6 Simple Ways to Look Slimmer (Without Losing Weight!)
Feeling impatient for when you’ll finally see the results of your winter weight loss resolutions? There’s no need to wait! It’s great to work out and eat healthy, but there are things you can do to look slimmer now, without losing a pound. These fast-acting beauty and body treatments can help get rid of puffiness and firm up flab. Even better, many of them use ingredients you probably already have around the house!
De-puff full cheeks with a green tea facial.
A fuller face can give a youthful appearance, but if you prefer a more sculpted look, look no further than your morning cup of tea. Did you know anti-inflammatory compounds in green tea reduce swelling to shrink cheeks? When heated and applied to the face, the tea can open pores, allowing nutrients to penetrate the skin and optimize benefits.
To try this beauty hack for yourself, steep two bags of green tea in a bowl with two cups of boiling water for 15 minutes. Saturate a washcloth with the liquid and place on your face for five minutes, then rinse.
Make an epsom salt compress to look slimmer.
Epsom salts are rich in lymph flow–increasing vitamins and minerals. When absorbed by the skin, they help expel belly-swelling fluids and toxins. If you don’t have time to soak in a tub with the salts, you can still experience their slimming benefits.
Dissolve half a cup of epsom salts in a bowl filled with two cups of warm water. Soak a hand towel in the liquid and wring out the excess water before placing on your stomach. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 15 minutes before rinsing off.
Reduce a double chin with a guarana cream.
Diuretic properties in guarana draw out water, which accumulates beneath the chin. It has a temporary skin-tightening effect, giving the appearance of a slimmer-looking jaw. When paired with hydrating yogurt, the skin along the chin and neck will look supple even faster.
To try this hack, mix half a tablespoon of guarana powder (like Starwest Botanicals Guarana Seed Powder — Buy from Amazon, $34) with one tablespoon of plain yogurt. Apply to skin from the jaw down to the neck, and rinse after 15 minutes.
Firm flabby arms with a grape seed oil wrap.
Grape seed oil’s vitamin E improves skin’s elasticity, making upper arms appear firmer. And the gentle compression of a wrap placed on top helps flush fluids for slimmer looking arms.
Apply three drops of grape seed oil (like NOW Solutions Grapeseed Oil — Buy from Amazon, starting at $5) onto upper arms, then wrap each arm with an elastic ACE bandage. Let sit for 10 minutes, remove, and then rinse.
Make thick ankles look slimmer with a minty massage.
Massage redistributes built-up, ankle-swelling fluids throughout the body, and adding peppermint oil to the mix can make its impact more powerful. The oil’s menthol boosts circulation and speeds the slimming results.
To try for yourself, mix six drops of peppermint essential oil and one tablespoon of coconut oil. Rub the mixture onto feet, place hands on each side of one ankle, and massage up to the knee using long strokes. Do this 10 times, then repeat on the other leg.
Look slimmer with shapewear.
You already know that exercise can help you slim down. When you’re not sculpting yourself in workout clothes, try a seamless layering tank, like Spanx Thinstincts Convertible Cami (Buy from Amazon, starting at $58). This flattens any lumps and bumps by holding in belly bulges for 360 degrees of gorgeous!
If you want your hips and thighs to look slimmer, shaping shorts made of high-compression nylon and spandex, like Empetua All Day Every Day High-Waisted Shaper Shorts (Buy from Amazon, $23) rein in jiggle, so legs look smooth and trim.
Need to lift your tush? A pair of panties that have padded inserts, like Leonisa Magic Benefit Instant Butt Lift Padded Panty (Buy from Amazon, $40) prop up the rear, giving it a natural-looking roundness. The result: a backside that appears perky and inches smaller.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
