In the growing age of beauty and wellness micro-trends, skin and body care products are claiming to deliver major results. The anti-aging sector of the skincare industry continues to expand. Now, the popular, everchanging industry has its mind set on one holy grail product: firming body lotions.
According to Dr. Julian Sass, these products contain one particular active ingredient that may plump the skin and remove the appearance of cellulite. The cosmetic chemist told 21Ninety her favorite firming body lotions and gave insight to the new beauty product.
5 Best Firming Body Lotions
- Retinol Lotion: Murad Retinal ReSculpt Body Treatment
- All Over Body Lotion: Maelys Re-Pair Anti-Aging Body Lotion
- For Dry Skin: Caudalie Vinosculpt Lift & Firm Body Cream
- For the Chest: Clarins Bust Beauty Extra-Lift Gel – Breast Firming Gel
- Belly Gel: Maelys B-Flat Belly Firming Cream
Best Retinol Lotion
Since retinol is a form of vitamin A, it helps stimulate the production of fat cells, which addresses saggy skin. The Murad Retinal ReSculpt Body Treatment is retinol heavy. Other ingredients include milk thistle and bearberry, which help to improve your skin’s smoothness.
Best All Over Body Lotion
You can use the Maelys Re-Pair Anti-Aging Body Lotion on your face to target signs of aging and on your body to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Its head-to-toe benefits come from ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, which actively hydrates and plumps the skin.
Best For Dry Skin
According to Dr. Sass, it’s perfectly safe to use body firming products. However, sometimes they don’t always deliver before-and-after worthy results.
“In general, it’s a really marginal, small improvement over quite a long period of time,” he said.
To deter these seemingly lackluster results, the doctor suggests you invest in thicker, creamier products to tackle your starch mark skin. The Caudalie Vinosculpt Lift & Firm Body Cream features ingredients including, Grape polyphenols, grape seed peels, and iris extract to firm and tighten your skin.
Best For the Chest
Most brands design body firming products for all-over application, while others create formulas that target specific areas. If you’re looking for a skin plumping product to target sagging and stretch marks on your chest, Clarins offers the Bust Beauty Extra-Lift Gel – Breast Firming Gel. This lightweight gel contains ingredients including vu sua and oats to tighten your skin visibly.
Best Belly Gel
One of the most stubborn places to lose fat or smooth out the skin is your stomach. More specifically, those pregnant and quick to lose weight may struggle with removing the loose skin. The Maelys B-Flat Belly Firming Cream is formulated with Brazilian peppertree, which smooths the appearance of saggy skin. One important thing to remember about this firming cream is its tendency to tingle and make your skin hot.
What Is the Best Thing for Firming Skin?
According to Dr. Sass, the best products to buy for lessening the appearance of sagging skin is any body care products with retinol.
“Retinol can help smooth out that top layer of skin,” he said. “If you have crepey skin and you’re trying to smooth that out, retinol on the body can help.”
Retinol serums, lotions and moisturizers boost your skin’s collagen and elastin production, leading to firmer skin.
Is There Really a Firming Cream That Works?
In Dr. Sass’s professional opinion, the claim that body firming creams completely reverse stretch marks, cellulite and saggy skin aren’t entirely true. Although these products are harmless and work on a small margin of people, they only really address the top layers of your skin.
“A lot of [body firming lotions] are supposed to stimulate the production of fat cells in the skin, which will in theory help to even out any cellulite,” he explained. “The problem is that with most products, you’re really not getting past the top layer of the skin. Getting any deeper is difficult, and very complex chemistry.”
Our editors love finding you the best products and offers! If you purchase something by clicking on one of the affiliate links on our website, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.