Do fat burning creams work?

First off let's clarify that no cream, gel or serum can actually ever burn any fat. This is biologically impossible. Fat is oxidised (what people call “burned”) in muscles and organs after being released by fat cells. No fat oxidation occurs in white adipose fat tissue (what people call “fat”).

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Topical fat reduction creams: FAQs

Here is a list of questions answered for a magazine interview on topical fat reduction creams, known to the public as purported “fat burning creams”. It is nice to be able to set the record straight amidst a sea of hype, ignorance and misinformation.

What is a fat burning cream?

First off let’s clarify that no cream, gel or serum can actually ever burn any fat. This is biologically impossible. Fat is oxidised (what people call “burned”) in muscles and organs after being released by fat cells. No fat oxidation occurs in white adipose fat tissue (what people call “fat”). So in essence a “fat burning” cream that works (most don’t), is a cream that helps stimulate lipolysis (= fat release from fat cells) in specific areas where stubborn fat has accumulated. That fat can be superficial fat (subcutaneous adipose tissue) or cellulite fat (dermal/hypodermal fat). A more correct term for such products would be ‘fat releasing cream’ or perhaps ‘fat reducing cream’. If the product aims to reduce cellulite fat, together with other aspects of cellulite - as opposed to just reducing subcutaneous fat - is called an anti-cellulite cream. But those verbs “reducing”, “releasing” wouldn’t sell, would they? While imagining that fat is set on fire by a “fat burning cream” for some reason sounds more realistic to the public. I know, it’s crazy…

Why do I need a “fat burning” or an anti-cellulite cream?

Exercise and diet themselves stimulate the release of fat in the body and actually lead to its oxidation, by causing a calorie deficit in the body. However, what diet and exercise cannot do is stipulate where exactly in the body fat will be released from (there is no such thing as a spot fat reduction or spot cellulite reduction with either exercise or diet. Hence the need for topical treatments and creams to help release fat from stubborn fat and cellulite which does not respond as fast to exercise or diet. If there were no stubborn fat deposits and fat was distributed evenly throughout the body and cellulite didn’t exist, there would be no need for topical fat reduction creams or treatments: diet and exercise would suffice. So for topical/spot fat release we need to offer a helping hand to stubborn fat cells with a topical treatment or a topical product, ideally a cream.

What is better for fast topical fat / cellulite reduction, a cream or a treatment?

Creams are slower acting than treatments, but offer much better value for money per £/$/€ spent.

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If you want fast results, regardless of cost, go for treatments

If you want good value for money, regardless of speed of results, go for creams And if you are a perfectionist aiming for maximum results, go for both

How do they work? What to look for in a “fat burning” cream?

A good fat reducing cream contains ingredients that stimulate adipocyte lipolysis, i.e. the release of fat from fat cells. The most famous such ingredient is caffeine. However, the most powerful one is forskolin. However, as forskolin is also 10x times more expensive than caffeine, you will not see it in most creams. The combination of both is ideal. Many other natural active molecules have a lipolytic action, but to a lesser extent. Retinol can help a bit, but it’s generally very irritating and its use is very regulated. Curcumin, centella asiatica, EGCG, quercetin and a host of other polyphenols have a lipolytic action. In summary, to choose a real fat burning / cellulite cream look for as many of the ingredients above, in high purity in high concentrations (unfortunately most creams contain only one or two, diluted, low purity actives).

What is the difference between a “fat burning” cream and a cellulite cream?

A fat releasing cream can contain only lipolytic (=fat releasing) ingredients.

A cellulite cream must contain ingredients for other aspects of cellulite, such as poor circulation, skin laxity, fibrosis etc. Luckily most of those ingredients coincide. For example centella asiatica has a multiple action against most aspects of cellulite, including lipolysis, so it can be used in both types of creams. However, I would put a higher amount of forskolin and caffeine in a fat releasing cream, while I would include a balanced amount of both lipolytic and other anti-cellulite actives in a cellulite cream.

Do “fat burning” / cellulite creams actually work?

If those creams contain high enough concentrations of lipolytic ingredients, yes, they do work, albeit not how the public imagines them to work. Here’s a full list of caveats: Even the best fat reducing cream will take weeks to work, not days. Only water can be shifted in hours/days, which then quickly returns again. So be patient and apply twice a day for several weeks (12 ideally). Then have a month break and start using the cream again for another 12-week cycle. Many people apply a cream occasionally and still expect results and of course this is never going to work Fat can always return if you eat more and don't exercise, so keep up the good work with healthy nutrition and exercise during and after the 6-12 weeks of application

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Having said all that about consumer behaviour regarding cellulite/fat reducing creams, I have to say that the problem with most creams is that they don’t include high enough concentrations of actives for profitability reasons (making up the difference with marketing). Obviously those creams (the vast majority on the market) don’t work. Also, topical fat reduction creams are for small improvements, don’t expect inches of reduction. This only happens in fake “before and after” photos, not in real life. Have realistic expectations. Significant topical fat reduction is only possible with liposuction. As cellulite is fat more superficial and lesser in volume than subcutaneous adipose tissue (what people call ‘fat’), a good topical fat reduction cream will automatically help with cellulite too (but not always, depending on the type of cellulite). A specifically designed cellulite cream will help with both fat reduction and improvement of the other aspects of cellulite (puffiness, skin laxity, fibrosis etc)

Are there any side effects?

No cosmetic product on the market in the UK and the EU (the strictest jurisdictions in the world when it comes to cosmetics) should reach the public without a toxicology assessment. So no, there should be no more side effects than using any other skincare cream. For example there is an upper limit in the inclusion of caffeine, retinol etc in skincare products. Do not buy products made outside of EU/UK, unless you know that your buying a quality brand.

How about “fat burning” / cellulite gels or serums?

The same comments made about “fat burning” creams apply to gels and serums. The only difference is that gels do not absorb anywhere near as well as creams. Serums do not absorb well and by definition cannot hold enough quantity of actives either, so they are even worse than gels and serums.

Any safety tips to follow?

The usual cosmetic safety tips apply.

Do not use more than recommended quantity per day by the manufacturer, as those recommendations are based on the safety analysis Do not use while pregnant, breastfeeding or if you are sensitive to any of the ingredients Given that everyone can be sensitive/allergic to anything, if you suffer from skin sensitivity / allergies always do a patch test before applying the product on large body areas.

How to reduce cellulite and tighten up your skin:

lipotherapeia.com - Fat burning creams, gels and serums: do they work? - LipoTherapeia

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