It Works! Body Applicator

For those of you who haven't heard about them yet, the Ultimate Body Applicator from It Works! is designed with weight loss in mind.

According to the website and the product description, the Ultimate Body Applicator is, "naturally based, mess-free, and comes with an affordable price tag. It’s NOT water loss. You are not losing water weight when you use the Ultimate Body Applicator.

The website is full of testimonials from satisfied users of the product, as well as information on how to become an independent distributor. There are also pictures of Ultimate Body Applicators and other products that were passed out in Hollywood, to celebrities like Paula Abdul.

How Does It Work?

You can download a .pdf that tells you all the ingredients in the Ultimate Body Applicator from the product ordering page. I won't reprint them all here, but I did notice the green tea and jojoba in there, and definitely smelled menthol when I put mine on. It's not an unpleasant scent at all; reminded me of Vick's when the kids have stuffed up noses.

You wash the area before applying the Applicator. Since I just had one, I chose my stomach, but you can use them on your thighs or back as well. You also want to take your measurements before you put it on, and record them, since the whole point is that, especially with repeated applications, you are supposed to lose inches and tighten your skin.

The Applicator is heavily coated with all the natural ingredients, so it is easy to tell which side is applied to the skin. There's a video on the site that shows a young lady unwrapping one and putting it on if you are interested. I wore my clothes over mine, and also wrapped saran wrap over it in accordance with a suggestion in the instructions.

I felt a little silly, honestly, with the saran wrap around me! I felt like a woman in one of those vibrating belt things from old TV commercials.

The Ultimate Body Applicator felt very cool against my skin, which went along with the whole menthol thing in my mind. It actually felt really good and was surprisingly comfortable. I wasn't sitting there, sweating or anything. I drank a lot of water and kept it on for the recommended amount of time for a first application, 45 minutes.

The literature says that as you get used to using these, you can leave the Applicator on while you sleep at night, or during your regular day, under your clothes. I honestly cannot see doing this myself. It wasn't visible under my clothes, but even without the saran wrap, it felt noticeable to me.

However, I definitely felt thirsty. Also, you are really encouraged to drink a lot of water, which I did and am still doing a week later. That's just good sense. But it doesn't really go along with the claim that water weight isn't what is being lost. Think about it: Why do they stress you need to drink more water unless you need to replace it in your system?

How Much Does This Cost?

I only tried out one Ultimate Body Applicator. You can purchase one Applicator for $29 on the website.

If you purchase the Starter Pack, they come 4 to a pack, with defining gel and an informational DVD. The cost is 99.00/ 59.00 Loyal Customer Price.

To get the Loyal Customer Price, you have to choose the auto-shipment option for a minimum of three months. Whatever you put in your cart, they ship that same product or products to you for three months. If you want a different order shipped out, you have to contact them to do it. Although technically you only have to commit to three months, again you have to contact them after those three months to cancel, and if you cancel BEFORE three months are up, they charge you a $50 early termination fee.

I DO NOT like the Loyal Customer concept at all. If they had it at all, I would rather it automatically cancelled after three months UNLESS you opted in, rather than forcing you to call and cancel.

In contrast, I received my Ultimate Body Applicator from a distributor for this review. I did not receive any gel with mine, though I would have liked some. But I did not have to commit to buying any additional Applicators, either.

Okay, so let's skip forward.

What were my results after 45 minutes?

I lost 1/2 inch on my waist. That's great, but nowhere near the differences I saw in the testimonials on the website. Also, according to my scale (which is the kind with the moveable weights, like they use in doctors' offices), I didn't lose any weight, water or otherwise. So it seems to me, and I am overthinking this whole thing but that's something I do, that perhaps tightly wrapping the Ultimate Body Applicator around my stomach redistributed the weight rather than making me actually lose anything. Maybe?

Still, I did only use one Applicator, while most users may go for 4 at least, since that's how many usually come per package.

My stomach hurt the whole night after I used the Ultimate Body Applicator, too. I can only assume that this is my own fault and I did not drink enough water, though, because I really think I was dehydrated and that's why it hurt. That's what it felt like to me, mild dehydration. So I might have had better results by drinking more water. I just don't know.

Did my results last?

It's now been a week since I used the Ultimate Body Applicator. I just took my measurements again. I have not changed my diet before or since using it. So, did the result last?

Well, again, it was only 1/2 inch off my waist. It's very hard for me to tell. I did not lose any weight with the Ultimate Body Applicator, and I haven't lost weight since, as far as I can tell. I do think my waist is still that 1/2 inch less, though, because despite that not seeming very much, I do fit into my pants a little better than I did over a week ago.

That's my experience with It Works! Ultimate Body Applicators.

Have you tried the Ultimate Body Applicator from It Works!? Have an opinion about this product? Leave a comment and let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Barbara, A Twittermom who started the Mommy Bloggers group over there (the largest group of all, with over 2000 members, it's definitely one you should consider joining), is also an "independent distributor" for It Works, and she kindly sent me one of their Ultimate Body Applicators to try out.