Best cellulite cream: The best cellulite creams to smooth out the skin
These cellulite creams can quickly firm and moisturise your skin to minimise the appearance of cellulite
Most women, and some men, will have to deal with cellulite at some point in their life, whether in the hips, thighs, stomach, bum or even breasts. Cellulite is simply a build-up of body fat trapped between the fibrous bands under the skin. As we age, our skin becomes thinner and cellulite becomes more obvious, causing a bumpy and dimpled appearance.
However, there are many things that can cause more cellulite or for it to become more visible, including genetics, hormones, pregnancy, physical activity levels and diet. Although cellulite is a build-up of fat, its presence doesn’t necessarily have a negative connotation; in fact, cellulite is not harmful at all. That being said, many simply dislike its appearance and would prefer to get rid of it.
Without a medical procedure, cellulite can’t be entirely removed, but cellulite creams can provide moisture and a firming effect that helps diminish its appearance. Although the results aren’t permanent, with daily use, these creams are an easy and cost-efficient way to restore an even texture to the skin.
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Best cellulite creams: At a glance
- Best overall cellulite cream | Nivea Q10 Firming + Good-bye Cellulite Gel Cream
- Best hot cellulite cream | Majestic Pure Cellulite & Muscle Hot Cream
- Best cellulite cream for quick results | Clarins Anti-Cellulite Contouring Expert
- Best moisturising cellulite cream | Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Firming Butter
How to choose the best cellulite creams
There’s a wide range of creams to choose from, each promising to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Each contains a different mix of ingredients to produce a firming and smoothing effect. Keeping an eye on those ingredients is the key to finding the best cellulite creams that actually work.
What types of cellulite creams are available?
What really sets cellulite creams apart is their ingredients. It’s important to ensure that those ingredients actually have the power to reduce the look of cellulite. Common ingredients include:
- Caffeine: The most notable remedy for getting rid of cellulite is caffeine. This is because caffeine dilates the blood vessels in your tissue and dehydrates the fat cells to make skin look smoother and tighter.
- Coenzyme Q10: CoQ10 is a naturally occurring antioxidant that decreases with age. It’s another common ingredient in cellulite creams as it can help replenish and energise skin cells, as well as increasing the amount of collagen and elastin in the skin. All of this is essential in repairing your skin to make it look smoother, healthier and more even.
- Horse chestnut: This ingredient can also improve blood flow and help to reduce fluids and inflammation. Again, these are all factors that can help the skin maintain a smooth look and reduce the appearance of cellulite.
What features should I look for in a good cellulite cream?
Beyond what actually gets rid of the cellulite, there are many other aspects that you’re going to want to consider in any skincare product, especially one that you’ll be wearing all day, every day.
- Moisture: Having a good hydrating cream is very important, not only for the health of your skin but also for helping to reduce the appearance of cellulite. A moisturising cream can also make your legs look and feel silky smooth and youthful.
- Fragrance: The scent can really make or break a lot of beauty products. Although fragrance choice comes down to personal preference, most will agree that there are certain smells that are just unbearable. Even a pleasant-smelling cream can be too much if the scent is overpowering.
- Texture: Texture can determine how comfortable a cream is to wear. Some lotions will get onto your clothes or leave a sticky residue. It’s important to find a cream that isn’t greasy and absorbs well into the skin.
These are all factors we considered when researching cellulite creams and came up with our list of the best, below.
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The best cellulite creams to buy in 2022
1. Nivea Q10 Firming + Good-bye Cellulite Gel Cream: The best overall cellulite cream
Price: £9 | Buy now from Boots
Nivea Q10 Firming + Good-Bye Cellulite gel cream delivers impressive results at a great price. After three weeks of daily use, many reviewers found that their cellulite began to disappear. Incorporating CoQ10, an antioxidant that naturally decreases in the body with age, this cream can tighten and improve the elasticity of skin to diminish the appearance of cellulite. Many found that after trying out other products, this was the only one that really worked for them.
This treatment also has great moisturising properties that leave the skin smoother and improves its overall appearance. The blue gel-like consistency is able to absorb into the skin and dry very quickly, saving users from feeling greasy or slippery after application. It also avoids transferring the cream onto your sheets or clothes as may happen with other cellulite lotions. As an extra bonus, it smells great and has a nice cooling effect, too.
Key specs – Size: 200ml; Key ingredients: Q10, L-carnitine, lotus extract
2. Majestic Pure Cellulite & Muscle Hot Cream: The best hot cellulite cream
Price: £26 | Buy now from Amazon
With ingredients including menthol, capsicum, and camphor oils, the Majestic Pure Cellulite & Muscle Hot Cream is an innovative product that creates a heating/cooling sensation similar to a cooling/heating pad for muscle pain. This can stimulate the skin to tighten and increase blood flow.
Reviewers were amazed by how fast their cellulite seemed to go away after using this product, which can also be used for relieving muscle pains and aches. The heat can be quite strong, but nothing too uncomfortable to handle, although it should be kept away from the eyes, nose and sensitive areas to avoid burning.
This product uses all-natural ingredients, 87% of which are organic, and includes lavender oil for increased relaxation when applied to the muscles. Additionally, with a combination of aloe vera and shea butter, the skin will be left super hydrated and firm, to aid in the reduction of cellulite.
Key specs – Size: 255g; Key ingredients: Menthol, capsicum, camphor oils, black pepper, cinnamon oils
3. Clarins Body Fit Anti-Cellulite Contouring Expert: The best cellulite cream for quick results
Price: £40 | Buy now from Clarins
Although a little on the expensive side, the Clarins Body Fit Anti-Cellulite Contouring Expert boasts that it diminishes the look of cellulite in no time – and many users agree. In fact, reviewers found that they saw results after using the product just once, and others found that it started working in no more than five days.
This cream uses ingredients such as celosia and water mint to combat expanding body fat, and horse chestnut to activate draining. In combination with quince leaf extract, all these natural ingredients help to firm and lift the targeted areas to quickly minimise cellulite and give an overall slimming appearance.
Reviewers credited this product as the best cellulite cream on the market and found it to be very reliable in its results. It also helps in achieving very smooth skin and provides a refreshing cooling sensation when applied. This cream is a great solution when you have an important formal event coming up or in preparation for bikini season.
Key specs – Size: 200ml; Key ingredients: Celosia, quince leaf extract, water mint, green coffee, horse chestnut, sunflower
4. Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream: The best-smelling cellulite cream
Price: £20 | Buy now from Amazon
While the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is not marketed as a cellulite cream, it is a firming body cream that recently went viral for its ability to diminish the look of cellulite. This effect comes from the guaraná extract, which has five times more caffeine than coffee. Caffeine is a great ingredient for treating cellulite as it supports micro-circulation for skin tightening and smoothing.
What makes this cream stand out from the rest is its amazing Cheirosa 62 fragrance, which has notes of pistachio, salted caramel and vanilla. This scent and the mica shimmer melts into the skin to keep you smelling and looking good all day.
This travel-size pot is packed full of many other natural ingredients from Brazil, such as cupuaçu butter, coconut oil and açaí oil, which are amazing for getting hydrated and soft skin without cellulite.
Key specs – Size: 75ml; Key ingredients: Guaraná, cupuaçu butter, coconut oil, açaí oil, brazil nut
5. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Firming Butter: The best moisturising cellulite cream
Price: £3.89 | Buy now from Boots
With ingredients that include cocoa and shea butter, Palmer’s Firming Butter really does wonders for the skin, leaving it silky smooth and hydrated, and bringing it back to life. Although this cream is very moisturising and thick, it absorbs nicely and doesn’t have a greasy or sticky residue.
This product was tested by dermatologists and, by applying the lotion twice daily, users can begin to see the reduction of visible cellulite and the overall firming of their skin. This is thanks to the Q10, collagen, elastin and vitamin E in the cream, which are essential in providing skin elasticity and a tightening effect.
This cream has a classic pleasant cocoa butter smell. It comes in a fairly large bottle at an economical price and is very good value, especially since this product does double duty as a great moisturiser and cellulite buster.
Key specs – Size: 315ml; Key ingredients: Cocoa butter, Q10, ginseng, vitamin E, collagen, elastin, shea butter
6. Elemis Targeted Toning Body Moisturiser: The best luxury cellulite cream
Price: £75 | Buy now from Elemis
The Elemis targeted toning body moisturiser can be a bit of an investment, but it’s definitely worth the splurge as it has clinically proven results. After applying the product twice daily over eight weeks, along with a daily massage, it was found that cellulite was reduced by 64%. However, reviewers found that they saw less cellulite in as little as two days.
This toning and firming effect comes from the use of nigari salt and jania rubens in the cream. Although it’s recommended to pair the application with a massage, some reviewers recommended also using a body brush for better results.
This product not only gets you cellulite-free skin, but gives the skin a luxuriously smooth finish. After application, it melts into an oil to give better hydration to the skin, leaving it with a super soft feel.
Key specs – Size: 200 ml; Key Ingredients: Plankton extract, nigari salt, jania rubens
