the body care not to be neglected

Often confused with slimming treatments, firming creams are body treatments that target the appearance of the skin rather than the loss of a few inches from the waist, hips or thighs. Focus on these smart products that promise to keep skin firm and body toned!

Why use a firming cream?

Over time, the skin naturally and gradually loses firmness. The reason ? As we age, it no longer produces enough collagen and elastin fibers, proteins that ensure the cohesion between the skin cells so that it remains well plump, and the other its elasticity. With age, it therefore draws on its limited stock of proteins and ends up slacking off, losing its ability to retain water, thinning out and becoming more prone to wrinkles on the face and small defects on the body such as cellulite which is seen more as the skin becomes thinner. The oval of the face relaxes and the body takes on a more flabby appearance because of the orange peel. These inconveniences can also be observed in periods of weight gain or loss linked to hormonal changes, pregnancy or even repeated diets whose yoyo effect puts a strain on the epidermis. And that's not to mention the lack of daily hydration that can speed up the process. Hence the importance of applying a moisturizing body cream every day!

To overcome this natural aging and keep skin firm and toned, a balanced diet, good hydration and regular physical activity are essential, but it is also possible to use anti-aging facial creams and body treatments specifically designed to firm up the epidermis. If the reflex to apply a treatment that counteracts the effect of time on her face is well established, that of pampering the rebellious areas (stomach, thighs, arms, buttocks and even breasts!) With a product that restores the quality of the skin is less. However, this type of firming treatment is a real boost in the fight against sagging skin and loss of tone throughout the body. Halfway between a simple moisturizing body cream and a slimming treatment itself, firming creams do not only hydrate the skin, even if they do not offer a purely slimming action either. They act on the quality of the skin by providing it with the necessary ingredients to fill the gaps in collagen and elastin so that it regains density and elasticity, and that it is smoother. It thus gains in firmness and becomes more beautiful, which restores tone to the entire silhouette.

How do firming creams work?

Firming creams combine the moisturizing action of recognized active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, shea butter, glycerin or even wheat proteins – which are already in themselves capable of plumping the skin to make it a little more firm – and the invigorating action of ingredients such as guarana, iris extracts, caffeine, green tea, mate or seaweed extracts to offer a shaping, reshaping effect. Their formula often also contains ingredients rich in antioxidants such as grape polyphenols or vitamins that can fight against the signs of aging overall. It sometimes even happens that they are enriched with collagen or elastin to best fill the gaps in the skin.
It is thanks to this combination of complementary ingredients that they offer a tightening effect visible to the naked eye on the epidermis, and make it possible to preserve the suppleness and elasticity of the skin – in short its youth – in order to give a nice curve to the rebel areas. It’s their secret to helping us maintain perfect skin and a firm body.

How to choose your firming body treatment?

Firming oil with essential oils, slimming gel or tightening serum, firming body milk or firming cream … You have the choice of texture to find a firming body treatment that suits you best, but firming creams have the advantage of being endowed with with a comforting texture that is suitable for all skin types, even the driest and most reactive.

Firming body milk with organic grapes & rosemary from Lavera

Supple oil with sweet almond oil from L’occitane

My Coach Firming Slimming Gel! Elancyl anti-cellulite

In addition, firming creams are generally more nourishing than a dosage serum, milk or gel, while being less fatty than oils. They are therefore ideal in summer and winter to replace your lambda moisturizer for the body and thus provide additional care to your skin in loss of firmness to help you achieve your beauty and slimming goals. When it comes to perfume, again there is something for everyone. These treatments often offer a marine, spicy or neutral scent.
Finally, good news for organic enthusiasts, there are also certified organic firming creams that will improve the appearance of your body while staying in tune with your beliefs. Their scent then often comes from the natural active ingredients they contain.
The prices of these firming products vary from brand to brand, but there are plenty for all budgets.
So many good reasons to turn to a firming body cream rather than another firming product!

Which cream to firm the belly?
The abdominal strap is certainly the area most conducive to sagging skin. If your body is quite firm overall except in this particularly rebellious area of ​​the stomach, a full body remodeling treatment is not necessarily necessary. To target the sagging belly, it is better to entrust the task to a remodeling treatment specifically designed for this area. If the lack of firmness of the skin is the cause of your plumpness, it will do even better than slimming treatments and will gain quickly without a diet!

Linearance Sculpting Firming Belly Slimming

Clarins Belly-Waist Reshaping Treatment

Your weak point is rather your buttocks? Rest assured, it is possible to find an effective firming cream for the buttocks. Rarer, the latter more specifically target cellulite, in addition to firming the area to smooth the skin and dimpling. Results: more plump buttocks and peachy skin!

Bum Bum Biocyte Cream

Are you just looking to beautify your breasts that are starting to sag? So better to turn to a firming cream for the breasts that will tone your cleavage like no other.

Elixir firming bust of Dr Pierre Ricaud

When to adopt a firming cream?

There is no real age to start using a firming treatment for the body because we are not all equal when it comes to aging skin, but it is estimated that the amount of collagen and elastin produced by the body is decreasing. from the twenties and that this loss accelerates around the age of thirty. It is therefore an age that seems ideal for swapping your basic body cream for a treatment dedicated to firmness of the skin.
But if you expose yourself too much to the sun or to pollution, your skin may use up its resources faster by trying to regenerate and that its action is essential sooner. Likewise, with large variations in weight, this type of product can be useful in helping your skin to follow if you want our advice. Finally, if – although you are younger – you want to maintain your figure without seeking to lose fat, a firming treatment will meet your expectations more than a slimming cream.

How to apply your body firming treatment for it to be effective?

Firming treatments, like all skin care products, should be applied to clean, dry skin. If it is always important to apply the treatments by massage so that the skin can absorb them well, this is all the more the case when it is a firming treatment because the massage will not only increase the skin temperature to promote penetration of the active ingredients but also act in itself on the suppleness and firmness of the skin. That is why it is advisable toapply the treatments by performing ascending massages, going from bottom to top all over the body, to stimulate circulation. If you generally insist on the driest areas of the body (elbows, knees) with your moisturizer, with firming treatments it is better to insist on areas prone to sagging skin namely the stomach, thighs, hips, arms and buttocks.
To obtain satisfactory results, it is imperative to use your cream at least once a day on the whole body, but most brands recommend applying their care morning and evening, i.e. twice a day, so that they have maximum effect.

Can't see results after a few days? You have to persevere and not neglect the massage time of the treatment because it is the regularity that will pay off!

Our selection of the best firming creams for the body

Worried about investing in an unnecessary purchase? We invite you to discover the firming creams that arouse the most positive opinions because they effectively reshape the silhouette.

Nuxe Body Firming Melting Cream

Elancyl Firming Body Cream

Embryolisse Firming Body Cream 365

Caudalie Vinosculpt Lift & Firming Body Balm

Somatoline Cosmetic Use & Go Toning Remodeling

Auriga Flavonex Cream

A tip if you want to do a toning treatment before summer, order it well before the summer period because they are sometimes out of stock at the most useful time of the year and they must be given time to act for several weeks before they can display a perfect bikini body.

Can a firming treatment be slimming?

The answer is yes ! A cosmetic dedicated to regaining skin firmness can certainly offer an additional slimming action (and attack fatty tissue) in order to be able to reshape the silhouette even better, but this is not a requirement.

Read also : – How do I choose my body care?

Refine your silhouette: video advice from coaches

Video by Marion Dalle