This sounds scary but in our experience, it’s actually quite a nice feeling and doesn’t feel uncomfortable, unless we accidentally got on parts of our skin that we didn’t mean to (more on that below). If you’ve ever used a lip-plumping serum, the sensation is very similar. All of Maelys Cosmetics UK products are said to be clinically proven to firm and tighten the skin. However, how they work depends on the ingredients in the individual products. Dr. Kim, Dr. King, and Dr. Ciraldo agree: The best at-home product to reduce the appearance and texture of your stretch marks at home is a retinoid. Why? Because retinoids speed up cellular turnover and trigger collagen and elastin production, which can help smooth skin texture and fade pigmentation within a few months.

BB Creams for Oily Skin: BB creams with oil free constituents are the best for anyone with this type of skin. Having oily skin? Read more about BB creams for Oily Skin. This has only happened twice throughout our two-week Maelys B-Flex review period and it doesn’t last longer than around an hour (plus it’s our fault!) but it’s worth bearing in mind.Skin Type: Although all BB cream works to enhance the appearance of your skin and provide care for it, you need to use a good cream that will be most suitable for your skin type to get the best results and to prevent irritation or damage to your skin. The best BB cream for your friend may not be the best for you if you have different skin types. Be sure to look out for BB creams that will work best for your skin type. Pink Pepperslim is the trade name for an extract from the seeds of Schinus terebinthifolius, also known as the Brazilian pepper tree. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, stretch marks are permanent, but treatment may make them less noticeable. Caffeine also prevents excessive accumulation of fat in cells. According to a publication in the journal Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, caffeine stimulates the degradation of fats during lipolysis through inhibition of the phosphodiesterase activity.

According to the manufacturer, Pink Pepperslim is able to prevent the transformation of small lipid (fat) droplets into larger ones, decrease the cellular production of fat storage, and stimulate microcirculation. This is why the product we were most excited to try in the wider Maelys Cosmetic range was the Maelys B-Flex Lift and Firm Cream. However, she notes that these effects are temporary and shouldn’t be relied on as long-term solutions.Your dermatologist can prescribe high-strength tretinoin (which works faster but with more irritation), or you can go with adapalene (pictured here), a gentler over-the-counter retinoid that’s equally effective. Just remember to start slow: I layered it under moisturizer two nights a week for two weeks, then worked my way up to every other night. Clinical testing demonstrated that Pink Pepperslim led to a loss of up to 2 cm in both men and women after 28 days of treatment. Shea butter is a natural source of vitamin A, which helps to firm the skin. Cocoa butter contains polyphenols, which have been shown to improve skin health by increasing skin’s elasticity and hydration.

We haven’t yet tried the B-Thicc (a cream that makes your bum look plumper), B-Sleek (outer thigh cream), or B-Tight (a cream to help lift and firm your bum). There are also body serums but they’re more focused on brightening and smoothing the skin, rather than firming and tightening. Shop Maelys Cosmetics UK B Flat Cream is said to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks and promote a firmer-looking belly, and one of the main ingredients that provides this benefit is Pink Pepperslim.BB Creams for Dry Skin: If you've got a dry skin type, then you should look out for BB creams with hydrating agents. Having dry skin? Read more about BB creams for Dry Skin. If you’ve tried other stretch mark products, you probably know that most of them contain shea butter and cocoa seed butter, and it turns out that B Flat Cream contains these ingredients, too. So how do these two naturally-derived butters help with stretch marks? As a refresher, stretch marks form when your skin stretches suddenly, causing a type of scar. Though they most commonly occur after weight fluctuations, puberty, and pregnancy, their frequency is actually determined by your genetics, which means stretch marks aren't totally in your control. However, because moisturizers can increase your skin's elasticity, the right cream can have benefits on your stretch marks. So to help break down the right formulas, I chatted with plastic surgeon John Kim, MD, and dermatologists Loretta Ciraldo, MD; Hadley King, MD; Morgan Rabach, MD; and Shereene Idriss, MD, about the best stretch mark creams, and personally tested and reviewed them on myself, below.

When used in a number of the Maelys Cosmetics UK creams, this oil makes your skin feel like it’s burning. The ads all show women applying various Maelys Cosmetics creams to their arms, inner thighs, and stomach, and claim they help firm and tighten the skin in these notorious problem areas. The creams that contain Pink PepperSlim are those described as lifting and firming the skin. As a result, these are the ones that heat up on the skin: The ingredients in Bio-Oil haven’t been proven to fade or prevent stretch marks, but testers (ahem, Khloe Kardashian) swear by it. In a 2018 study, more than half of the participants who used Bio-Oil said their scars and stretch marks looked less pronounced. It’s likely because the formula has a little bit of retinyl palmitate, the least irritating form of retinol, to smooth texture and fade a bit of discoloration. Plus, it contains vitamin E, which is rich in fatty acids that keep skin hydrated and plump. Even when we’re moving our arms during everyday tasks, it feels like they’re not moving as much as they were before and this is after just two weeks. We’re excited to see how this continues. Buy B-Flex now

Maelys Cosmetics UK: Before and after photos reveal if the firming creams actually work

FURTHER READING: The best body firming creams, lotions and oils that *actually* work | Best cellulite cream UK: Say goodbye to cellulite on your bum and thighs So is B Flat Cream really the solution to stretch marks? To answer that question, we’ll have to evaluate the key ingredients in this formula, as well as the research that supports (or doesn’t support) their use for treating stretch marks. Overall, we think that B Flat Cream is formulated well and it should help to reduce the appearance of stretch marks so they are less noticeable, but don’t expect it to completely eliminate all stretch marks. Pros