“The same applies to slimming creams, such as anti-wrinkle creams. We suspect that the effects will not cause miracles. At 50 and over, we rarely find nymph thighs or baby cheeks, but we can have want to do something to feel better.” Here is the beginning of the editorial of the very last issue of 60 Million consumers which devotes its front page to these slimming creams.
Adélaïde Robert signs this file. Nine slimming creams have been tested, 10 years after the last bench test.
franceinfo: Are these slimming creams effective? Is there still sometimes a small miracle?
Yes, 10 years ago, we tested slimming creams with anti-cellulite claims, we wanted to see what had changed in this market, in terms of formulation and effectiveness. And there is in the end, very little evolution.
How did you proceed to test the effectiveness of these nine slimming creams?
We had them each tested by 28 to 30 women for a month. We measured their thigh circumference at D0, D14 and D28 because most manufacturers claim effectiveness at 14 days or 1 month. And we had them fill out a questionnaire to get their opinion on other criteria, such as hydration, firming, etc.
The verdict is the same as 10 years ago? Too big a gap between promises and results?
As for the loss of thigh circumference, yes, we are far from the promises of the manufacturers. Some give hope for a drop of more than 3 cm in the thigh circumference, on average, when none of our panelists has obtained such a result. And there are still exaggeratedly flattering marketing formulations on the packaging: you really have to read the asterisks to interpret them correctly.
But can’t we still lose a little weight with these products?
No, these products do not make you lose weight. On the other hand, they can have a rehydrating, smoothing, firming effect, it is on this that these products were appreciated in our test. Moreover, these are allegations that are increasingly put forward. We find ourselves like with anti-wrinkle products: a lot of ingredients, a lot of technology and patented molecules put forward, for mediocre effectiveness on the main promise but a satisfactory overall judgment.
Not very effective and they are expensive?
In addition, yes. The most expensive were 56 euros per bottle or jar. The cheapest was 16.50 euros.
And what else do we find in these creams? What are the miracle ingredients?
The main active ingredient whose effectiveness is best demonstrated is caffeine. It has the property of emptying fat cells. Other brands highlight active ingredients with funny names, such as the Bermuda active ingredient, the UCP1 system intelligent active ingredient or cellular water. But none are miraculous.
In fact, an old test in our magazine showed that it was the massage performed to apply these products that was largely responsible for their effectiveness.
The number one enemy is sometimes cellulite, which creams promise to fight. There is no miracle, you say. For efficiency, it’s a daily struggle…
Yes, there is a plethora of anti-cellulite methods available, but if there are so many it is because none really work well. And some are overpriced, especially if you consider that it takes several sessions to get a result that is never final.
Eating well and a bit of sport, isn’t this ultimately the most effective formula, in addition to being the least expensive?
It’s obvious. But it means sustained effort over the long term. At the end of May, if we have cellulite that bothers us, we still want to believe in the miracle product that will erase everything in 15 days!