Retinol vs. cellulite: the hype that won’t smooth away - Advanced cellulite and skin tightening treatments in London, by LipoTherapeia Book the best cellulite treatment in London here

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Retinol vs. cellulite: the hype that won’t smooth away

Retinol and cellulite: separating fact from fiction  

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Does retinol really tackle cellulite?  

Does retinol work for cellulite?

It’s a very common question that keeps surfacing among those desperate to smooth out dimpled skin. People ask it all the time, lured by retinol’s skincare fame. For more than two decades, it’s been a staple in cellulite creams, yet the results remain minimal.

However, on its own, retinol is ineffective for cellulite reduction, and even the hype around it can’t change that fact.

Let’s break down why this ingredient keeps coming up short.

The long history of retinol in cellulite creams  

Retinol has been used in cellulite creams for more than two decades, a fixture since the early 2000s when the hype first took off.

Back then, it was pushed as a miracle fix, and anti-cellulite creams that contain retinol keep appearing every year based on that buzz.

However, the results have been minimal at best. Despite its long run, retinol hasn’t delivered on the promise of smoother skin, proving that history and hype don’t equal efficacy when it comes to cellulite.

Why retinol fails the cellulite test  

Retinol, when studied on its own, is ineffective for cellulite reduction - that’s the plain truth.

Cellulite is defined as an aesthetic skin condition involving excessive hypodermal adipose tissue accumulation, impaired microcirculation, lymphatic drainage issues, free radical damage, chronic low-grade inflammation, skin laxity, connective tissue fibrosis, and collagen glycation.

Retinol doesn’t address these complexities meaningfully. All in all, retinol does not work for cellulite reduction when applied externally, and the evidence backs this up unequivocally.

Retinol and friends: a mixed bag of results  

Studied with other ingredients that do work, such as caffeine, ruscogenin, and forskolin, retinol reports positive results in some cases. These combinations show promise, unlike retinol alone, which flops against cellulite.

However, all should be taken with a pinch of salt, as quite a lot of science papers in cosmetic and aesthetic journals are not worth the paper they’re written on.

Often, they’re just tools to peddle products, casting doubt on how much retinol itself contributes to any cellulite improvement.

The shaky science behind retinol and cellulite creams  

This shaky foundation undermines claims about retinol’s effectiveness.

Anti-cellulite creams that contain retinol keep appearing every year, based on hype generated in the 2000s, even though retinol has proven to be ineffective.

All in all, retinol does not work for cellulite, and the “research” propping it up is often more marketing than science.

Regulatory limits sink retinol’s cellulite hopes  

Retinol is a known skin irritant with strict usage levels allowed by regulators - 0.1% for body use in skincare products in the EU and UK, without a special licence from authorities.

At such low levels, retinol would not work anyway; no natural active ingredient works at 0.1% concentration as a skincare cream ingredient.

Cellulite, with its deep-rooted causes, isn’t fazed by this tiny dose. So, even if retinol had potential, regulatory caps ensure it’s a non-starter for cellulite reduction.

Beauty gurus and the retinol-cellulite myth  

Journalists, bloggers, vloggers, and TikToker “beauty experts” keep peddling retinol as an anti-cellulite agent for skincare creams on and on and on.

This hype, rooted in the 2000s, fuels anti-cellulite creams that contain retinol every year, despite its proven ineffectiveness. Retinol does not work for cellulite reduction when applied externally, yet these influencers ignore the facts.

Their endless promotion keeps the myth alive, even as better options for tackling cellulite sit right under their noses.

Better options than retinol for cellulite  

There are far better anti-cellulite cream active ingredients that have actually been proven beyond doubt with multiple aspects of cellulite, such as forskolin, caffeine, centella asiatica triterpenes, EGCG, escin, esculoside, ruscogenin, rutin, hydroxyproline, and chlorogenic acid, among others.

A real cellulite cream with multiple, high-purity anti-cellulite actives in high concentrations would make much more sense than a retinol “anti-cellulite” cream.

Retinol doesn’t cut it, but these ingredients target cellulite’s many facets effectively.

Retinol’s futile fight with cellulite

In the end, retinol does not work for cellulite, period. Applied externally, it’s too weak to make a difference, and taking retinol internally in high amounts for the purpose of cellulite reduction would quickly cause liver toxicity - not a viable option.

Maintaining normal retinol levels is essential for health (and beauty), but it doesn’t have any specific effect on cellulite if applied or ingested in higher amounts.

The conclusion is clear: skip the retinol hype and look to proven actives for real cellulite solutions.

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of topical retinol in the treatment of cellulite

  • Research paper link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11702613/

  • Abstract: Background: Cellulite occurs to varying degrees on the thighs and buttocks of many otherwise healthy women. Among the many purported treatments for cellulite, only a handful have been tested in clinical trials. Objective: The aim of this study was to critically explore the reputed effect of topical retinol in the treatment of cellulite. Materials and methods: The study compared the effect of topical retinol to a placebo formulation in a left-right randomized trial in order to eliminate the massage-effect. The study was conducted in 15 women aged from 26 to 44 years who had requested liposuction to improve mild to moderate cellulite. Results: After 6-months of treatment, skin elasticity was increased by 10.7% while viscosity was decreased by 15.8% at the retinol-treated site. Such an effect on the tensile properties of skin was more prominent where the mattress phenomenon was the only evidence of cellulite. The lumpy-bumpy appearance of the skin showed either little response or was not responsive to the treatment. Although gross microanatomical differences were not disclosed between the comparative sites at completion of the study, evidence for a shift in the phenotype of connective tissue cells was obtained. The main retinol-related change consisted of a 2- to 5-fold increase in the number of factor XIIIa+ dendrocytes both in the dermis and fibrous strands of the hypodermis. Conclusions: We hypothesize that the functional and phenotypic changes seen in this study were linked and represent the result of a direct or indirect modulating effect of retinol on cellulite. Such features ultimately improve the resting tensions inside the skin which should in turn smooth the skin surface.

A double-blind evaluation of the activity of an anti-cellulite product containing retinol, caffeine, and ruscogenine by a combination of several non-invasive methods

  • Research paper link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11479653/

  • Abstract: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted with 46 healthy female volunteers in order to test an anti-cellulite product containing retinol, caffeine and ruscogenine. An evaluation of different parameters related to cellulite appearance, i.e., the skin macrorelief, the dermal and hypodermal structures, the skin mechanical characteristics, and the cutaneous flowmetry was assessed using several non-invasive methods. This combination of different evaluation methods resulted in the demonstration of significant activity of the anti-cellulite product versus baseline and showed its superiority versus the placebo in skin macrorelief (decrease of the "orange peel" effect) and an increase in cutaneous microcirculation. By using a combination of methods, it was possible to detail the activity of an anti-cellulite product and to show superiority of the product in comparison with the placebo.

Evaluation of the efficacy of a topical cosmetic slimming product combining tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol, In vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies

  • Research paper link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21564138/

  • Abstract: Three studies were performed to investigate the mechanism of action and evaluate the efficacy of a topical cosmetic slimming product combining tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol. The Ex vivo study on skin explants showed that caffeine and forskolin both stimulated glycerol release and demonstrates for the first time that retinol and carnitine in combination synergistically stimulated keratinocyte proliferation, which leads to an increase epidermal thickness. The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study associating circumference measurements on five selected parts of the body, cutaneous hydration measurements as well as blinded expert grading of skin aspect was conducted on 78 women who applied the product or placebo twice daily for 12 consecutive weeks. After 4 weeks of twice-daily application of the product, significant reductions in circumference of abdomen, hips-buttocks and waist were already observed. Improvements concerned all the measured body parts after 12 weeks. Orange peel and stubborn cellulite decreased significantly from 4 weeks of treatment and tonicity improved from 8 weeks, demonstrating that the product improved skin aspect. At the end of the study, eight parameters of the thirteen evaluated were significantly improved in the active group and compared with placebo.

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Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia

At LipoTherapeia we are passionate about phototherapy (also known as photobiomodulation/PBM, red light therapy, infrared light therapy, blue light therapy, LED light therapy etc) and we use the most powerful equipment available today (up to 200mW/cm2), for best results and treatment of large body areas.

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