In July 2004, Good Housekeeping reported a small
study of then-available skin-firming or anti cellulite creams. The
Good Housekeeping Institute sent a small group of test subjects
to a well-known New York plastic surgeon. The women saw the doctor
before starting treatment, after two weeks and after four weeks.
They were instructed to use one of three cellulite
creams daily on one thigh only, providing a very reliable control
for comparison. For example, if a woman gained or lost ten pounds
during the study, the study would still reveal if the cream alone
had any effect.
At each appointment, thighs were measured at three
points above the knee, photos were taken and dimply skin was graded
on a scale from very noticeable to none at all. Unfortunately,
GHI did not reveal the names of the two losing cellulite creams;
but they did report that only Avons Cellu-Sculpt significantly
reduced the treated thighs circumference. The average loss after
just one month was ? of an inch. The point is firming creams,
at least the effective ones, really can have an effect.
Fast forward two years
Avon Cellu-Sculpt still has the same great ingredients
and is still one of the most popular firming creams on the market.
The key active ingredients are: caffeine and cornstarch for temporary
tightening; glycerine and glycosaminoglycans as moisturizers and,
most importantly, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3 which stimulates growth
of new elastin and collagen.
In the meantime, the search for cosmetically active
polypeptides has progressed by leaps and bounds. With the introduction
of tetrapeptides, we finally have an ingredient that addresses sagging,
loose skin.
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3 has been clinically shown
to stop and even reverse glycation damage which causes skin to droop.
Glycation is the process by which glucose links with proteins and
causes them to bind together, thus stiffening tissues.
Glycation affects the skins support system collagen,
elastin and other proteins and leads to wrinkles, sagging, uneven
skin tone and loss of youthful contours.
Finally, in a class by themselves, are the neuropeptides.
Neuropeptides are polypeptides that act as neuromodulators, neurotransmitters,
neurohormones, and hormones. Probably the best-known proponent for
the cosmetic use of neuropeptides is Dr. Nicholas Perricone. His
previous anti-aging developments have met with broad acclaim and
his three books have been on the New York Times Bestseller list.
Dr. Perricone explains his work with neuropeptides
in his third book The Perricone Promise thus: In The Wrinkle Cure
and The Perricone Prescription, I introduced a major theme of my
research: the Inflammation-Disease-Aging Connection. Because inflammation
is a great contributor to accelerated aging, it has been an important
focus of my ongoing scientific research. And we now know that neuropeptides
and peptides play an important role in mediating inflammation.
According to Dr. Perricone, neuropeptides provide
the benefits of the above polypeptides as well as provide powerful
anti-inflammatory (i.e. anti-aging) activity and maximum hydration
to the skin.
We surveyed the market for creams that contain
some or all of the ingredients you want for maximum firming. Then
we ranked them for their firming effectiveness. The ideal firming
cream would contain ingredient(s) from each category below.
Key Ingredients to Look For in a Cellulite Firming
Cream
A. For Temporary Skin Tightening
Though the skin tightening effect is what most
people are looking for in a firming cream, the effect is regrettably
temporary. Its 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 crosspolymers
and lauryl methacrylate.
Astringents are another class of temporary skin
tightener. 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 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 dont realize
that the benefits are not just temporary. Keeping the skin well-hydrated
not only feels good temporarily but also supports the skins matrix
against collapsing with the passage of the years.
Recent studies suggest that skin moisturizers also
accelerate the recovery of irritated or injured skin. The skin is
the bodys largest organ and its first line of defense. The skin
acts 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 imidazolidinyl or diazolidinyl 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 NMFs. For maximum benefit, NMFs 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
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3 (PP-3), Palmitoyl Tetra-
(or variously Tera-) peptide-3 (PT-3), and Neuropeptides are truly
active anti-aging ingredients. PP-3 stimulates 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 skins aging
About The Author
By: Jean Bowler. For the latest in skin care products
and cosmetic procedures, visit http://www.ageless-beauty.com/antiaging-skin-care.html
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