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Most Effective Cellulite Creams - Part Two

Comparison of the Best Anti-Cellulite Skin Firming Creams Available

For more information, read part one of Effective Anti-Cellulite Treatments.

Key Ingredients to Look For in an Effecive Cellulite Firming Cream

A. Skin Tightening

Though the skin tightening effect is what most people are looking for in a cellulite firming cream, the effect is regrettably temporary.

It's literally like putting starch on fabric; and many of the temporary tighteners are starches. Look for cornstarch, hydrolyzed soy flour, hydrolyzed wheat protein, etc.

Starch is a natural polymer or combination of many sugar monomers. Working in similar fashion to natural starches are synthesized polymers. These include acrylates, acrylate cross-polymers and lauryl methacrylate.

Astringents are another class of temporary skin tightener found in cellulite creams. They work by removing oils and soap residue from the skin, leaving the skin smoother and tenser.

Examples are alcohol, propylene glycol, witch hazel, and salicylic acid. Astringents are generally drying. If you already have dry skin, you may want to avoid cellulite firming lotions that contain them.

Anti-edema ingredients are yet another type of temporary skin tightener. They tighten the skin by reducing abnormal swelling and inflammation within the cells. Examples are aminophylline, caffeine, chamomile, centella, grapefruit, ivy, laminaria (seaweed) and rosemary.

B. Both Temporary and Restorative

Probably the most popular, but also most under-rated, skin care ingredients are good moisturizers. Many people don't realize that the benefits are not just temporary. Keeping the skin well-hydrated not only feels good temporarily but also supports the skin?s matrix against collapsing with the passage of the years. Learn more here about effective moisturizers.

Recent studies suggest that skin moisturizers also accelerate the recovery of irritated or injured skin. The skin is the body's largest organ and its first line of defense, acting as a physical barrier against infection and injury.

In a study from the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden, a moisturizing cream was tested for its effect on damaged skin with excellent results, including far less water loss and enhanced barrier recovery.

Better, more effective moisturizers are developed every year. Current top picks are: hyaluronic acid and other glycosaminoglycans; and urea. Other excellent moisturizers are collagen, elastin, glycerin, glycogen, glucose, polysaccharides, amino acids, cholesterol, lipids, ceramides and lecithin.

The above are all Natural Moisturizing Factors or NMF's. For maximum benefit, NMF's need to be combined with emollients such as silicone, lanolin and other animal oils, mineral and plant oils (shea butter, cocoa butter, petrolatum), cyclomethicone, cholesterol, stearates, mystirates, palmitates or triglycerides.

C. Turn-Back-the-Clock Restorative: The Polypeptides

Active Copper Peptide (Copper Gluconate), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3 (PP-3), Palmitoyl Tetra- (or variously Tera-) peptide-3 (PT-3), and Neuropeptides are truly active anti-aging ingredients. Active Copper and PP-3 stimulate the growth of new collagen and elastin to plump out wrinkles and dimpled skin from within. PT-3 stops and reverses glycation damage, thereby lifting the skin and refining body contours. Neuropeptides have been developed that do the work of PP-3 and PT-3 combined, as well as hydrate and fight inflammation that accelerates the skin's aging.

Ageless-Beauty's Cellulite Firming Top Ten Picks

We went searching for body skin firming potions that contain effective amounts of as many of the best active ingredients described above as possible. After evaluating more than 50 products that claim to firm the skin and reduce cellulite, here are the best we found. The ingredient categories are as above: A = temporary tighteners; B = moisturizers; and C = restorative ingredients.

1. Peter Thomas Roth Ultimate Body Sculpting Slimming Gel contains: A. ethanol, caffeine and acrylates; B. urea combined with glycerin; and C. Tripeptide-3 (plus a bevy of skin-healthy vitamins A, active C, and E).

2. Almay Body Firming Cream contains: A. glyceryl polyacrylate, salicylic acid; B. glycosaminoglycans, glycerin and petrolatum with several stearates and various plant and mineral oils as emollients; and C. PP-3 and PT-3.

3. Institut DERMed Body CelluliteRx LipoKit is a three-pronged attack on cellulite which includes LipoSmooth exfoliating cream, LipoFirm Contour Cream and LipoLift Firming Cream. Nice idea!

I need to go beyond the A,B,Cs on this one since it includes some ingredients pretty unique to cellulite creams. Alpha-hydroxy glycolic acid is included for exfoliation. Exfoliation removes dull surface skin and stimulates collagen production. So as it helps fill in wrinkles, it theoretically could help plump cellulite bumps from within.

The Contour cream contains niacin (vitamin B3). The British Journal of Dermatology (September 2000) and The Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (April 2004) have published studies demonstrating that niacin increases ceramide and free fatty acid levels in skin, retains moisture and stimulates microcirculation. All these effects could contribute to smoother, healthier looking skin.

The Lifting Cream contains a special class of liposomes. Liposomes are commonly used to encapsulate other ingredients to carry them past the dermal barrier into the deep layers of the skin. DERmed�s QuSome liposomes are multilayered to maintain sustained delivery of PP-3 and anitioxidants (cinnamon leaf oil).

The Contour and Firming creams contain: A. guarana seed extract (high in caffeine); B. essential fatty acids as emollients; and C. PP-3.

4. N.V. Perricone M.D. - Neuropeptide Firming Body Mist contains: A. astaxanthin (phaffia yeast); B. and C. a proprietary collection of more than forty different biologically active neuropeptides that hydrate, lift and stimulate the growth of new elastin and collagen.

5. Clarins Total Body Lift contains: A. glycerol polymethacrylate, acrylates/C 10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, sodium acrylates copolymer, denatured alcohol and caffeine ; B. glycerin NMF combined with sunflower seed emollient; and C. none.

6. SkinCeuticals Advanced Body Firming Lotion contains: A. soy bean protein, chamomile and rosemary; B. hyaluronic acid, urea and glycerin with caprylic/capric triglyceride and glyceryl stearate as emollients; and C. none.

7. Cellex-C Skin Firming Cream Plus contains: A. chamomile and propylene glycol; B. hyaluronic acid, urea and glycerin with the emollients evening primrose oil and caprylic/capric triglyceride; and C. none.

8. Murad Firm and Tone Serum contains: A. caffeine, alcohol, centella, salicylic acid, acrylates/C10-30, alkyl acrylate crosspolymer; B. atelocollagen, phospholipids, glycerin and the emollients caprylic/capric triglyceride and various plant oils; and C. none.

9. Derma E Hyaluronic Acid Firming Serum contains: A. witch hazel extract; B. hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, and glycerin with the emollients caprylic triglyceride, glyceryl stearate; and C. none.

10. Fake Bake Sunless And Skinny contains: A. denatured alcohol (ethanol), cayenne, caffeine, theophylline, kelp and algae extracts; B. hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate) and urea with jojoba oil; and C. none.

Check out the current offers promotions at SkinStore.com!

This article is for informational purposes only. It does not purport to offer medical advice.

Consult a qualified physician before taking any of these products.

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