Your body responds to damage by rushing defensive nutrients to the affected area. It does this by dilating the blood vessels and releasing specific chemicals. You notice that after an injury or infection your skin becomes warm and red. In fact, the redness that you experience from sunburn is actually the result of inflammation. While this is beneficial in the short term, prolonged inflammation actually causes the free-radical damage and cell wall deterioration that it is attempting to prevent. That is why it is important to use soothing ingredients, both topically and internally, to calm inflammation before it begins doing more harm than good. Fortunately, anti-inflammatories are widely available in a variety of products.

Promote Exfoliation
By the time we reach adulthood, our rate of cell turnover has drastically diminished, and we are left with a surface of dead skin cells that look dull and no longer provide an adequate barrier against the elements and water loss. The way to combat this is through exfoliation, the removal of surface dead cells. This can be done either chemically, using mild agents that dissolve the dead cells, or mechanically, using textured soaps or sponges and brushes that can wipe away the surface cells. When you remove cells from your skin's surface, a message is sent telling your body to create replacements. These will be strong young cells that not only look and feel healthy but also are better equipped to stand up to the onslaught of cellulite. It is important to remember that when you exfoliate, you are not so much removing cells as replacing them with stronger ones. By reducing these dead, ineffectual cells, you also increase the efficacy of topical treatments applied to the area.