I’ve had cellulite on my thighs as long as I can remember. It’s very rare you’ll see me with those lumps and bumps on show, even if I’m by the pool, with kaftans and sarongs becoming my firm friends.
On Sunday evening I was taking part in a very gentle workout which involved the not-so-strenuous activity of crossing one leg over the other. It was in this moment that I saw it. Cellulite on my CALVES. Who knew the little blighters could make it that far down your legs?! I’m told that post-pregnancy this new addition to my lower legs should disappear but what about all those flippy little knee-length dresses (or should I say tent-like smocks) I’ve been planning on wearing? I’ve done a bit of reading and the jury’s out as to whether or not I can improve its appearance without medical or chemical intervention, but in the meantime a few things might be worth a try.
Dry Brushing
Brushing skin with a natural fibre (not synthetic) brush has a whole host of benefits, not just helping stimulate the cells and break down the toxins associated with cellulite. Dry brushing also exfoliates, stimulates the lymphatic system and unclogs pores too. Now you have to do this technique properly to get the benefits – start at the soles of the feet and work in swift, long sweeping motions towards the heart, otherwise you’re at risk of varicose veins as well as the cellulite! Shower after you’ve finished the dry brush technique to get rid of the dead skin. The Body Shop do a handheld natural brush which a friend of mine recommends or for harder to reach places you’re probably better off with a long handled brush instead like this one from Amazon.
Coffee
Well we often hear about how caffeine isn’t a great thing to indulge in, so how about rubbing it on your skin instead? To improve circulation and reduce water retention mix 1/2 cup of coconut oil, 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon, a cup of ground coffee and 1/2 cup of sugar and massage onto the affected area in a circular motion. I’m sure you’ll smell delightful in the process too.
Exercise
I’ve got back into more of an exercise routine over the last few weeks. Typical that one of the things that is meant to help combat cellulite is the thing that led to me detecting the dreaded orange peel in the first place. There’s any amount of exercise pins on Pinterest professing to shed cellulite and toning up those various leg muscles. As with any new routine it’s worth checking in with your doctor before giving anything a whirl.
Massage
A fancy deep-tissue massage can do wonders for your lumps and bumps, albeit temporarily. Surprise, surprise the more you have it done the longer lasting the effects. The massage drains the lymph nodes to leave smoother skin and there are pregnancy-safe options too. Stress and lethargy are apparently another contributing factor to cellulite. I’ve never had a deep tissue massage before but I can’t imagine it’s that relaxing?
Water
Good old H20. Is there anything that bad boy can’t do? Staying hydrated with water and lots of fruits and vegetables ensures the flushing of toxins. At the moment I honestly don’t feel I can fit any more water in but I’ll give it a whirl. There were lots of comments on how to increase your H2O intake on this post from our archives.
Apparently, 90% of women have cellulite so do you do anything in particular to keep it at bay? Or is it just one of those things we are just stuck with?
Embrace it. Cellulite is just the way that fat cells are distributed under your skin. It’s completely natural – babies have it for goodness sake! Please don’t feel you have to cover up. As you said – 90% of women have it, so why would you think you need to hide it? I have terrible cellulite – I always have. It’s only in the last year or so that I have stopped caring about it. Can’t believe I wasted about 20 years of my life worrying about it – think of all the things I could have done with that time, how much happier I could have been and all the fab clothes I could have worn! My opinion is no, you can’t beat it, so spend your time on something more worthwhile 🙂
I still think I’ll give dry brushing a go. A friend of mine does it and her skin glows! Not sure I can be bothered to do it every day though!
A friend of mine is a personal trainer and I have done a few sessions with him – I almost died, but the results were great. Shame I haven’t been near a gym for a couple of years though… He told me that people who tend to work in environments where chemical based products are used, such as hairdressers or beauty salons, retain higher amounts of fat on the back of their thighs. I don’t know what the science behind this is, but it is food for thought.
That’s really interesting Claire.
Body brushing everyday before you shower really works! Definitely worth the extra 3 mins in your morning routine x
I’m going to nip to TK Maxx at the weekend Kate and get one x
I have cellulite too, but I’m actually a bit more bothered about the varicose veins I picked up during my first pregnancy in the latter stages (and seem to have added to recently with this one!). They are little, but they do bother me.
I’ve never done the dry brushing thing, although have always intended to. Apparently, it’s good for both. I think even if the cosmetic side of things isn’t bothering you much, it’s at least good for your circulation and removing dead skin cells.
Might finally give this a whirl.
Yes I’m all for being a bit more glowy!
I’m addicted to dry brushing! I do it every morning before I shower and before having the occasional bath. I’ve got a small one in my Amazon cart with the aim to keeping it in my gym bag too. It’s definitely reduced the appearance of cellulite on my thighs, but I also struggle with the skin on the back of my arms and dry brushing seems to be the only thing that helps keep them smooth and under control.
I’m not normally one to fall for anti cellulite lotions and potions, but I recently got Temple Spa’s Go Figure, which has a massage head to apply with. It does work! Even after one application my skin is smoother and tighter – it also tingles when you put it on, which makes it feel like it’s doing something.
A big tip I heard recently and have started incorporating into my routine is to only use body scrubs dry! It doesn’t matter if it’s cheap or luxury, use them before you get into the bath or shower and you get much better results. On the body scrub front, the best one I’ve had was one I made myself – a bag of bath salts, coffee grounds (after I’d made a pot of coffee) and some old body oil that needed using up. I need to get back into making it!
I bet your scrub smells amazing too Katie.
I haven’t tried any Temple Spa products but I’ve heard good things about it x
I read an article on The Pool in March & this section really stood out to me:
“When I think of smooth, cellulite-free female bottoms, I think of music videos. In 2018, people are still making music videos in which a cast of beautiful, young, smooth women dance in their underwear, usually for the pleasure of a fully-clothed male artist. It would seem as though the entire point of giving up coffee, eggs and life as we know it is to gain the approval of a pervy man who probably won’t even bother to take his sunglasses off to stare at your buttocks.”
It made me chuckle & also feel a bit sad about how much time & energy we dedicate to this kind of thing. That said I do dry brush before a shower… 😉
😉