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How well does Brazilian Bum Bum Cream stand up to other moisturizing lotions?

You probably remember to moisturize your face every day, but it’s easy to forget about the skin on the rest of your body. If you’re struggling with dry, itchy skin, finding a rich, creamy moisturizing lotion can also help.

In recent years, few body creams have generated as much buzz as the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. This product promises not only excellent hydration but smoother, tighter skin too. 

Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is pricey, though, so you may wonder how it stacks up against other moisturizing lotions. Learn what the cream does, how to apply it, what sets it apart from other body creams and what other lotions can provide similar results. 

Shop this story: Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E + Q10 Firming Butter and NIVEA Skin Firming and Toning Body Gel Cream

What is Brazilian Bum Bum Cream?

Made by Sol de Janeiro, Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is a scented body cream that absorbs quickly while providing deep hydration. However, unlike other body lotions that only moisturize, Brazilian Bum Bum Cream can also help smooth and tighten your skin, reducing the appearance of cellulite.  

Ingredients

Brazilian Bum Bum Cream has a moisturizing, firming formula, so it contains a unique blend of ingredients that hydrate, tighten and nourish the skin.

  • Guarana: This ingredient found in the Amazon contains five times more caffeine than coffee to help boost circulation and tighten the skin.
  • Cupuacu butter: Similar to shea butter, this Amazon-derived ingredient contains plenty of fatty acids, polyphenols and other nutrients that help moisturize and increase skin elasticity.
  • Coconut oil: This nourishing oil helps soothe, hydrate, soften and condition the skin. 
  • Acai oil: Derived from a super fruit, this ingredient is chock full of antioxidants that help protect the skin from environmental stresses like pollution.
  • Brazil nut: This selenium-rich ingredient has been used for years to boost the immune system, so it can help the skin protect itself. 

How to apply Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

With most moisturizing creams, it’s usually enough to rub it into the skin. But with the Bum Bum Cream, Sol de Janeiro recommends massaging it into the skin in a circular motion. That helps generate warmth to allow the cream to absorb more easily and boost circulation in the skin, helping to reduce the appearance of cellulite. 

While its name might give the impression that the cream is only meant for a certain part of your body, you can apply it all over, including your butt, legs, stomach and arms. 

How does Brazilian Bum Bum Cream differ from other creams?

Firming

While all body creams help hydrate, not all formulas can firm the skin, like the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. Firming body lotions usually contain caffeine, which helps reduce blood flow to the skin, so skin appears tighter and smoother. 

It’s important to understand that the effects of the caffeine in Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and other firming body lotions are only temporary. After applying the cream to your body, your cellulite may appear smoother and firmer, but the effect only lasts several hours. 

Shimmer

Brazilian Bum Bum Cream contains mica, a mineral dust used in beauty products to provide shimmer. The mica helps the cream give the skin a glow that makes it appear firmer and more contoured. The Bum Bum Cream doesn’t contain chunky glitter, though, so you don’t have to worry about it looking too obvious. 

Scent

One of the things that’s made Brazilian Bum Bum Cream so popular is its fragrance. Unlike many other body products that have tropical scents with coconut or pineapple, Bum Bum Cream features a warm vanilla-based fragrance. It has notes of pistachio, almond, salted caramel, sandalwood and jasmine, which combine for a warm, musky scent.  

What you need to buy for moisturizing and firming the skin

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

This quick-absorbing body cream not only hydrates but also firms and tightens the skin, so it works well for those who want to temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite. The formula is also sustainably sourced and cruelty-free.  

Sold by Sephora, Amazon and Kohl’s

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E + Q10 Firming Butter

This firming skin lotion contains CoQ10 and vitamin E to help restore and replenish the skin as well as cocoa butter for natural hydration. It also has a light cocoa scent and can help improve the look of stretch marks.

Sold by Amazon

NIVEA Skin Firming and Toning Body Gel Cream

This dermatologist-tested firming body cream boasts a lightweight gel-cream formula, so it absorbs quickly and without any greasy residue. It also has a pleasant almond scent and can be used twice daily. 

Sold by Amazon

StriVectin Crepe Control Tightening Body Cream

This body cream contains jojoba seed extract that helps firm and tone the skin. It also has a blend of shea, murumuru and Capuacu butters to offer rich hydration. 

Sold by Sephora and Ulta Beauty

First Aid Beauty Sculpting Body Lotion

This clean body lotion moisturizes and firms the skin with a blend of peptides, amino acids, glycerin and caffeine. It doesn’t contain any parabens, phthalates or formaldehyde and is cruelty-free. 

Sold by Ulta Beauty, Amazon and Sephora

Gold Bond Ultimate Strength & Resilience Lotion

This moisture-rich body cream contains proteins and lipids to help firm and improve skin’s texture, making it ideal for mature skin. It is hypoallergenic and comes in a bottle with a convenient pump dispenser.

Sold by Amazon

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Jennifer Blair writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.

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