Fighting the Dreaded Cellulite

Cellulite is extremely common and everyone who suffers from it hates it. I'm in the club, having a bit on the back of my legs and bum. In my mission to get fit and ready for my holidays in May, I've decided to tackle cellulite head on. I'm the type of person who needs to know everything about somethings I'm fighting head on so wanted to share with you some information on Cellulite and two products, I have been using that seem to be working a treat.

What is Cellulite?

Cellulite is fat accumulation that forms a bumpy appearance under the skin. The bumps are created when the fat collects and pushes against the connective tissue found directly under the skin. Cellulite is found most commonly in women, and is located in the thighs, buttocks and stomach. The amount of cellulite a person has depends on body fat percentage, thickness of skin, and age.

What can I do about it?

•  The best treatment for cellulite is diet and exercise to reduce the amount of body fat and increase muscle tone. Limit sugar and salt to assist with weight loss and water retention in the body. Drink at least 2 litres of water a day ( If you struggle with water like me, pop a multivitamin or vitamin c effervescent into a 2 litre bottle of water)Exercise wise walking is really good or you could take a trip down memory lane by breaking out a skipping rope.   
• You can disguise cellulite with the use of a false tan, my personal favs being Cocoa Brown and Decadence Tan , (the tan eliminator from Decadence Tan can help reduce cellulite too)Tanning in the sun or in a light bed will worsen cellulite as sun damages the elastin and collagen in the skin. 
• Body Brushing can break up the toxins. Brush each area of the body for 3-5 minutes.
• Cellulite looks worse when skin is dehydrated. Use a decent moistuirser like La Roche Posay ISO UREA or Neostrata Lotion Plus daily.

Treatments You  Can Buy

For the last few weeks, I have been trying a budget and high end cellulite treatment to see if they provided any improvement to my problem areas. Since there is two I used them for two weeks at a time

Budget - Pixy Cellulite Body Oil (€9.95)

Cellulite Body Oil is made from avocado oil which is good for troublesome skin conditions and sweet almond oil which soothes and reconditions the skin. Cypress essential oil is used to improve circulation, grapefruit essential oil to smooth cellulite and fennel essential oil is known to cleanse the body of toxins - an uplifting combination of scents as we help you in your battle to conquer the dreaded cellulite.

I really liked this oil, first off it smells gorgeous and because you only need a small amount, the bottle lasts for ages. Because it is an oil and takes a while to soak in, I used it in the evening time before I went to bed.After two weeks of using this, my skin definitely felt softer and more supple. Even more impressive is that cellulite was significantly reduced.In comparison to other high end cellulite treatments, this lovely holds its own. Well done Pixy!

High End - Clarins Body Lift Cellulite Control (€46 available on Clarins counters this month)

The new Body Lift Cellulite Control contains 8 plant extracts to aid skin’s hydration, tone & texture thus improving the over all appearance as well as working on problem areas. Clarins reccomend following their Body Contouring method, which involves applying the cream from your ankles up to you thigh and massaging it in a specific way. same goes for when applying it to your bum.

When trying out this cream, I would recommend allocating a bit of time as the massage can take a while to do. Again this lovely smells beautiful,no doubt thanks to the plant extracts. On instant application, my skin looked smoother and the tone majorly improved. The cream soaks in quickly so youre not left waiting to get dressed. After the two weeks on this, my cellulite improved even more so.

It's hard to say which I would recommend, as both did a good job at controlling my cellulite. I was impressed with how Pixy improved my skin and how Clarins improved my skin tone. I think anyone would be happy with either, but if it's down to budget, then Pixy is the one.

Salon Treatments

There are heaps of Salon treatments available for cellulite.  One I recently heard of is Vela Shape II, which is apparently a fav of celebs like Kim Kardashian. Velashape II is non surgical and uses a combination of radio frequency, infrared light and vacuum suction. It claims to address cellulite and firm your skin. This baby aint cheap with prices currently €499 (gulp!) for 5 sessions in Pink Beauty Emporium Dundrum

xxx What are your tips for fighting cellulite? xxx