Can You Get Rid of Cellulite Naturally? Try These Simple (high-impact) Steps

If you’re asking yourself if it’s really possible to get rid of cellulite, it’s no wonder – it is incredibly stubborn fat!

I first noticed it on my thighs when I was still a teenager, even though I’ve never had issues with my weight. It’s more common the more fat you accumulate, but thin and even athletic women can also have it.

Throughout the years I’ve tried different approaches and routines, with varying zeal and intensity, to target those areas and I have noticed fluctuations in the amount and appearance of the cellulite on my legs. Some things have a very definite effect, while others don’t seem to make much of a dent (for me anyway).

In this post I’ll go over a little basic cellulite 101, so that you have an idea of the kind of thing we’re working with. And then I’ll share a few simple but highly effective steps to get rid of cellulite naturally that have worked for me. Depending on where you’re starting from, it will at least help reduce it significantly!

Just a few high-impact essentials for you to try, mixing lifestyle tips, bio-hacking and DIYs.

Table of Contents

What is cellulite exactly?

So, that dimpled, orange-peel, puckered effect you usually get on your thighs and butt that we call cellulite is actually not caused by some “different” type of fat, that mysteriously seems to only plague women.

It’s actually caused by the connective tissue that holds that fat in, which in women tends to have a more column-shape pattern (like an old mattress), but in men has a zigzag pattern. (*)

This, along with other factors, would actually be the reason why mostly women suffer from cellulite and not so much men. And also why it seems so hard to get rid of cellulite – it’s a feature of our fat, not a bug.

What causes cellulite?

The characteristic “cottage cheese” like cellulite appearance would then come about when the fat stored starts to pucker out of those column-shaped connective tissues.

What causes it to start to pucker out? Here you have several factors:

Hormonal changes. For instance in adolescence, pregnancy, menopause, or due to illness that may change the hormone ratios in the body. Estrogen, progesterone, insulin and thyroid hormones all play a role in the development of cellulite.
Age. As we age our skin sags and thins out more (in itself also a product of hormonal changes), which makes it that much easier for the fat stores to peep through connective tissues that are losing their strength.

We produce less estrogen, less collagen, we build up more fat. If we’re less active, our circulation is poorer, meaning the cells are not as well oxygenized and fed. All this contributes to weaker skin and weaker connective tissues.

Unhealthy lifestyle habits. Things like a highly processed diet that increases inflammation and insulin resistance. This in turn increases fat deposits, lowers growth hormone levels, and leads to poor nutrition.

Smoking, which not only deprives your cells of oxygen, it also fills your body with the most poisonous toxins, causing havoc on all the systems of your body (including the hormonal system).
High salt diets, which lead to water retention (not to mention other health risks).
Also, wearing clothes and underwear that are too tight. This strangles your body and prevents proper circulation and blood flow, as well as leading to poor lymphatic drainage, which also contributes to the appearance of cellulite.
Lack of exercise, which is self-explanatory – poor muscle development, more fat accumulation, poorer blood circulation and oxygenation, poorer lymphatic drainage, etc.

Genetics also plays a role in your tendency to develop cellulite, in the sense that it plays a role in how your fat stores are distributed and how your connective tissue develops and reacts.

So, can you get rid of cellulite?

Yes and no – depends on what you mean by “getting rid of it”.

You can diminish the appearance of that orange peel type of skin structure (even to an impressive degree), but it’s something that needs to be maintained.

As long as you have fat deposits, which you will always have (like any human) you’re subject to them accumulating and protruding through your connective tissue, in that particular pattern.

Remember, it’s the way your connective tissues are patterned together. So there’s no magic wand that will forever eliminate you having to worry about cellulite.

It might require you committing to certain lifestyle changes and being regular with your body treatments. But there is a lot of improvement to be made by just adding a few steps to your lifestyle and skincare routine.

GET RID OF CELLULITE NATURALLY
– 6 SIMPLE STEPS

1 – Clean up & tweak your diet

One of the most basic things you should try to get rid of cellulite naturally is to eat as much raw fruit and veg as you can handle. Especially dark leafy greens and water-rich produce.

Try to eliminate processed foods as much as possible and increase your whole food consumption (as close as possible to food in its natural state).

Eat collagen rich foods to improve the firmness of the skin – think bone or fish broths, and gelatins.

Drink plenty of water to make sure your tissues are hydrated and the lymphatic cell waste disposal can run smoothly.

Drink green tea. Green tea consumption has been linked to an increase in lipolysis (fat breakdown and mobilization for use as energy) and a decrease in lipogenesis (formation of fat). This is thought to be due to both its caffeine and catechin-rich content.

2 – Dry brush your body every day

Get yourself a good dry brushing body brush or mitt – it’s another must-have tool in any cellulite-busting routine.

Every day, before you get in the shower, brush the skin on your body firmly, with a few upwards strokes on each section, towards your heart.

So, starting with your feet and legs, all the way up your thighs and butt. Then from your waist and stomach towards your heart, and the same on your back. Next, from your hands all along your arms, towards your shoulder. And then from the base of your skull down along your neck towards your shoulder again.

This will help drain the lymphatic system, move waste material from the cells that might accumulate it and cause swelling of the tissues.

It will also boost microcirculation and oxygenation of the skin cells, leading to healthier and more toned, nourished skin.

3 – Use cold water therapy

Cold water has many amazing benefits for your health and skin. I’ve written a whole blog post about it, if you’re curious. But it’s also a great bio-hack in your quest to get rid of cellulite naturally!

This works in two ways:

The cold water jolt boosts both circulatory systems of the body. It increases blood flow and oxygen to the tissues, and helps the lymphatic system to move the cellular waste matter for disposal.
The second way it will help prevent and get rid of cellulite is through the increase of brown fat in the body. Brown fat is a mitochondria-rich type of healthy fat that is produced in response to regular cold exposure. It’s a mechanism that helps to produce internal heat and protect the body’s core temperature.

Having more of this fat in your body will consequently speed up your metabolism, helping you to keep a healthy ratio of fat to lean body mass.

4 – Get enough exercise of the right type

Getting regular aerobic type of exercise is great for your overall health, helping your cardiovascular system (proper blood circulation and oxygenation) and your lymphatic system drain the cellular waste. So, things like jogging, aerobics, and dancing.

But you also need to target the specific areas where you’re most prone to developing cellulite. This is best done through resistance type exercises, like squats, leg pumps, climbing stairs, weight training, planks, etc.

Target those specific areas as much as you can and at least 3 times a week, between 10 and 20 minutes. Get those reps in and make sure you feel the burn.

This will grow your muscle tissue, burning more localized fat in the process, while also helping to strengthen the connective tissues that hold everything together.

5 – Perform essential oil massages every day

Once or twice a day massage your cellulite prone areas with a mix of cellulite-busting essential oils.

This works due to actual properties of those essential oils, but also because the kneading and physical manipulation of the tissues will increase the microcirculation and oxygen supply.

It will also help move cellular waste to be disposed of by the lymphatic system.

This stimulation will also increase the temperature in that particular area, allowing for the essential oils to penetrate deeper and better.

It’s a great way to help decrease the fat deposits and improve the collagen synthesis. (*)

You can use any carrier oil, depending on your personal taste and preference, but since ideally you want to be massaging for a few minutes, it should be an oil that is not absorbed too quickly. Good options are almond, olive, avocado or coconut.

What are the best essential oils for cellulite?

The most effective essential oils to get rid of cellulite cellulite are the ones that boost microcirculation of the blood, are anti-inflammatory, diuretic (help drain tissues of excess water), astringent (tighten tissues), and help decrease localized fat accumulation.

These are:

Grapefruit (reduces fat deposits)
Cedarwood (anti-inflammatory, diuretic, astringent) (*)
Lemon (boosts circulation, collagen synthesis, helps lymphatic drainage)
Geranium (diuretic, anti-inflammatory)
Rosemary (boosts microcirculation, decreases cellular fat accumulation)
Lavender (skin rejuvenation)
Cypress (boosts circulation)

Basic cellulite massage oil recipe

1 oz / 30 ml carrier oil
6 to 12 drops of essential oils of choice (1% to 2% concentration)

Mix together in a dark glass bottle and it’s ready to go. Use a dropper full per section.

To increase the effectiveness of the massage, knead the area using your knuckles in circular motions and pinch the fat between your fingers all along the area for a few minutes.
A nice trick is to wet the area with either water or a hydrosol (i.e., rose water, witch hazel, etc.) before applying the massage oil. This way the oil will glide on even better and you will also be moisturizing the area properly, because the water will be locked in by the carrier oil.

6 – Add coffee body scrubs to your routine

Besides essential oils, one of the best actives you can apply topically to get rid of cellulite is caffeine.

This is why you hear so many people recommending DIY coffee scrubs and why so many companies in the beauty industry put a lot of money into researching the most effective delivery system for caffeine, to the deeper layers of the skin.

Caffeine has been established to boost microcirculation on the areas of the skin where it’s applied, helping to reduce the fat deposits that are bulking through the connective tissue.

To make a DIY coffee scrub:

approx. 1/4 cup of discarded coffee grounds
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of some carrier oil like coconut or olive oil

Mix together and put in a glass jar for use before showering.
Apply to the affected areas 1 to 3 times a week in circular motions for a few minutes.
If you can, leave on for another 10 or 15 minutes and wash off in the shower.

So, can you get rid of cellulite? If you’re consistent about applying at least some of these basic principles into your lifestyle routine, you can achieve really amazing results.

I had fantastic improvements with mine even after just adding the dry brushing and essential oil massages on a daily basis! I would definitely recommend adding also, at the very least, a good amount of exercise and cold exposure to the mix – these things are one of the most high-impact lifestyle tweaks you can do (not just for cellulite).

So I hope you give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Can You Get Rid of Cellulite Naturally? Try These Simple (high-impact) Steps

What is cellulite exactly?

What causes cellulite?

So, can you get rid of cellulite?