Firmness, the new inescapable virtue of slimness

 2015 declares war"on the slack" and promises to be the year of the body contouring ! Most of the new features offer a firming bonus and redesign the contours of the silhouette.

According to an Ipsos survey conducted on 2,500 European women aged 20 to 60 in December and January 2014, the firmness of the body is the primary aesthetic concern of women. The search for harmonious and tonic curves is asserting itself as one of the major trends of the new slimming which integrates restructuring active ingredients (always associated with the inevitable caffeine) in its formulas. These last ones make a beautiful place to naturality: extracts of organic quince (Masvelt, Crème anti-rondeurs rebelles de Clarins, 200 ml, 52,50 €), of coriander or orange tree (Sérum Expert Réducteur Contours de Carita Minceur, 200 ml, 69 €), rhizome of wild ginger (CelluDestock Overnight, Soin Chrono-Amincissant de Vichy, 200 ml, 31,50 €)…

Seaweed (Biotherm Body Refirm Perfecting Anti-Capiton Oil, 125 ml, 29 € ; Morpho Designer Crystal Refining Emulsion Phytomer, 150 ml, 65 € ; Firming Belly Sculptor Challenge and Thalgo Size, 150 ml, 37 € ; Algo²Iode Sérum Activateur Minceur cure d'attaque Daniel Jouvance, 100 ml, 42 €), or silicon (Soin Silhouette Contrôle Ventre et Hanches Phyderma, 150 ml, 29,90 €) are also in the spotlight.

In this quest for firmness, the specific slimming products for mature skin, which are declined by age group, have all their legitimacy. There are two leaders in slimming: Somatoline Cosmetics (Traitement Minceur 50 plus, 150 ml, 38.90 €) and Élancyl (Cellu Slim 45+, 200 ml, 29 €, for women over 45). Their firming active ingredients are no exception to the natural rule: Jania Rubens extract with its dual pro-lipolytic and pro-collagen action for the former and redensifying apple extract for the latter. Even the cosmeto-textile passes at the time of firmness, with a technology of light compression associated with capsules of coenzyme Q10 (Legging Remodelant Firming Nivea, 29,90 €) .

The slimming active ingredients also go green!

The poppy extracted with supercritical CO2 or hibiscus flower acids for a beautiful skin texture can be found in Clarins' new Massvelt formula. Pink berries from the pepper family (Silhouette Serum L'Or Rose Melvita, €29.50; Slimming Intensive 7 nights Somatoline Cosmetics, 400 ml, €44.90, new formula; Slimming Bio-Active - Phyt's Double Action Gel, €51.40, 200 g, new formula) or red berries are in the spotlight (Sublimating Anti-Cellulite Oil with Le Petit Marseillais red berry, 150 ml, €9). They help with destocking.
Yellow poppy and Euglena gracilis extracts reduce the appearance of orange peel (Decléor round cream gel, 48 €). Elderberry is a disinfiltrant (Body Slim Triple Action, Lierac Slimming Concentrate, 200 ml, 39,80 €). As for the sacred lotus, it amplifies lipolysis in Carita, Lierac and Linéance (Caféi Sculpt Slimming Concentrate, 180 ml, 14.95 €). Even caffeine goes green! Extracted from coffee, it offers, according to Puressentiel (Crème Minceur Express with 18 essential oils + natural caffeine, 150 ml, 29 €), a better bioavailability than synthetic caffeine.

Ubiquitous caffeine boosters

Caffeine is not enough, even in high doses. The most important thing is that it penetrates. Difficulty to dissolve, this large molecule must be able to penetrate all layers of the skin in order to reach the adipocytes lurking in the hypodermis (deepest layer). Condition sine qua non, it must be well solubilized and transported by carriers, such as essential oils (Puressentiel, Decléor), salicylic acid (Vichy) or vegetable oil derivatives (Linéance). Vectorized caffeine is the star of the 2015 vintage! It can be found at Clarins, Carita, Lierac or Sothys (Minceur Capitale, 200 ml, 50 €).

Night revelations…

Contrary to what the general belief has been telling us for years, the natural destocking of fats does take place while we sleep. Even more surprising, the latest scientific studies reveal that poor quality sleep can disrupt this biological process and cause weight gain. Already present last year, slimming at night is comforted. The new ones can be found at Somatoline Cosmetics (Intensive Slimming 7 nights, 400 ml, 44,90 €), Lierac (Body Slim Destock Night, Intensive Slimming Night Concentrate, 200 ml, 41,50 €) or Nocibé (Slimming Night Cream, 200 ml, 21,95 €). Some also have the good idea of offering a relaxing fragrance that encourages you to let go (CelluDestock Overnight Vichy).

Frosted rounders

The cold and the feeling of lightness in the legs that goes with it regularly reappears. This year a little more than usual with the following launches : Cellusculpt™ by Dr Brandt (180 g, 59 €, at Sephora), C.Slim Crème Minceur tonique à la menthe crépue by Dietworld (200 ml, 25 €) or Fluide anticellulite effet cryo 419 by Maria Galland (150 ml, 49 €). Firming and reshaping, the"ice cube" effect fits in well with the"sculpting" trend. On the other hand, the"sausage" of the body by targeted zones, with a few exceptions, is no longer relevant. Easier to live with, global formulas that apply to any part of the body (from the arms to the ankles, passing by the stomach) have the wind in their sails. So are slimming moisturizers. Gone are the hydro-alcoholic, desiccant gels. Enriched with shea butter, glycerin, vegetable oils… most innovations play the comfort card. We're not gonna complain!

Ariane Le Febvre