Do Body-Firming Skin Creams Actually Work? Here’s What Doctors Say.

You might be noticing that over time, the skin on some parts of your body is starting to sag or just doesn’t look as supple as it used to. If you’re on the lookout for a solution, there are many body lotions and creams out there that promising to tighten and firm — but do they actually work?

Body-firming products — like Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, Maelys B-Tight Lift & Firm Booty Mask, Nivea Skin Toning and Firming Body Gel-Cream and others — contain a variety of ingredients, like peptides, retinol and caffeine, and claim to “visibly firm” the skin in a matter of weeks.

But the results will be “subtle at best,” the American Academy of Dermatology says.

“No skin care product is likely to produce long-term firming of the skin, although the word ‘firming’ is ambiguous enough that it may be inherently difficult to prove or disprove the claim,” Dr. Daniel Friedmann, a cosmetic dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Austin, Texas, told HuffPost. However, “Skin care products can increase skin hydration, improve skin quality and increase collagen, which may give the appearance of firming.”

So before you purchase body-firming products, which can range in price from $15 to hundreds of dollars, here’s what doctors want you to know about them.

Body-firming creams, serums and lotions include a variety of ingredients — caffeine, peptides, retinol, alpha hydroxy acids and antioxidants — meant to boost collagen, which makes the skin look tighter and toned.

These substances do benefit the skin, but it’s “unlikely” they’ll offer long-term firming, said Dr. Jennifer Sawaya, a dermatologist with U.S. Dermatology Partners Scottsdale. Here’s how ingredients can potentially work in body-firming creams.

Caffeine acts as a diuretic, Sawaya said. It’s often found in eye creams to reduce puffiness, and is also a common ingredient in cellulite-minimizing products. Items with caffeine can help with the water retention that can make cellulite more apparent, and may make the skin appear firmer.

Caffeine can also contract skin cells and temporarily give the appearance of firming, Friedmann said.

Peptides are fragments of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. When they’re added to skin care products, they theoretically enable the body to create more proteins, specifically elastin and collagen, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

They can trigger an SOS response in the skin, cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Kenneth Mark told HuffPost. “The body recognizes the peptides as damaged protein, in this case collagen, and by repair mechanisms, stimulates collagen production.”

This can improve fine lines, wrinkles and lack of firmness, Friedmann said. Peptides also absorb water, improving skin hydration and overall quality.

Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that’s available over the counter. It’s been shown to improve the effects of sun damage, including fine lines, pigmentation and uneven skin tone, Friedmann said.

However, retinol is weaker compared to prescription-strength retinoids, Mark said. “Retinoids are arguably the most scientifically studied and proven to stimulate collagen and help diminish fine lines and wrinkles, clinically.”

They work by stimulating certain skin cells to boost collagen fibers and improve skin elasticity, research shows.

Alpha and beta hydroxy acids, including glycolic and salicylic acids, are chemical exfoliants that help remove dead skin cells, Sawaya said. Using body lotions and creams with these ingredients can increase the skin’s “luminosity and textural quality,” but likely won’t firm the skin.

Using these products continuously also stimulates collagen production and decreases free radical damage, minimizing collagen breakdown, Mark said.

Antioxidants such as vitamin C can reduce damage from ultraviolet radiation and environmental pollutants and can brighten the skin, Sawaya said. They may also play a small role in collagen production.

“While I do recommend topical antioxidants, I do not consider this to be a skin-firming treatment,” she said.

Using firming products daily could offer “a very subtle improvement in the firmness of the skin over time,” Sawaya said. “To see a greater impact, consider the use of medical-grade skin care products or procedural interventions.”

These products may still make the skin look better, however, offering benefits such as exfoliation, hydration, collagen production, textural improvement and minimized sun damage, Sawaya explained.

“The skin may not necessarily feel thicker or firmer, but may look better, or the difference may be just microscopic and not clinically apparent,” Mark added.

Firming products are safe for most people, but some may be sensitive to certain ingredients, Sawaya said. For instance, retinol and retinoids can be irritating for people with sensitive skin, Mark said.

The products often contain multiple ingredients, so irritation or allergies are possible, Friedmann said. Unless something is causing irritation (and if it is, you should stop using it), he recommended using an item for at least a week before starting an additional topical product.

Over-the-counter body-firming products that you use at home won’t do as much as firming procedures done in a dermatologist’s office, Friedmann said.

“But they can be a valuable icing on the cake, furthering and accelerating the results of in-office procedures or achieving very modest results in those averse to setting foot in a doctor’s office,” he said.

Several options are available for firming the skin. Surgical skin tightening can offer “dramatic improvement,” Friedmann added.

If you’re not up for surgery, noninvasive therapies, including radiofrequency devices (Thermage), micro-focused ultrasound therapy (Ultherapy) and skin-resurfacing technologies, like CO2 lasers or radiofrequency microneedling, can help, he said.

“Like the multiple ingredients in skin care products, these devices often lead to even better results when used in combination,” Friedmann added.

Doctors can also offer prescription-strength retinoids, Sawaya said. She also recommends body lotions with alpha hydroxy acids to exfoliate the skin.

The key for doctors is “to address the underlying problem and to assess what bothers the patient the most,” Mark said.

At-home body firming products can be a beneficial part of a skin care regimen, he said. But your doctor can offer longer-lasting firming results. As with any cosmetic or surgical procedure, speak to your doctor first to determine if you are a good candidate for treatment and to discuss potential risks and side effects.

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