Podcast 300: Cellulite is a scam – And the beauty industry knows it

For over a century, the beauty industry has told us that cellulite is a flaw. It’s “unsightly,” “unfeminine,” and needs fixing. But here’s the shocking truth: cellulite isn’t a problem at all.

It’s simply the natural structure of human skin – something that appears in around 90% of women. So why have we been conditioned to believe cellulite is something to hide or be ashamed of? Well, because that belief fuels a multi-billion-dollar industry built entirely on our insecurities.

In this milestone 300th episode of Green Beauty Conversations, host Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist, and CEO of Formula Botanica, exposes one of the beauty industry’s biggest scams.

She unpacks how cellulite went from a harmless French word to a manufactured “condition” that keeps women chasing perfection in jars, gels, and expensive treatments.

Building on last week’s powerful discussion with Cynthia Staats, Lorraine challenges you to rethink what beauty marketing has taught us to believe about our bodies.

You’ll hear how cellulite became one of the industry’s most profitable inventions – and how learning to formulate for yourself can help you reclaim your creativity, your skin, your confidence, and, ultimately, your power.

“Cellulite doesn’t need a cure. What needs curing is the industry’s obsession with inventing flaws that keep us buying their products.” — Lorraine Dallmeier

Key takeaways:

• Why cellulite isn’t what you’ve been led to believe: Lorraine breaks down the origins of the word “cellulite” and how it was never recognised as a medical condition. Instead, it was created as a marketing construct to sell “solutions” to a problem that never existed.
• How the beauty industry manufactured a global insecurity: From 1920s Parisian magazines to 21st-century social media, discover how the cellulite myth evolved into one of the most profitable lies in modern beauty, preying on women’s natural features.
• What science really says about cellulite treatments: A 2015 meta-review of 67 clinical studies found no clear evidence that any cream, gel or device can effectively “banish” cellulite. Despite decades of research and billions spent, there’s still no proven cure, only predatory marketing.
• The radical act of formulating for yourself: Lorraine shares how creating your own body oils and scrubs isn’t just empowering – it’s a way to reclaim your bathroom, your body and your power. When you formulate, you stop chasing impossible standards and start celebrating your skin.
• How to reclaim your confidence from the industry: The episode ends with a challenge: stop outsourcing your self-worth to brands built on insecurity. Learn the science, make your own products, and turn your skincare ritual into a celebration of who you already are.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.