Maelys Cosmetics is apopular skincare brand that makes firming andthickening serums. Thebrand claims users can “get unstoppable curves” with their “body shaping products.”
But can topical cosmetic productsactually enhance curves? Does the brand use research-backed ingredients? Do Maelys' products contain any questionable additives? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of the products?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as weanalyze the ingredients in two of Maelys Cosmetics' most popular products (B-Flat Belly Firming Cream and B-Thicc Booty Enhancing Mask) to give our take on whether or not they're likely to be effective, and whether or not they're healthy.
Maelys also sells a product called B-Tight which we reviewed in a separate article.
We'll share our concerns with some of the clinical claims made by the brand, andfeature customer reviews including before-and-after images.
B-Flat IngredientAnalysis
The ingredients in B-Flat Belly Firming Cream are shown above.
The brand claims that this product can decrease the appearance of stretch marks and cause smoother-looking skin.
This cream does contain a number of research-backed ingredients.
Hydrogenated polyisobutenewas shown in aclinical trial published in the Journal of Cosmetic Scienceto improve skin moisture content andreduce water loss by 33%.
Sodium hyaluronateis one of the most effective and well-studied skincare ingredients.
As we documented in our review of Bio Oil ingredients, sodium hyaluronateis clinically proven to reduce wrinkles and reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
Shea butter provides skin barrier repair and further moisturization benefits, as documented in medical research.
Theabove-linkedstudy found this botanical ingredient to also have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Bentonite is a type of clay which was found in a 2017 medical reviewto have a healing effect on skin, which could reduce visible lesions and ulcers. Thissupports the brand’s claim of smoother-looking skin from use of B-Flat.
Cocoa seed butter appears to be another effective ingredient, with a research reviewfinding that itcanreduce skin damage during exposure to UV rays from the sun.
There are a number ofinactive ingredients in this formulation with questionable health effects.
Yellow 6, Yellow 5 and Red 33are artificial dyes,and amedical review published in the International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health found that Yellow 6 and Yellow 5 are frequently contaminated with carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds).
Fragranceis a broad categorical term that could reference any number ofchemicalcompounds.
A 2016meta-studyexamined the safety of fragranced consumer products, including personal care products, and concluded that “everyday fragranced products can impose serious risks to human health.”
Chlorphenesinis a synthetic preservative whichwas shown to be toxic to human cells in a 2020 clinical trial.
Overall, we consider B-Flat likely to be effective for improving skin quality and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
We don't currently recommend this cream for health reasons, due to the inactive ingredients discussed above.
A YouTube creator namedDeidra Carenpublished a review of B-Flat, B-Perky and B-Tight which includes a discussion of side effects she experienced:
Maelys Cosmetics Before-And-Afters
A YouTube creatornamed "Brazilian Girl Channel" reviewed three Maelys Cosmetics products and included before and after images:
B-Thicc Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in B-Thicc Booty Enhancing Maskare shown above.
B-Thicc isa gel that Maelys Cosmetics claims “helps the booty appear volumized and voluptuous.”
Sodium hyaluronate is effective for tightening the skin and reducing wrinkles as we documented in the previous Ingredient Analysis section.
Grape seed oilwas found in a 2022clinical trialto be effective for “improving imperfections of the human skin.”
Specifically, when grape seed oil was applied topically, it reduced sebum (oil) production, redness and pore size.
Beeswaxwas shown in aclinical trialto have the potential to improve skin barrier function and improve skin hydration.
However, most of the clinical research we've reviewed on this ingredient involved natural beeswax, while B-Thicc includes synthetic beeswax.
Like B-Flat, B-Thicc Booty Enhancing Mask contains both fragrance and artificial food dye.
Blue 1 is the synthetic dye used in this product.
This ingredient may irritate or provoke an allergic response based on the food dyereview we cited in the previously in this article.
Sodium benzoate is a synthetic preservative whichmay cause sensitivity reactions in some individuals, as we documented in our Native Deodorant review.
Overall, B-Thicc may be effective for improving skin quality because it contains several research-backed ingredients.
However, we can't identify any ingredients that wouldenhance the appearance ofcurves, nor do we understand how it would be biologically possible for a topical gel to change the shape of the body.
We don't currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of fragrance, artificial dyes and a synthetic preservative.
Questionable Clinical Claims
Maelys Cosmetics claims that their B-Thicc gel (along with some of their other products) is "clinically proven" to work.
However, we can't find the full clinical trialpublished or linked to anywhere on their website.
We also can't find any evidence that this clinical trial was published in any peer-reviewed journals.
We urge consumers to be wary of claims that a product is "clinically proven" to work if those claims come from a company-funded study that isn't even released to the public.
When we cite clinical research on Illuminate Health, we're citing trials that are published in peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals, which have a high standard for inclusion.
This is a different category of clinical research than a cosmetics company paying a for-profit research firm to test their products.
Customers Rate Maelys Cosmetics
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
B-Flat has been reviewed over 5,000 times on Amazon, and currently has an average review rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars.
Atop positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "Amanda Edwards" who gave the product a 5/5 rating, and claims it helps sagging skin:
"When I started using this I had a pouch and loose skin and stretch marks from my kids but this stuff is amazing it really works it is worth every penny I will use this the rest of my life I look like a different person body wise I was considering a tummy tuck but this stuff fixed that I have got so many people using this stuff now it is great!!"
Atop negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "Cari Cutcher" who gave the product a 1/5 rating, and claims it caused side effects:
"I honestly cannot believe there are so many five star reviews for this product. The burning sensation is INTENSE! The first time I used it i was freaking out bc of how much it burned, made my skin look like I had hives. The funny thing about that burning sensation is that for some weird reason it made me believe it was working."
Maelys Cosmetics currently has an average review rating of 1.8 out of 5 stars on Facebook.
Maelys Cosmetics currently has an average review rating of 4.14 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website.
OurCleanSkincare Picks
There are skincare products containing ingredientsshown in clinical trials to be effective for reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality.
MBG Postbiotic Body Lotionis our top body lotion pick.
Squaleneis an active ingredient in this lotion, and isclinically shownto hydrate the skin.
Shea butterwas described as havingmoisturizing effectsin amedical reviewpublished in theInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Annie Mak Vitamin C Serumis our top anti-aging serum.
It containshyaluronic acidwhich was described as a"skin-rejuvenating biomedicine"in amedical reviewdue to its ability to reduce wrinkles and signs of facial aging.
Ritual HyaCerais our top anti-aging skin supplement.
It containswheat oil extractwhich isclinically shownto"improve skin damages induced by aging."
Allof the products recommended in this sectionare entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Maelys Cosmetics Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Maelys Cosmetics in our opinion:
Pros:
- Effective formulations
- Great branding
- High BBB rating
Cons:
- Contains fragrance
- Contains artificial dye
- Failure to clearly publish full clinical trials
- Some users report irritation
- Low Facebook rating
- We can't find clinical evidence that gels can improve curves
Conclusion
We don't currently recommend any Maelys Cosmetics products.
While two of their most popular products (B-Flat and B-Thicc) contain someresearch-backed active ingredients, they also contain several questionable additive ingredients that we recommend avoiding for health reasons.
A YouTube beauty creator found that Maelys Cosmetics products improved the quality of her skin and reduced stretch marks after regular use, but some other customers have noted irritation and burning after using some of their products.
We hope that in the future, Maelys Cosmetics publishes the clinical trials that they reference on their website clearly and transparently,because it seems unfair to consumers to make claims of clinical efficacy without providing clear proofto support such claims.
We can't find any evidence that any skincare ingredient can "help the booty appear volumized" as the brand claims on the product page for B-Thicc.
