These Cellulite Creams Help Smooth and Firm Skin, According to Dermatologists

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If you’ve ever noticed that the skin on your thighs, hips, or buttocks looks dimpled or lumpy, you’re not alone—in fact, according to the Cleveland Clinic, 80-90% of women have cellulite on their body. “Cellulite is superficial fat that gets trapped underneath the skin,” says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “The fat is held in place by fibrous tissue bands that pushes the fat against the skin and causes a dimpled appearance.”

Cellulite can be caused by by multiple different factors, including hormones, genetics, nutrition, muscle tone, and weight changes, says Konstantin Vasyukevich, M.D., a facelift plastic surgeon at New York Facial Plastic Surgery. It’s completely normal—and harmless—but some people may find themselves wanting to get rid of cellulite for smoother-looking skin. While there is no quick fix for actually getting rid of cellulite, the good news is that you can still reduce the appearance of dimpled skin with the help of the best cellulite creams. “These creams work by helping to increase the elasticity in the skin, which can help lessen the appearance of cellulite in your skin and also increases firmness and hydration,” explains Dr. Vasyukevich.

Meet the Experts: Joshua Zeichner, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City; Konstantin Vasyukevich, M.D., a facelift plastic surgeon at New York Facial Plastic Surgery; Azza Halim, M.D., a board-certified multi-specialist physician.

So, to minimize the look of cellulite on your body, slathering on a topical treatment—while not a miracle cure—is definitely worth a try. If you’re not sure where to start with all the options out there, don’t worry: We’ve gathered the very best cellulite creams right here—all approved by experts and top-rated by reviewers to help you get smoother, firmer-looking skin.

Our top picks

Keep scrolling to shop popular cellulite creams from top brands. Plus, learn more about what to look for in this type of product, according to skincare pros.

Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

This top-rated body cream “combines caffeine with rich botanical oils and antioxidants to hydrate, protect, and smooth the skin,” says Dr. Zeichner. The caffeine in the formula comes from guarana extract, which “helps increase skin’s firmness and can lessen the look of cellulite with consistent use,” explains Dr. Vasyukevich.

The cream is also a best-selling customer favorite. In fact, it boasts over 21,000 ratings on Amazon, with reviewers raving that it’s fast-absorbing and has a “heavenly” scent. “This cream works like magic!” writes one shopper. “I’m in love. I’m already on my second jar. This will be my summer lifesaver! Couldn’t recommend more!”

Skin Firming and Toning Body Gel Cream

If you’re looking for a reliable and affordable drugstore pick, you can’t go wrong this popular skin-toning option from Nivea. Its lightweight formula contains a blend of coenzyme Q10 (an antioxidant), L-Carnitine (a metabolizing compound), and lotus extract to effectively firm skin. It has over 25,000 ratings on Amazon, with reviewers noting that it absorbs quickly and doesn’t feel sticky or greasy after applying.

“This stuff is amazing! I am often skeptical of any product that claims to do something like ‘firm skin,’ but I'm so glad I was wrong!” writes one satisfied customer. “It smells great, absorbs quickly, keeps my skin feeling smooth and soft for days.”

FabGirl Firm Body Firming & Contouring Cream

A pick recommended by Dr. Vasyukevich, this contouring and firming cream from Bliss contains caffeine—a skin-stimulating ingredient that “temporarily reduces the size of fat cells and helps to minimize the appearance of cellulite,” he says. The formula also contains shiitake mushroom extract to boost skin elasticity, as well as skin-nourishing botanical extracts and shea butter.

One Amazon reviewer calls it a “game changer,” writing: “While this product didn’t totally eliminate the look of cellulite, it definitely gave my legs a smoother and firmer appearance...I am in my 40s and my legs looked more hydrated, softer, or firmer after applying.”

Retinol Skin-Smoothing Body Treatment

Dr. Zeichner recommends using creams with retinol to tackle the appearance of cellulite. It’s “not only a go-to ingredient for wrinkles, but it can help stimulate collagen to strengthen the skin itself,” he says. This pick from Paula’s Choice combines retinol with protective antioxidants—vitamins C and E—to help smooth out wrinkles, fine lines, and dimpled skin. Plus, shea butter and plant oils nourish and hydrate skin.

“This stuff is awesome...It has significantly helped with my upper arms, evening the skin tone and improving the texture,” writes one reviewer. “Absorbs quickly and really provides a lot of moisture!” adds another.

Squalane + Caffeine Toning Body Cream

This toning body cream from Biossance combines the powerful effects of squalane, which helps boost hydration and moisture, with caffeine, which helps firm the skin. It also contains niacinacmide, which hydrates and improves skin texture.

“I have dry skin, and this leaves my skin smooth, soft, and comfortably moisturized all day when massaged into my skin after my morning shower,” writes one reviewer. It “feels calming and soothing,” they continue, noting that it has a “luxe feel and is rich and buttery but not greasy or heavy.”

Hot Cream

This cellulite cream from Majestic Pure “is ethically sourced, easy to absorb into the skin, and contains ingredients such as camphor and cinnamon oil to help tighten skin and reduce the appearance of texture,” says Dr. Vasyukevich. The cream also helps relax sore muscles, and provides a warming sensation when applied—making it great to use during massages.

“This hot cream is absolutely amazing...After applying it to your skin, you feel a sensation that is so relaxing. I’ve noticed that my sore muscles and all tension has went away since using this,” writes one Amazon reviewer. “It’s also great for cellulite and firming skin. What more could you want?”

Slather Exfoliating Body Serum

Another one of Dr. Vasyukevich’s favorites is this exfoliating body serum from Topicals. It’s “specifically formulated for textured skin,” he says. That’s thanks to its powerful ingredients, including retinol and alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), which exfoliate and moisturize dry patches and bumps for smoother, softer skin. It also contains squalane, niacinacmide, urea, and lactic acid—all of which help hydrate, nourish, and improve skin texture.

“I’m pretty impressed with this body serum,” writes one Amazon reviewer. “It is exfoliating and moisturizing. I have been using it on my dry, rough spots, and they feel noticeably softer and smoother. It also helps remove the dead skin and minimize the appearance of pores as well.”

Cellulite Defense Gel-Cream

Specifically formulated for targeting cellulite, this firming and toning gel cream from Body Merry has a powerful blend of ingredients, including skin-firming caffeine, exfoliating retinol, and hydrating coconut oil. Not to mention, it absorbs quickly and offers a cooling, tingling sensation thanks to refreshing peppermint oil in the formula.

“Very impressed with this cream,” writes one Amazon reviewer. “After using it for a week, a very stubborn (and large) striation of cellulite on my inner thigh was completely gone...I can actually look at myself in shorts and not flinch.”

Skin Firming Body Lotion

Looking for a budget-friendly cellulite cream that won’t break the bank? This popular body lotion from Jergens is super affordable (at only $6 for nearly 17 ounces of product, it comes at a great value). It helps to soften and tighten skin thanks to collagen peptides and elastin in the formula. Reviewers also say it smells great. One customer raves that its “the holy grail of body lotions,” while another writes: “I saw and felt a visible and tangible change in my skin tone after the first time I used this lotion...It goes on easily and it soaks into your skin very quickly.”

The Body Cream

This luxurious cream may come with a high price tag, but it’s a best-seller—and a celebrity favorite—for a reason. The rich, hydrating formula is packed with TFC8, a complex of natural amino acids, vitamins, and molecules that support the skin’s natural process of renewal. It also contains bisabolol and shea butter to soothe and hydrate skin.

Shoppers especially love that the cream is “thick without being oily or greasy” and that it “completely melts into skin.” One reviewer writes that “it feels like a soothing cocoon for the whole body.”

Caffeine Cream Body Moisturizer

Packed with skin-firming caffeine and hydrating ingredients, such as shea and coconut butter, jojoba oil, rosehip oil, and avocado oil, this cellulite cream works to minimize the appearance of cellulite and wrinkles. Reviewers especially love that it has a “silky-soft” texture that leaves skin feeling super-smooth.

“I have been using this cream for a while now and I love the texture and the feel of it,” raves one Amazon reviewer. “It goes on really well, and I have noticed a change in my cellulite areas a lot! The scent is nice and subtle as well.”

Body Fit Anti-Cellulite Contouring Expert

This contouring product comes in a cream-to-gel formula that reviewers say is lightweight and quick-absorbing. It’s packed with nourishing plant extracts, including quince leaf extract and celosia extract, which help visibly firm and tone skin, while hazelnut extract provides a hydration boost.

“What is this magic!? I just tried the product for the first time and love it already,” writes one reviewer. “It feels so nice on my skin. I love the initial tingle, the scent, and the soft feel of my legs after. I felt like I instantly saw a difference in the appearance of my skin.”

Firming Body Cream

Seaweed Bath Co. is known for using marine-derived ingredients, such as those found in this firming body cream. The soothing formula contains sustainably harvested Atlantic seaweed and chlorella (an algae extract that’s packed with nutrients), in addition to antioxidant-rich green coffee bean extract to moisturize, firm, and smooth skin.

Reviewers say it absorbs quickly and leaves skin feeling soft. “After using this product for a month, the cellulite bumps on my thighs have dramatically decreased,” writes one reviewer, who also adds that it leaves their skin feeling “velvety soft.”

Green Apple Firming Peptide Body Moisturizer Lotion

This top-rated moisturizer is deeply moisturizing and soothing on skin thanks to hydrating ingredients like jojoba and shea butter. Vitamin C, peptides, and malic acid from organic green apples also help firm and brighten skin. While the texture of this cream is a bit thicker, reviewers say it still absorbs quickly into skin and doesn’t leave it feeling sticky.

“I’ve used this stuff for years now. It’s the only lotion that I’ve ever seen an immediate difference after putting on,” writes one shopper. “It immediately smooths and firms your skin. Plus, my skin stays moisturized all day and night, which doesn’t happen often for me.”

Firming Butter

While most popular for use during and post-pregnancy to help reduce stretch marks, this popular skin-firming butter is also great for diminishing the appearance cellulite. The formula contains Q10, an antioxidant that helps improve skin elasticity and reduce the look of wrinkles and fine lines, as well as vitamin E to soothe and rejuvenate the skin. Did we mention it’s also a top-rated best-seller on Amazon?

“I have bad cellulite in my thighs that made me not wanting to wear shorts,” writes one reviewer. “I have been using Palmer’s Firming Butter for the last month morning and night. I have been amazed at how well it has worked!”

How to choose the best cellulite creams

When shopping for a cellulite cream, you’ll want to look at the active ingredients listed in the formula. “Some of the ingredients in cellulite creams that help to remove the appearance of cellulite include retinol, vitamin C or ascorbic acid, methylxanthines like caffeine, vitamin E or alpha-tocopherol, and fisetin and frambione,” says Dr. Vasyukevich. “All these ingredients help to increase the hydration, firmness, and elasticity of your skin over time, which in turn helps to reduce the appearance of cellulite.”

Dr. Zeichner recommends looking for creams that contain retinol, which is “not only a go-to ingredient for wrinkles, but it can help stimulate collagen to strengthen the skin itself,” he say. Formulas that contain caffeine are also great options. “Caffeine helps constrict blood vessels to remove excess fluid from soft tissue,” explains Dr. Zeichner. “Caffeine is a member of the astaxanthin family, compounds that can actually directly enhance breakdown of fat itself.”

As for harmful ingredients to avoid, Dr. Vasyukevich advises looking for paraben-free formulas. And you may want to proceed with caution before using creams that list aminophylline as an ingredient. “Some creams have made people anxious or experience high heart rates when they contain the ingredient aminophylline,” he warns.

None of the picks listed here contain aminophylline in the formula. Still, make sure to patch test a new product on a small area of your skin first, he advises.

Do cellulite creams actually work?

“Unfortunately, cellulite creams only help smooth or superficially tighten skin, thereby lessening the appearance of cellulite, but they do not truly work deep enough on the true cause of cellulite,” says Dr. Halim. Dr. Vasyukevich also says that topical treatments “do not actually reduce or remove the cellulite from your skin.” Still, cellulite creams can help reduce the appearance of cellulite, he notes, specifically by helping to increase elasticity, improve firmness, and boost hydration in the skin. “These creams should be applied two times a day for about three months to see results,” he notes. Even then, results may be minimal and temporary.

How else can you get rid of cellulite?

There is no magic solution to permanently getting rid of cellulite, but if you’re looking for more high-impact results than the temporary ones you’ll find with cellulite creams, you may consider consulting a dermatologist or doctor about in-office medical procedures. These treatments can offer a more long-term solution for cellulite, but they can be more invasive and expensive. “Many of the in-office procedures that treat cellulite work by breaking apart the fibrous bands in the skin,” explains Dr. Zeichner. Popular in-office treatments that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Admistration to treat cellulite include a subcision treatment called Cellfina, a laser treatment called Cellulaze, and an injectable treatment called QWO.

Additionally, a healthy lifestyle may help reduce the risk of developing cellulite. While people of all body weights and types can get cellulite, maintaining a healthy, stable weight and a balanced diet might help you avoid or limit it. “Nutrition is a big factor in cellulite accumulating, so adjusting your diet and habits can help to reduce or prevent cellulite from accumulating,” says Dr. Vasyukevich. “This can include quitting vaping or smoking, drinking less, and opting for a healthier diet that contains less high sugars and lower amounts of fat and carbohydrates...along with regular exercise.”

How we chose the best cellulite creams

We consulted Azza Halim, M.D., a board-certified multi-specialist physician; Konstantin Vasyukevich, M.D., a facelift plastic surgeon at New York Facial Plastic Surgery; and Joshua Zeichner, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Additionally, we combed through countless reviews, ratings, and product specs online to find the best cellulite creams.

Why trust us

For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview medical experts to help guide our health-focused product selections. Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.

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