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 Quick Answer: Buy the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream first — it’s the one everything else orbits, and the scent (Cheirosa ’62: pistachio, salted caramel, vanilla) is the real draw. The caffeine from guaraná does make skin look temporarily smoother by drawing out fluid, but that’s a 6–8 hour cosmetic effect, not permanent firming. Everything is heavily fragranced, so patch test if your skin is reactive.
Sol de Janeiro built a global business on one thing: a scent people become genuinely attached to. The skincare benefits are pleasant and real enough, but nobody buys a second tub because their thighs got firmer. They buy it because of how it smells.
Which means the decision isn’t really “does it work.” It’s which Cheirosa you want. If you’re building out the rest of your a full glow routine, a Sol de Janeiro cream slots in as the moisturiser step and does the fragrance job at the same time.
Every Cheirosa scent, compared
“Cheirosa” means fragrant in Portuguese. The numbers are just names. Sol de Janeiro has never explained the numbering, and there isn’t much to explain: they reference years and places, not a scale. They don’t indicate strength, order or intensity, which is why choosing between Sol de Janeiro scents online is so difficult.
| Scent | Smells like | Choose it if… |
|---|---|---|
| ’62 (the original) | Pistachio, salted caramel, vanilla. Warm, gourmand, sweet | You’re starting here. This is the Bum Bum Cream scent |
| ’68 | Pink dragonfruit, red apple, jasmine. Fruity and floral | You find ’62 too sweet and want something fresher |
| ’71 | Brazilian jasmine, black amber, vanilla. Warmer, muskier, more grown-up | You like ’62 but want it less foody. The most common upgrade |
| ’40 | Coconut, macadamia, sandalwood. Beachy and creamy | You want holiday-suncream nostalgia |
| ’59 | Sugared violet, jasmine, sandalwood. Powdery floral | You prefer classic perfume over gourmand |
| ’87 | Caramelised vanilla, praline, orchid. Sweeter and richer than ’62 | ’62 isn’t sweet enough for you |
The comparison people actually want: ’62 vs ’71. They share a vanilla backbone, so they read as related. ’62 is sweeter and more edible, all pistachio and caramel. ’71 is warmer and muskier, with jasmine and amber doing the work instead of sugar. If you already own ’62, ’71 is the one worth adding. ’87 is close enough to ’62 that most people don’t need both.
And ’62 vs ’68 is the easy one: they’re barely related. ’62 is a dessert, ’68 is fruit and flowers. If you’re unsure which family you like, that’s the pairing to sample.
Is the Cheirosa ’62 mist the same as the Bum Bum Cream scent? Yes, same fragrance. The mist is lighter and fades faster, the cream is richer and lasts longer. Layering both is the standard Sol de Janeiro trick for making it last all day.
Does Bum Bum Cream actually do anything?
People ask this constantly and the brand pages won’t answer it, so here’s the version I’d give a friend.
What it genuinely does:
- Moisturizes very well. Cupuaçu butter and coconut oil are effective emollients, and the texture absorbs faster than most body butters. This part is real and it’s most of the value. As a plain body moisturizer it earns the price.
- Temporarily reduces the look of dimpling. Guaraná has more caffeine by weight than coffee beans. Applied topically, caffeine causes mild vasoconstriction and acts as a local diuretic, drawing fluid out of the tissue. That genuinely makes skin look smoother and tighter.
The caveat that matters: it lasts about six to eight hours.
The effect is temporary and cosmetic. It doesn’t accumulate, it doesn’t remodel tissue, and it doesn’t turn permanent with consistent use. When the fluid returns, so does the appearance.
What it doesn’t do:
| Claim | Reality |
|---|---|
| Gets rid of cellulite | No. Cellulite is fibrous bands tethering skin to underlying tissue, and a topical can’t reach them |
| Removes stretch marks | No. Stretch marks are dermal scarring. Moisturiser can soften their appearance slightly |
| Permanently firms skin | No. The tightening is fluid related and reverses within hours |
| Builds collagen | No topical collagen reaches the dermis. The molecules are far too large |
So is Sol de Janeiro worth it? If you want an excellent smelling, genuinely good body moisturiser and you enjoy the temporary smoothing before an event, yes. That’s a real product doing a real thing. If you’re buying it to treat cellulite, no, and no cream will.
On “plant-based collagen”: you’ll see this on the Beija Flor Elasti-Cream. Collagen is an animal protein and there’s no plant version of it. The term describes botanical ingredients marketed as supporting your own collagen. It’s a nice moisturiser. It isn’t collagen.
The six products worth buying
The Sol de Janeiro range is larger than this, but the rest is mostly variations on the same few textures.
1. Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, the one to start with Cupuaçu butter, coconut oil and caffeine rich guaraná in the iconic ’62 scent. Fast absorbing for how rich it is, which is the actual reason it sells. Best used straight out of the shower on damp skin. If you buy one Sol de Janeiro product, buy this. Skip it if: you want a fragrance free moisturiser, or you’re layering it over body actives.
2. Bom Dia Bright Body Cream, for texture and dark spots Vitamin C plus fruit AHAs, so this one does more than moisturise. The acids gently exfoliate. Lighter scent than ’62. Skip it if: your skin is sensitive. AHAs plus fragrance is a lot at once. And wear sunscreen with AHAs, since they increase sun sensitivity.
3. Brazilian 4 Play Shower Cream-Gel, the easiest entry point Creamy, non stripping body wash in the signature scent. The cheapest way to find out whether you like the fragrance before committing to a tub.
4. Bum Bum Firmeza Oil, for the temporary smoothing effect Lighter than the cream, absorbs faster, same guaraná mechanism. Better in summer than the cream. Skip it if: you’re prone to body breakouts. Body oils and breakouts go together on the back and chest.
5. Beija Flor Elasti-Cream, for stretch marks and elasticity Squalane and cacay oil make it a genuinely good, rich moisturiser, and squalane is one of the better tolerated emollients. Softer floral scent. Skip it if: you’re expecting it to remove stretch marks. It won’t, and nothing topical will.
6. Cheirosa Perfume Mist, the scent without the cream Hair and body safe. Lighter and shorter lived than a perfume, which is the point. It’s meant to be reapplied.
If you have sensitive skin
This is the part most Sol de Janeiro coverage leaves out, and it’s the one that matters most for a minority of readers.
These products are heavily fragranced. That’s the entire appeal, and fragrance is among the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis in cosmetics. Sol de Janeiro’s own guidance is to patch test or consult a physician before use, and the Bum Bum Cream is not formulated or tested for sensitive skin.
Take extra care if you:
- Have eczema, psoriasis or a history of contact dermatitis
- Use tretinoin, retinol or acids on your body. Read how to use retinol safely before layering anything fragranced over it
- Are recovering from a procedure, sunburn or waxing
- Are applying it near broken skin or after shaving
If you’re not sure which camp you’re in, know your skin type first. And if your skin is already stinging, flaking or reacting to things it used to tolerate, start with repairing a damaged skin barrier rather than adding another fragranced layer on top.
How to patch test: apply a small amount to your inner forearm, leave it 24 hours, and check for redness, itching or bumps. Do this before committing to a full tub.
If you love the concept but not the fragrance: the Brazilian Nude line is dermatologist tested and formulated for sensitive skin. It doesn’t have the ’62 scent, which is either the point or the problem, depending on why you’re here.
A note on “is Sol de Janeiro toxic”: this comes up a lot online. Fragrance ingredients in cosmetics are regulated in the US and EU, and the concern for most people is irritation and allergy, not toxicity. If you react to fragranced products generally, you’ll likely react to these. If you don’t, you probably won’t. Patch testing settles it far better than an ingredient list ever will.
How to make the scent last
The most common Sol de Janeiro complaint is that it fades. Almost always, it’s application.
- Apply to damp skin, straight out of the shower. Moisture helps the fragrance bind, and this is by far the biggest difference.
- Layer. Body wash, then cream, then mist. Each layer is light on its own. Together they last.
- Focus on pulse points: wrists, behind the knees, the base of the neck. Warmth projects scent.
- Mist your hair too, not just skin. Hair holds fragrance longer than skin does, and the Sol de Janeiro mists are hair safe.
- Don’t rub the cream in aggressively. Smooth it on and let it absorb. Friction breaks down the top notes.
- Keep a mist in your bag. These are designed to be reapplied, which is why they’re mists rather than perfume.
Storage: somewhere cool and dark. Heat degrades fragrance, so a sunny windowsill or a steamy bathroom shelf will shorten the life of the scent. Worth reading up on when to throw out products, because a mist that’s turned sharp is past it regardless of how much is left.
Frequently asked questions
What does Cheirosa ’62 smell like?
Pistachio, salted caramel and vanilla. Warm, sweet and gourmand, with a slightly nutty edge. It's the original Bum Bum Cream scent and the one most people mean when they talk about the Sol de Janeiro smell.
Cheirosa ’62 or ’71, which is better?
They share a vanilla base, so they feel related. '62 is sweeter and more dessert like with pistachio and caramel. '71 is warmer and muskier with jasmine and amber, and reads as more grown up. If you already own '62, '71 is the natural second bottle. '87 is close enough to '62 that most people don't need both.
Is the Cheirosa ’62 mist the same scent as the Bum Bum Cream?
Yes, the same fragrance. The mist is lighter and fades faster, the cream is richer and lasts longer. Layering the two is the standard way to make the scent last all day.
Can you use Bum Bum Cream on your face?
It isn't designed for it, and I'd skip it. It's a rich, heavily fragranced body formula. The fragrance load is higher than most facial products and it's more likely to clog pores on facial skin. Use a facial moisturiser instead.
Does Bum Bum Cream work for cellulite?
Not really. It temporarily reduces how visible dimpling is by drawing fluid out of the tissue, which lasts a few hours. Cellulite is caused by fibrous bands tethering the skin to deeper tissue, and no topical cream can reach or change those.
Is Sol de Janeiro safe for sensitive skin?
The main Sol de Janeiro line is heavily fragranced and isn't tested for sensitive skin, and the brand itself recommends patch testing. If you have eczema, contact dermatitis, or you use retinoids or acids on your body, patch test on your inner forearm for 24 hours first. The Brazilian Nude line is the dermatologist tested alternative.
How long does the Sol de Janeiro scent last?
Typically four to six hours on skin from the cream, less from the mist alone. Applying to damp skin straight after showering makes the biggest difference, and layering wash, cream and mist extends it considerably. Misting your hair helps too, since hair holds fragrance longer than skin.
Which Sol de Janeiro product should I buy first?
The Brazilian Bum Bum Cream in '62. It's the flagship, and the scent is the reason the brand exists. Most Sol de Janeiro buyers start there and work outward. If you're not sure about the fragrance, start with the 4 Play shower gel or a travel size, both of which cost far less than a full tub you might not want to finish.
Does Sol de Janeiro contain nuts?
The '62 fragrance has pistachio and almond notes, and several Sol de Janeiro formulas contain nut derived oils such as Brazil nut and macadamia. If you have a nut allergy, check the full ingredient list on the specific product before buying, and speak to your doctor. Fragrance notes and actual nut derivatives are different things, and only the ingredient list tells you which you're dealing with.
Reviewed August 2026. General information, not medical advice. Patch test new products if your skin is reactive, and see a dermatologist about persistent irritation.
Hi, I’m Marwa ✅
I test skincare, haircare, and makeup on real skin and a real budget, and writes the honest reviews to prove it.
