Maelys Cosmetics is a growing skincare brand that makes firming and thickening serums. The brand claims users can “get unstoppable curves” with their “body shaping products.”
But is it actually possible for topical cosmetic products to enhance curves? Do the most popular products sold by Maelys Cosmetics contain research-backed ingredients? Do they contain any questionable additive ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Maelys Cosmetics?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review the ingredients in two of Maelys Cosmetics' most popular products based on medical research: B-Flat Belly Firming Cream and B-Thicc Booty Enhancing Mask. They also sell a product called B-Tight which we reviewed in a separate article.
We'll also share our concerns with some of the claims of clinical efficacy made by the brand and share real, unsponsored user reviews of the products including before-and-after images.
B-Flat Belly Firming Cream Review
One of Maelys Cosmetics’ most popular products is their B-Flat Belly Firming Cream. 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 polyisobutene was shown in a clinical trial published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science to improve skin moisture content and reduce water loss by 33%. Hydrogenated polyisobutene is also non-toxic and poses no safety concerns.
Sodium hyaluronate is one of the most effective and well-studied skincare ingredients. As we documented in our review of Bio Oil ingredients, sodium hyaluronate is 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. The linked study found this botanical ingredient to also have an anti-inflammatory effect. Shea butter is not only effective, but also has a pleasant scent.
Bentonite is a type of clay which was found in a 2017 medical review to have a healing effect on skin which could reduce visible lesions and ulcers. This supports 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 review finding that it may reduce skin damage during exposure to UV rays from the sun.
There are also a number of additive ingredients in this formulation with questionable health effects.
Yellow 6, Yellow 5 and Red 33 are artificial dyes, and a medical 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).
Fragrance is a broad categorical term that could reference any number of chemical compounds. A meta-study from 2016 examined the safety of fragranced consumer products, including personal care products, and concluded that “everyday fragranced products can impose serious risks to human health.”
Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative which was shown to be toxic to human cells in a 2020 clinical trial.
We consider B-Flat to be likely effective for improving skin quality and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. We haven't come across any medical evidence that any topical cosmetic products can "firm" the belly or reduce the visible appearance of fat.
We don't recommend this cream overall due to the inclusion of artificial dyes, fragrance and a synthetic preservative.
A YouTube creator named Deidra Caren published a review of B-Flat, B-Perky and B-Tight products which has 83,000 views at the time of updating this article. It's only 3 minutes long and explains why she doesn't recommend the products and references side effects she experienced:
Maelys Cosmetics Before-And-After Images
A YouTube creator called "Brazilian Girl Channel" reviewed three Maelys Cosmetics products and included before and after images:
B-Thicc Booty Enhancing Mask Review
B-Thicc is a gel that the brand claims “helps the booty appear volumized and voluptuous.” The brand claims that this product “visibly tightens the skin” and helps the area look firm.
Sodium hyaluronate is effective for tightening the skin and reducing wrinkles as we documented in the previous section.
Grape seed oil was found in a clinical trial published in 2022 to 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.
Beeswax was shown in a clinical trial to 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.
In this case, the food dye used is Blue 1. This ingredient may irritate or provoke an allergic response based on the food dye study we cited in the previous section.
Sodium benzoate is a synthetic preservative which may cause sensitivity reactions in some patients, as we documented in our Native Deodorant review on another skincare product containing this preservative.
B-Thicc may be effective for improving skin quality because it contains several research-backed ingredients. However, we can't identify any ingredients that would cause curves to appear, nor do we understand how it would be biologically possible for a topical gel to change the shape of the body.
We don't recommend this product due to the inclusion of fragrance, artificial dyes and a synthetic preservative.
Questionable “Clinical Results” Section
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 trial listed anywhere on their website.
We also can't find any evidence that this clinical trial was published in any medical or scientific 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.
Real Customer Reviews of Maelys Cosmetics
Maelys Cosmetics is sold on Amazon, which is a more objective resource for customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
Their product with the most Amazon reviews is B-Flat, which currently has over 3,600 ratings and an average review rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "Amanda Edwards" who 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!!"
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "Cari Cutcher" who claims it causes 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."
Our Clean Skincare Picks
There are skincare products containing ingredients shown in clinical trials to be effective for reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality.
Clearstem Bodyglow Stem Cell Body Oil is our top body oil pick.
This product is formulated using argan oil and green tea. The former of these ingredients is clinically shown to have an anti-aging effect on skin, and the latter was shown to have a “prolonged moisturizing effect” in a clinical trial published in the Dermatologic Therapy journal.
Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum is our top anti-aging serum.
It contains hyaluronic acid which was described as a "skin-rejuvenating biomedicine" in a medical review due to its ability to reduce wrinkles and signs of facial aging.
HYDRAGLOW by CLEARSTEM is our top moisturizer pick.
It features bakuchiol as an active ingredient which was described in a 2014 clinical trial as "clinically proven to have anti-aging effects."
Bulletproof Collagen Powder is our top skin supplement.
Collagen supplementation was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology to reduce visible signs of skin aging as well as improve skin elasticity and skin hydration.
All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy or unsafe.
Maelys Cosmetics Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of the pros and cons of this brand in our opinion:
Pros
- Effective formulations
- Great branding
- Large portion sizes
Cons
- Contains fragrance
- Contains artificial dye
- Failure to clearly publish full clinical trials
- Some users report irritation
