No cellulite cream can counteract the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, for instance. Neither can a cream magically restore circulation or drop excess weight from a body that does very little and takes in more than it needs.

The best lotions, the most evolved lotions, cannot make up for diets composed of fast foods eaten on the run and deep fried fatty concoctions with little or no nutritional value.

Neither can lotions reduce stress for a body rigid with it and stress is often an element in the problem of cellulite. Stress does not have to be physical to have very physical effects.

No lotion exists that can reverse genetic inheritances or balance hormones reliably. These are all factors in the formation of cellulite.

So, now that we are clear on exactly what cellulite creams cannot do, we can move on to what they may be useful for. Now you have them in perspective you may be less likely to believe advertising that tells you that you needn't move off the sofa. That all you have to do is languidly stretch out your hand and apply this miracle lotion and you will look like the model in the picture who is often impossibly beautiful, prepubescent and photographed in a good light.

What some cellulite creams can do rather nicely is supplement your treatment program. In this support capacity they can even be quite impressive. Some creams will ardently claim to be all things to all women with cellulite. Personally, I'd still watch the diet, do the exercise and keep the stress levels down.

Broadly speaking the creams on the market can be divided into those whose ingredients are botanical and those that are chemical. Caffeine, and its derivatives, are natural tissue decongestants used in a number of cellulite creams. Many prefer the "decaffeinated" versions that use potent herbs like horse chestnut, gotu kola, ivy and seaweeds to achieve the same results. Many ingredients not only assist in the sloughing off of toxins but also in the stimulation of circulation. Not, of course, as much as a good run around the block would do.

Many cellulite creams claim to contain patented transport systems that facilitate the delivery of ingredients through the outer layers and into the actual site of the damage. This, they say-- and it makes sense--is a principal reason for the success of their particular product.

How a cellulite cream is applied is also an important factor. Methods of application vary from the quick rub at home to high tech patented processes that use light frequencies along with specially designed rollers and suctions that help to mobilize the tissue and transport the good stuff deep down into the cellulite stricken areas.