It can strike at any time after puberty. It does not discriminate based on age, weight, skin tone or personality. As many as eight out of ten women will be afflicted with it in their lifetime, and as yet, modern science has yet to find a cure. What is this insidious condition we all seemed doomed to suffer?

Cellulite. If you’ve already detected those unsightly lumps and bumps on the back of your thighs and/or gluteus maximus, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common beauty dilemmas women have to deal with and it tends to run in families, so if mom and grandma had it, chances are, so will you.

What is cellulite exactly? It’s just plain old fat that lies beneath the network of bands and fibers that support our skin. Cellulite appears when this layer of fat presses through the fibrous strands and against the skin. As we age our skin gets thinner and drier, making the cellulite more noticeable.

Before you go shopping for a skirted swimsuit, read on to learn what you can do to reduce the appearance of cellulite through lifestyle changes and the newest cellulite reduction creams.

Caffeine Please

There have been some pretty impressive breakthroughs in the cellulite cream industry, lately. Caffeine has long been thought to help with reducing the appearance of cellulite, and now there’s  to back it up.  “Caffeine prevents excessive accumulation of fat in cells” according to the study, and that’s the key to getting rid of it, not just covering it up.

Guarana extract is one of the newest cellulite cream additives used to increase the effectiveness of products with it because it contains about seven times more caffeine than regular coffee beans. It’s a good way to treat cellulite topically because it increases blood flow and the lypolytic (lie-poe-lit-ick) effect (the breaking down of fat), helping to create smoother looking skin. Caffeine also has antioxidant properties that protect skin from UV (sun) radiation, which damages it and causes it to be thinner and drier, making cellulite more visible.

When you’re shopping for a cream with caffeine to treat your cellulite ridden areas, look for at least a 3% concentration, meaning caffeine should be one of the first ingredients listed. You will need to apply the cream consistently, at least a couple of times a day and look for results in about 60 to 90 days.

What’s New?

The disappointing news is, sometimes cellulite creams with caffeine are just not enough. Thankfully, there have been some new advances that go beyond just caffeine to combining other very potent compounds to really help get rid of cellulite. One of the most promising new creams on the market is Procellix Cellulite Cream. It’s different from a lot of other similar products because of the way it’s formulated to more deeply penetrate the skin, according to the manufacturer, Dermal Meds, a company with a very long and successful history at making the best skin products on the market.

Procellix combines several ingredients to combat cellulite:

• Sage Extract – long known for it’s circulation boosting effects

• Gurana Extract – which now you know has mega caffeine, which also aids  in circulation and the breakdown of fat deposits beneath the skin

• Aloe Bardensis Gel – which has been proven to rejuvenate and rebuild healthy tissue

• – from a marine plant with multiple uses, most recently as an anti-fat supplement by stimulating the circulation of blood.

Several anti-cellulite creams have these ingredients in them, so what makes Procellix different? It’s the additive, aminophylline that puts it over the top in the cellulite fight.

When TV’s Dr. Oz endorses a product, you can bet it’s been exhaustively researched since his reputation depends on not only being a leader in the discovery of new products for the public’s benefit, but also being right. On his show the good doctor explained how aminophylline could aid in the , but I’ll break it down for you.

Aminophylline is a drug used to treat those suffering from asthma and bronchial ailments. Only recently was it discovered to have great fat fighting benefits when applied topically by triggering enzymes that cause the body to release fat stores. It causes the fat cells to break down even more so than Guarana extract, while acting as a diuretic to flush out excess fluid in the skin, making it look tighter and cellulite less noticeable. Combined with the other ingredients, it is a cellulite cream that actually works when applied regularly twice a day. You will start see real results, firmer skin, less dimpling in about 90 days, but many users say they saw results in as little as two weeks!

There are other products on the market trying to compete with Procellix, like Revitol, which comes in at a hefty $70 a bottle. However, price seems to be all it has to offer, because I could not find a single article about how it works. They want us to just drop a bundle on faith, I guess.  Never try a product that can’t explain how it works and it should be offered as free trial like Procellix is, so you can see how effective it’s going to be before you make a large investment.

You Are Not Alone

So what does the medical community beyond Dr. Oz have to say about cellulite creams? The general consensus is still there is no “cure” for cellulite, but there are lots of ways to combat the appearance of it. Of course, losing weight eating more hydrating fruits and vegetables, and cardio exercise combined with weights to target dimpled areas is suggested. If you stop smoking, and massage the affected areas, that can help as well. There is always the laser route, but that’s going to cost a lot and cellulite will eventually return, so making lifestyle changes and using a topical anti-cellulite cream is the best way to start getting rid of cellulite.

With any product there are risk of side effects you need to be aware of so if you are pregnant or nursing, have sensitive skin or have ever had an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in Procellix or any cellulite cream, consult your doctor before you use it.

If you have cellulite, you’re in good company, meaning most of the female population over the age of fifteen on the planet. One of the first things to consider when you see those dimples and ridges is, this is normal and even celebrities, those with the most perfect bodies, have it, so why can’t I? Acceptance, lifestyle changes and using a potent anti-cellulite cream will go a long way toward getting rid of cellulite so you can toss that sarong and flaunt your beautiful self again.