You moisturize your face religiously, you use hyaluronic acid serums and eye cream, but do you neglect your body? Moisturizing head to toe every single day might seem like a chore to some. But it’s so important, because hydrating skin is necessary to keep it healthy. Drinking the recommended amount of water daily helps, but moisturizing externally is crucial too. Dry skin tends to look older and is more likely to develop wrinkles. Not only that, but body lotions have more than just hydrating ingredients – peptides and ingredients like vitamin C can help firm skin up and make it look smoother and younger.
Collagen and elastin are the two important proteins in our skin that keep it firm and bouncy. Without them, we’d all be wrinkled and saggy throughout our lives. As we age, these proteins degrade and diminish, leading to the sagging and wrinkling that tends to accompany mature age. Sun damage can accelerate the natural process of collagen and elastin loss, so never skimp on sunscreen. In addition to practicing prevention, you can try special firming body lotions that can help give your natural collagen a boost. Some ingredients even help stimulate collagen production.
The key, however, is to use these body lotions consistently, either every day or perhaps even twice a day. The more you use them, the better the results will be. It might even take a few weeks of continuous use to start seeing the results you want.
Best Ingredients for Firming Skin
Some especially potent ingredients make firming body lotions work extremely well. You should look out for them when searching for the right firming body lotion.
- Retinol – Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that helps stimulate collagen. One important way in which it works is by inhibiting the enzymes that degrade collagen. This slows down the aging process, making your skin less likely to wrinkle and sag. The great thing about retinol is that it not only helps stimulate collagen synthesis, it also helps prevent it from breaking down in the first place.
- Vitamin C – Vitamin C also helps stimulate collagen in the skin. It further works as a powerful antioxidant to prevent free radical damage. Free radicals are unstable atoms that damage skin cells and thus accelerate the aging process. Free radicals also degrade collagen and elastin, so it is important to counter them with antioxidants as much as possible.
- Caffeine – Caffeine is helpful because it stimulates blood flow in the areas where it’s applied, which helps boosts circulation. This gives skin a temporary lifting and firming effect. Because this effect is temporary, it helps to use a lotion with caffeine every day.
- Hyaluronic acid – Hyaluronic acid is a remarkable substance that can retain 1,000 times its weight in water. It draws in moisture from the environment to hydrate. This allows it to plump up and tighten skin, greatly reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
- Peptides – Collagen-boosting peptides can help improve the look and feel of skin. Peptides are basically short chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins like collagen. Collagen-boosting peptides will help improve skin elasticity if they are active ingredients in lotions.
Best Firming Body Lotions
The body lotions on this list can help with hydrating, firming, tightening, lifting and reducing the appearance of cellulite to give you a smooth, beautiful result. Remember that it’s important to use these lotions continuously to get the look you want.
Dr. Brandt Cellusculpt Body Shaper & Cellulite Smoothing Cream
Dr. Brandt’s Cellusculpt body lotion targets loss of elasticity and firmness and cellulite with pure caffeine and green coffee. A ball applicator will smooth the cream onto your skin and massage it in for extra help to make skin look especially taut.
Tata Harper Redefining Body Balm
Specifically formulated for dry, mature skin, this balm from Tata Harper will not only help to tighten sagging and aging skin, but also minimize the appearance of stretch marks. It is packed with hydrating butters and free radical-fighting antioxidants to help skin look healthier and younger.
Jergens Skin Firming Toning Moisturizer
On the opposite end of the price spectrum from Tata Harper is Jergens’ Skin Firming Toning Moisturizer, available at drugstores. It features hydrolyzed elastin and hydrolyzed collagen to improve elasticity and firmness while also providing hydration.
StriVectin TL Tightening Body Cream
This tightening body lotion works to improve skin tone by making it more even. It also hydrates, improves elasticity and leaves skin feeling firmer. Key ingredients include caffeine and patented NIA-114 technology featuring a blend of collagen-boosting peptides.
SkinCeuticals Body Tightening Concentrate
Formulated for lax skin on the legs, stomach area and arms, this firming body lotion from SkinCeuticals features 2% hydrolyzed rice protein to tighten, tone and lift. It also contains 2.5% tri-peptide and yeast extract to further improve elasticity.
Murad Firming Peptide Body Treatment
A proprietary peptide blend and grape seed oil work together to protect elasticity, improve tone by making it more even and tighten loose skin for a firmer, more youthful look. For best results, apply daily onto slightly damp skin.
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Firming Butter
This is an affordable and popular firming and lifting body lotion that works to minimize the appearance of stretch marks and helps tighten loose skin after weight loss or pregnancy. Key ingredients include vitamin E (an antioxidant), collagen, elastin and shea butter that team up to improve texture and elasticity.
Philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion
This emulsion features the lovely scent of Philosophy’s best-selling Amazing Grace fragrance, but more importantly it has the power to hydrate and firm while also providing protective antioxidant action thanks to vitamin E.
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream
Guarana is a native Amazonian plant that is a very potent form of caffeine. This firming body cream features not only that, but also acai, a powerful antioxidant, and super hydrating coconut oil. The caffeine provides a tightening effect while the acai protects from further damage and the coconut oil hydrates and soothes.
Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream
Lemon thyme, centella and bocoa extracts will help tighten and firm up skin that has become loose over time. Meanwhile, shea butter and jojoba seed oil help hydrate and moisturize to reduce the appearance of any wrinkling and to improve overall tone.
References:
Nutrients, “The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health”; Clinical Interventions in Aging “Retinoids in the Treatment of Skin Aging”;
