One tub of Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is sold every 14 seconds. But how has this firming body cream maintained its popularity for just shy of a decade? Viva beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti finds out.
If you live with a tween or teen, then chances are at
Unless, of course, it’s sold out — which it often is given its soaring popularity across social media platforms like TikTok, where videos with the hashtag #SoldeJaneiro have been viewed 609.3 million times.
The frenzy around the firming body cream continues with scores of devotees the world over, its sunny scent intended to bring warmth and sunshine year-round, even in the bowels of winter.
As someone who’s tried (and loved) the sweet-scented body cream, it seems few people are immune to its charms. Personally, I’ve churned through pots and pots of the stuff, gifted minis to friends, and frequented the Sol de Janeiro duty-free counter for travel-sizes to stash on holidays.
But why does a pot of cream have such a hold over us? Is it the fragrance? The formula? The frivolity? Read on to find out.
What’s in the name?
Sol de Janeiro’s signature fragrance, Cheirosa 62, is an addictive blend of pistachio, salted caramel and vanilla. It’s named so after the word “cheirosa” which means “to smell incredibly good and delicious” in Portuguese, and 62 for the year in which Brazilian culture soared in global popularity.
And despite the words “bum bum” featuring in its name, Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, $84, isn’t actually a bum cream at all. “Bum bum” is pronounced “boom boom” in Portuguese, and the cream is designed to be used all over the body, not just the booty.
The brand was founded by former beauty executive Heela Yang Tsuzuki in 2015, who sought to shake up the market as it stood by creating a niche for luxury body care that skewed gourmand in scent, in a category saturated with citrussy or floral-scented options.
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Advertise with NZME.A pregnant Heela, who was living in Rio de Janeiro at the time, was inspired by the body confidence of Brazilian women to develop a range of body care with the ethos: “Love it. Flaunt it. You’ve got it” and desired to spread this same message to everyone who dipped their fingers in the pot.
The campaign imagery reinforces this message — scores of scantily-clad women of every ilk “flaunting it” with a tub of cream in hand.
Why is it so popular?
The brand was acquired by L’Occitane in late 2021, and as of last year, the brand was valued at US$450 million. Today, the brand sells one tub every 14 seconds.
The hype has been fuelled by both organic and sponsored content shared by prominent beauty influencers including Kathleen Fuentes, who has 2.1 million followers on Instagram, along with appointing actress Barbie Ferreira as the face of the brand’s perfume collection.
According to the 2024 Cosmetify Index, which measures the social following, engagement and Google search results of the world’s top beauty brands, Sol De Janeiro is New Zealand’s most popular beauty brand, closely followed by Charlotte Tilbury’s selection of celebrity-approved makeup.
Additional findings from the British beauty platform revealed that Sol de Janeiro had the best engagement rates on Instagram, or the highest percentage of likes and comments per post.
In June this year, Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and 21 other beauty products were welcomed into Mecca’s Hall Of Fame as part of its Mecca Beauty Elections, which serves to celebrate the most viral, most transformative and most popular brands lining its shelves.
According to Mecca’s head of emerging categories Alison Scanlan, the brand’s signature scent is one of the driving forces behind its virality and mass appeal.
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Advertise with NZME.“Scent has been a huge catalyst for the body care category. Scented body products provide another avenue for our customers to enjoy their favourite scents while nourishing their body,” she says.
“Sol de Janeiro’s classic and addictive pistachio and caramel scent was one of the brands that drove this trend from the outset.”
Alison is quick to point out that Sol de Janeiro has been the most popular body care brand at Mecca over the past 12 months, especially with those in the 15-24 age range.
It reflects a shift in the buying habits of the younger generation, and Alison adds this social media savvy demographic is now Mecca’s biggest consumer group, overtaking 25-34 year-olds.
“Catapulted by social media, TikTok’s love for Sol de Janeiro, and #TheEverythingShower, customers are now taking more time out for self-care and to nourish their whole bodies,” she says.
“This, coupled with the accessibility and collectability of Sol de Janeiro’s viral scents in a body mist format, has all contributed to its popularity.”
Sol de Janeiro’s body mists are just one of the off-shoots the brand has released off the back of Bum Bum Cream’s popularity, with others including the Bum Bum Body Firmenza Oil and Delicia Drench Body Butter, Alison says.
Mecca launched its Sol de Janeiro Perfume Mist Discovery Set a couple of weeks ago and Alison says stock of the “hugely anticipated launch by our customers has flown off the shelves”.
(Never fear, she adds more stock is coming, along with a handful of new Sol de Janeiro products over the coming months).
What’s in the pot?
As far as the formula goes, the key ingredient is caffeine-rich guarana sourced from the Amazon, touted to both smooth and tighten by stimulating the skin’s micro-circulation.
Beyond guarana, the boosted body care highlights nourishing ingredients like cupuaçu butter, a plant butter rich in fatty acids, phytosterols and polyphenols to support skin elasticity, alongside coconut oil to condition and moisturise, açaí oil to defend against environmental aggressors and brazil nut to support the skin’s ability to protect itself.
Does it work?
Mecca Chit Chat, a closed Facebook group for fans of the beauty giant, is flooded with comments about the cream — some underscoring the popularity of its Cheirosa 62 scent, others praising its hydrating power, and questioning claims around its ability to firm and lift skin.
“Some people have bought it for skin tightening but just haven’t seen results. I personally didn’t,” one member wrote.
“It’s only a nice smelling moisturiser, it doesn’t actually tighten skin,” another said.
“My 10-year-old niece has asked for Bum Bum Cream for Christmas,” another post read, further reinforcing the purchasing power of Gen Alpha.
Similar posts are swirling about on Reddit, with comments ranging from “smells really good, not sure about its claim though” through to “I bought it for the skin benefits but fell in love with the scent” or “I am baffled by this phenomenon”. Aren’t we all?
A standout? “It covers the scent of marijuana” — just in case you were wondering.
Ahead of the trend?
The sheer volume of the aforementioned posts in the Mecca Chit Chat group crying out for skin-tightening creams drives home their demand, and in the wake of Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, a handful of others have followed suit.
Frank Body is one such brand, with the introduction of its Perky Sculpting Body Hydrator, $29, which claims to diminish the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite thanks to its signature ingredient, Robusta coffee.
Bali Body Antioxidant Body Whip, $32, combines a blend of intensely hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, shea butter and jojoba oil with active niacinamide to moisturise skin while promoting a firmer, smoother complexion.
Bawdy Super Tight Body Serum, $93, is said to visibly tone, tighten and firm with proprietary ingredient icewine, which promises an instant lifting effect.
Luxurious bodycare maker Tronque offers up a skin-strengthening salve with its Firming Butter, $130, which combines nourishing plant-butters with biotech ceramides and marine ingredients to hydrate, plump and tighten skin, restoring firmness and boosting glow.
As far as supermarket body creams go, Glow Lab Moisturiser Caffeine Firming Body Butter, $12, is laced with caffeine and niacinamide to firm and tone skin, while improving the appearance of rough, textured or uneven skin tone.
