Glaucine in skincare: can glaucine help reduce cellulite?

“TL;DR: According to this research, glaucine is a great anti-cellulite ingredient, as it replaces fat with firmness in the skin - and also boosts circulation.

Unfortunately, it is not found in concentrated form in any anti-cellulite product. Furthermore, it should ideally be combined with other anti-cellulite actives for maximum results.”

Glaucine and cellulite

• Glaucine, an extract of the common yellow poppy, could help fight cellulite

• Four actions of glaucine against cellulite

• Specifically, glaucine produced the following results on fat cell cultures:

• The human study

• Glaucine is not a panacea against cellulite but it can be a valuable cellulite cream ingredient

• Check our professional consultancy in cellulite, skin tightening, ultrasound and radiofrequency

• Have a cellulite treatment in London with the experts

• Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

Glaucine, an extract of the common yellow poppy, could help fight cellulite

Yellow poppy (glaucium flavum) is a plant that belongs to the poppy family and is primarily found in western Europe.

Studies undertaken by a cosmetics ingredient manufacturer have shown that the yellow poppy extract glaucine exerts a pronounced inhibitory effect on fat cells, that can be used in the fight against cellulite, when used as a cellulite cream ingredient.

Four actions of glaucine against cellulite

Specifically, scientists have found that:

• Glaucine encourages existing fat cells to release fat. This process is also known as ‘lipolysis’.

• Glaucine discourages the growth of new fat cells from the ‘stem cell pool’. This process is called ‘adipocyte differentiation’ and glaucine inhibits it. This allows stem cells to mature into collagen-producing cells instead (a.k.a. fibroblasts), and to gradually replace fat with firmness. The latter process is called ‘fibroblast differentiation’, and is increased due to the inhibitory action of glaucine on adipocyte differentiation.

• Glaucine encourages fat cells to revert to the stem cell type (a process called ‘dedifferentiation’) and from then on to re-evolve into a fibroblast, or collagen cell (this is called ‘re-differentiation’). Re-differentiation further boosts connective tissue firmness.

• Finally, glaucine has also been found to also reduce water retention by boosting circulation

Given that the three most important components of cellulite are excessive hypodermal fat accumulation, lack of firmness and water retention, glaucine seems to be an ideal anti-cellulite cream ingredient due to it’s multifunctional profile.

Specifically, glaucine produced the following results on fat cell cultures:

• Glaucine inhibited the enzyme G3PDH, a key adipocyte differentiation marker by 93%. This means that glaucine inhibits the creation of new fat cells.

• Glaucine increased glycerol release, a key lipolysis marker, by 86%. This means that glaucine stimulates the release of fat from fat cells.

• Glaucine stimulated fat cell transdifferentiation into the fibroblast phenotype after six days of incubation. This means that glaucine stimulates the transformation of fat cells into functional collagen cells that actually do contract like normal collagen cells (fibroblasts). In the tissues this would be experienced as a reduction of fat and as an increase of tautness.

It is important to note here that regardless of how impressive these in-vitro fat cell culture results are, they mean little unless backed up by in-vivo studies on actual human volunteers. However, as you can see in the next paragraph, the human trial did indeed verify the in-vitro results.

Glaucine cream: the human study

Predictably, after the impressive in-vitro studies, described in our previous paragraph, glaucine produced the following changes after a 56-day clinical study, involving 17 females who used a glaucine-rich cream twice a day:

• Cellulite fat deposits were reduced by 14%

• Cellulite globule projection was reduced by 17%

• Cellulite water retention was reduced by 7%

• Firmness was increased by 15%

The above results illustrate very vividly how useful glaucine can be as a cellulite cream ingredient that fights cellulite on several fronts.

In combination with a other anti-cellulite actives, contained in high enough concentrations, the results should be even more impressive (the problem with most cellulite creams is that they do not contain multiple ingredients, in high enough concentrations).

Glaucine is not a panacea against cellulite but it can be a valuable cellulite cream ingredient

Of course, however impressive yellow poppy extract is, it is not a panacea against cellulite. Miracles do not exist.

A good diet and exercise regime must be followed, otherwise all the good work done by a glaucine-rich anti-cellulite cream can easily be undone by a diet rich in fat, sugar and/or alcohol and by a sedentary lifestyle.

However, with a good exercise and diet regime, a multi-ingredient cellulite cream, perhaps including glaucine among other actives (one or two actives are never enough), and a good anti-cellulite treatment, results are almost be guaranteed.

Have a cellulite treatment in London with the experts

At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.

This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.

As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.

Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.

Our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.

And our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.

We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)

Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening?

Attend a half-day, 1-day or 2-day or 3-day professional consultancy / one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible.

Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.