. How rude.

Fact: It gets worse for women as we age. Lack of oestrogen makes it worse.

Fact: It's in your genes. Look at your Mum and Grandmother. If they have it....

Fact: Some fillers and injectables can help - albeit temporarily - and it only really works on very slim people who have the odd 'dent' rather than full blown cellulite legs. Think models before catwalk shows/big shoots.

Fact: Lasers, massage (specific for this problem) and radio frequency treatments can help but again it will only be temporary. And it takes a ton of sessions. Personally, I think your time would be better spent at the gym/walking for an hour rather than lying flat out letting someone pound the area in vain...

Fact: Liposuction does nothing. It's like removing a bit of stuffing from a pillow. Leaves an indentation, doesn't magically spread the fat around nice and neatly.

Fact: Water helps. Eating veg that are water-heavy and drinking a lot of water throughout the day every day, helps. It doesn't fix it, it can help.

Fact: Smoking makes it worse. It weakens connective tissue (collagen). See first point.

Fact: There is not one cellulite cream on the market that gets rid of cellulite. Not one. Either by prescription or over the counter, it makes no difference.
They may make your skin feel softer and smoother, but they aren't shifting the fat. 


Eat well, move around more, drink plenty of water, take care of your health in general. And even after you've done all that, your genes may well just insist that you keep your cellulite. 
Save your money. 

Murad Cellulite Trial Results

At the beginning of June I grabbed my six 2 Litre pack by the horns and decided to take Murad up on their offer of trialling their Body Care System consisting of Firm and Tone Dietary Supplements along with the Firm and Tone Serum and the Body Firming Cream (original post here).
I thought I would be posting results in 4 weeks but it has taken slightly longer because I was waiting for all of the product to run out. 

Dr Howard Murad is a highly respected dermatologist based in California and has been ahead of his game for years. Murad is the top-selling 'Dr' line in Sephora stores in the USA. (full brand review to follow)

As I previously explained I don't care that much about my butt.  And frankly, anything that says firming is going to be put to the test on me - hard.  J Lo would be proud of my rear - it's large - I do believe Sir Mix A Lot wrote a song just for me here.

Me on the way to the Co-op.

But I'm always interested in trying to shift my baby belly.  Pre-offspring I used to be able to lay a ruler across my stomach - hipbone to hipbone.
Suffice to say those days are long, long, long, long (one for each child) gone. My penchant for fizzy drinks (I know) has aided it - along with my allergic reaction to all things exercise.

Whilst it's not huge or anything - and my kids were very good to me stretch-mark-wise - it certainly lacks 'tone' shall we say?! And no - there shall be no pictures. Get a grip. No-one needs to be seeing that.

Everything is sold separately but the kit pictured above is what I was using - it is priced at £135.00 - a saving of around £40 compared to buying the 3 items separately. Not cheap. But I suppose it depends on what you use normally. Two high-end cellulite creams used once a day each and 11 quality supplements a day would add up to substantially more.

It was 3 products and over 10 weeks on trial - I'm trying to keep it concise but bear with me:

The Firm and Tone Serum is the reason it took so long to post this. It is only just running out. Not bad going. I have used this religiously every morning after showering since the beginning of June. Around 75 days. It is very lightly textured, absorbs easily and there is absolutely no sticky feeling after applying.
This is supposed to 'refine uneven skin texture and improve skin firmness and elasticity' and I do think it has done that.  The skin on my stomach is definitely firmer and 'pinker'. It has certainly improved the 'look' of it.

The Body Firming Cream is 'clinically proven to increase skin firmness and hydration levels by 40% in 15 minutes'. I am a habitual addicted body lotion/cream/butter user. I mean addicted. I do NOT get dressed before slathering myself in the stuff - any and all, everyday without fail (unlike my good friend over at Get Lippie who doesn't agree with it like this - but that's ok - she can give them all to me). I think this is why I was not overawed with the cream - it didn't do enough to warrant me thinking I would buy it instead of my usual 15 bottle selection.  Although to be fair to Murad it has excellent web reviews (outside of its website) with one woman even using it on her face for the firming action. Also - it didn't last as long as the serum - about half the time in fact.

I did really like that there was no camphor in these products - traditionally used in cellulite creams to mimic the 'burn' but absolutely pointless - a bit like the 'lash inserts' in mascara ads.

What I really want to focus on is the Firm and Tone Dietary Supplement Pack.
The pack contains sachets of supplements helpfully labelled 'day' and 'night'. As a longtime supplement taker it does make life very easy. I can normally be found on a Sunday night decanting everything into my large pill box from Muji (highly recommended - here). With these, I just tore the strip of Day off and threw them in my handbag and left the Night ones by the kettle to remind me when I came home.  That bit didn't always work.  I found that it was harder to take the Night tablets - I would either forget at dinner or be so tired I would go to bed and forget... Either way - I had Night tablets lying around days after I had finished the Days - if you know what I mean. I just took them in the morning...whatever suits - they are not specific to PM - it's repeat dosages with slight changes in quantity.

If you have read my previous warblings you will know I have a thing for supplements anyway - my usual suspects (switching between addicted use and sporadic) are:

Magnesium (relaxes my stiff neck/joints/stops me grinding my teeth/helps you 'go')
Iron (anaemic)
Zinc (hair/nails)
Flax Oil (skin)
Fish Oil (brain *fail*)
Folic Acid (*prescribed for good HB count in blood - not for babies)
Vitamin B (so I don't stab my husband - or anyone else - but mainly my husband)
Vitamin C (skin)
Vitamin D (mood/skin/bones)

So I'm no virgin on the pill front - but these supplements did something I had never experienced before.
They cut my appetite in half. IN HALF. Now, I don't know particularly WHY - or HOW - they don't appear to have anything in them that I have not taken before - they are listed as:

MultiVitamin (obvious)
Connective Support Complex (amino acids?)
Essential Fatty Acids (fish/borage etc)
Cell Energizer (CoQ10 etc?)

Nowhere on the box does it say 'stop you pigging out supplement' - but something about taking these all together does exactly that. Have to say I was shocked. It's not that I would call myself hard to please and cynical - but well, I am hard to please and cynical.

I found myself arguing with the voices in my head (stay with me) 'No I can't possibly be full - keep eating' and then I would have that awful 'TOO full' feeling. I am a plate-clearer, as in finish mine and the pick at the kids/husbands/strangers plates. I found it hard to finish a meal while I was taking these. Wow. That sentence can go in the 'words you never thought you'd say category'. My husband eyed me suspiciously as I pushed the plate away night after night saying 'I'm full'. NOT what he is used to poor chap.
And it's not just me - I spoke to other people (outside of the business) who used them and the reaction was the same. 'I don't know what it is but they are amazing etc...'

So would I purchase? The supplements without doubt yes. I love supplements and I'd save on food so why not?! The serum yes in preparation for bikini (*laughs to self*) or if I had definite new stretch marks - after baby/weight gain/loss etc. The cream I would be less inclined to purchase purely because as I said before, I don't have real issues with my cellulite or stretch marks - but it is hard to find a negative review online for either of these two.
If cellulite is your thing you could be on to a winner - if it's stretch marks you're worried about remember they still need to be PINK if you are to have any chance of getting rid of them.  It shows that there is still a blood flow to the area - so straight after birth or large weight gain or loss is best. If they are 10 years old you best be getting used to them!

More information on Murad can be found here.
Specific information on the products I used can be found here.

Murad Cellulite Solution Regimen Trial

I have a confession to make.

I'm not bothered about my cellulite. I know the media tells me I should be - but really, I've got more important things to worry about. And anyway -it's behind me- I don't even have to look at it - so why stress?

 *NOT my arse. But what a great picture.

I mean, I'm 40 - and I've had 4 large kids (I know I remind you of this often - but if you had sprung forth a total of 38.25lbs of human from your loins you would probably wear it like a Blue Peter badge too) - I'm SUPPOSED to have cellulite.
However, what I do NOT appreciate is the slightly 'baggy' baby belly that Max left me with. Yes Max - it's your fault that Mummy can't show her midriff even slightly without sucking it all up REALTIGHT.

Max caring not a JOT about his mother's stomach.

So - being the awkward cow that I am - when I got the chance to trial the Murad Cellulite Solution - my first thoughts were - EXCELLENT - baby belly here I come. 

So. I started last Saturday. The regime entails taking two packets of supplements, one in the morning and one at night and using a serum and cream on the affected area of bottoms and thighs (stomach).

 

So far it's surprisingly easy.  I have already noticed a general improvement in the skin on my face.  And applying the serum/creams is no hard labour for me. I grease myself like a chicken pre-roast every day anyway.

I may be going nuts but I think the supplements are also improving my sleep.

So, we'll see - will I look like THIS afterwards?:

Helena Christensen looking fabulous - for a change.

Err. No. But that's OK.  Watch this space.