Can this strange new silicone cup really help get rid of cellulite?

I’ve tried them all – diets, teas, wraps, creams, mesotherapy injections, flesh-heating rubs and giant rollers – but despite some short-term gains on my journey to a ripple-free derriere, nothing has managed to budge my cellulite for good. Now a low-tech silicone gadget from Indemne is promising to eliminate those bumps and craters, and improbable a solution as this may seem, I’m willing to give it a shot.

What is it?

A dome-shaped cup paired with an oil. The Big Bubble-in , £22.95, (which is actually pretty small) allegedly boosts circulation, tones skin, improves elasticity, drains lymph, eliminates skin toxins and relaxes muscles – so quite the dermatological workhorse. The Gimme Smooth Cellulite Oil , £24.85, creates a slippery base for the cup to suck on. The blend includes seven fat-busting essential oils – including peppermint eucalyptus (believed to drain and destroy fat) and Italian helichrysum (loved for its decongestant and anti-inflammatory powers). The oil is said to work on the hypodermis – the third layer of skin, and home to those pesky fat cells that create havoc on the skin surface.

How does it work?

Treatment involves lubing up twice a day with the magic oil then massaging vigorously for 20 minutes. The cup is activated by squishing the sides together to create a vacuum (no mean feat – it’s a sturdy little beast), applying the device to your skin and then releasing the sides, thereby trapping and lifting the cellulite. The cup is then glided over the flesh to encourage circulation and help with the drainage of toxins.

Ideally, the treatment is carried out every day for eight weeks on the trot. So we’re talking 37 hours of treatment over a two month period. That’s 37 hours of contorting your body to reach those secret pockets of dimpled flesh. Has anyone ever followed this protocol? I doubt it. But if someone has, she sure has earned her spot in bikini-body heaven.

What is it like?

The oil has a pleasant, subtle smell and is surprisingly non-greasy. The cup looks like a cross between Tupperware and a DivaCup, and it takes effort both to squeeze it to create a suction and to guide it across your flesh.

The verdict?

After four cupping sessions so I can’t offer the final word on the long-term cellulite-busting efficacy of this protocol, but I’m not convinced it has the moxie to blast through to the very depths of orange peel, which is caused by the stretching of the connective tissue fibres by fat pushing up into it.

I do know, though, that trapped fluid around those lumpy bits makes cellulite appear worse and it's on the lymphatic drainage front that the Bubble and the Gimme Smooth are most effective. Suction increases circulation and the movement of the cup over the skin helps shift the fluid, which can then be eliminated by the body, rather than hanging around on your thighs. Manual body contouring massage - which, if you've ever had it, can be quite strong and painful - has long been ragarden as an effective treatment for cellulite.

The Bubble treatment feels pleasantly invigorating, leaving your thighs and butt warm and tingly, as though you’ve done vigorous exercise followed by a hot shower. It certainly gets things moving and is possibly the next best things to a pair of strong thumbs from a masseuse that you can do at home. But as I know from my many forays into cellulite treatments there are no quick, non-surgical fixes. But every little helps.