There are many cellulite remedies on the market, and even more active ingredients that make them up. It is very easy to get lost in the glut. You always hear people trying to sell you on their miracle cream with a magic new ingredient. How do you know what works and what doesn't? Is there a way to know how these ingredients are addressing your cellulite, if at all?

I have evaluated a wide array of cellulite treatments to determine their ability to alleviate the condition. I have broken them down into their component ingredients to clearly illustrate by what method these products address your cellulite and how effective they may be.

It is important to remember that until now very few if any remedies were more than simple topical treatments, which alone are not very effective in treating cellulite. You can buy many creams that contain vitamins, herbs, minerals, and antioxidants. The good ones make the skin softer, smoother, healthier, and better able to repair itself. The better creams also contain antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and ingredients that stimulate blood flow. Cellulite-affected areas tend to be dehydrated and damaged, and need the extra benefits of moisture, protection, and increased blood supply. By increasing the moisture of the affected area. The overall appearance of the cellulite can be temporarily reduced. When you look at cellulite, you are seeing not only the dimpling effect. You are also seeing the damaged, dry skin that accompanies it and even perpetuates the condition. If you can treat this dryness and damage, the appearance of the cellulite will be minimized. However, the damage itself, and the buoyant fat cells within the skin, will remain only partially treated. As you know, to completely address cellulite and stretch marks, we need to treat them from the inside as well as the outside.

Very often, topical creams dehydrate the affected area of wasted water over several weeks or months of use. The effect of this is that the thigh that houses the cellulite does, for a brief period of time, become smaller. By association, we feel that the condition has improved as well. Have you ever heard a sales pitch for a cellulite treatment that begins, "Our product can solve cellulite by actually decreasing the diameter of your thigh by one inch!"? As you now know, the size of your body has no effect on the cellulite that is present. In actuality, while removing wasted water can temporarily decrease the size of the area treated and help to forestall future damage and exacerbation of dimpling, it does not actually repair and reverse cellulite. Also, any size that was lost will be replaced as soon as you drink water.

While topical cellulite remedies can be very beneficial, they have little effect if used alone. Creams cannot actually penetrate the dermis where much of the damage is. Creams and lotions generally reach only the epidermis, or top layer of skin. Many cellulite treatments are largely unsuccessful because they target only the external appearance of cellulite. They are unable to completely fight the damage where it lives. Now that you understand that the dimpling on the surface of the skin is merely a symptom of the underlying cause, you can see how banishing lumps and bumps requires deeper-acting treatments in addition to topical ones.

To really turn back the clock and reverse the damage, you must reach farther than just skin deep. That is where internal remedies and technology make all of the difference. I recommend going beyond simple topical remedies and utilizing science and nature's entire arsenal to combat cellulite and stretch marks. My concept of Technoceuticals includes a combination of effective topical remedies with technologically advanced treatments and formulas that can produce visible results. I incorporate nutritional supplements and a diet rich in foods that provide the essential elements to repair damage. This all-inclusive approach is the only truly effective method of treating and repairing cellulite and stretch marks.

There are nine different avenues by which cellulite and stretch marks can be effectively repaired. In this chapter I highlight each of these methods and then describe which of them various cellulite remedies are employing. Some attack cellulite through more than one of these channels, some through none. Remember, these methods work in conjunction with each other. The more of them that you employ, the more success you will have in reducing, preventing, and even eliminating your cellulite.