Dimple Cheeks!

The start of the swimsuit season triggers mixed feelings, in most of us. Yes, it's great to be able to cast off our opaque tights and Ugg boots and expose several square feet of skin to deliciously warm air. But on the other hand, there's the rear-view to worry about. To be precise: cellulite. And my experience is that women who have even the teensiest dimples, barely visible to the naked eye, tend to worry about their thighs and backsides. (They certainly aren't going to be consoled by the doctors I've interviewed, over the years, who insist that cellulite isn't any different from fat anywhere else on the body, and can be shifted by dieting...)

Personally, I'm all for a bit of self-acceptance. Nobody ever died of cellulite, which puts it in proportion, while men I've noticed over the years seem completely oblivious to its existence and are just so thrilled to see women in a state of near-undress that they are entirely blind to the aforementioned dimpling. But the bottom line (sorry) is: you don't want to spend the summer in a burka. So: what to do? The good news is that there are some products which do make a difference. The slightly less cheerful news at least for anyone with a lazy streak is that all of those products work more effectively in tandem with a few lifestyle steps. Yes, massaging in a cream will make a difference to skin texture and smoothness, and even do a little bit for the lumps and bumps. But those actions will be turbo-charged if you also...

Take up body brushing. Amazing, this, absolutely amazing. It makes you feel like you've just been for a really brisk walk and is fantastic for revving up the whole backside area. Avoid too-stiff brushes that scratch the skin but remember that too soft won't work, either: one tip is to whisk brushes across the back of your hand, before buying if you can see the 'scratch', it's too hard. Brush before you bathe or shower, preferably every morning. (Better than a java jolt for waking you up, too.) Start at hands and feet and work up the legs and across the thighs, hips and bottom with long, upward movements. Don't stop there: move up your arms to the shoulders always working towards the heart. Don't be too vigorous, especially if you have a tendency to broken capillaries.

Rub-a-dub-scrub. Fact: any cellulite product will be better absorbed if you blitz the chicken-y skin that tends to build up on thighs and derri�re. Even a single scrubbing session with a salt or sugar-based scrub can transform the skin, if you've never done it before, making it more velvety and smooth-looking.

Ditch the junk food. According to Dr. Elisabeth Dancey, whose London clinic specialises in treating cellulite, it can be linked to what we eat. Food additives, pesticides and other synthetic chemicals in food can disrupt the smooth functioning of the body, while a lack of nutrients especially antioxidants and trace minerals may also encourage the formation of cellulite. (Personally, although quite well-upholstered, I don't have cellulite which I attribute to eating mostly organic food for the past 17 years. There is one theory that the body hasn't yet evolved to deal with 'novel' chemicals, so it wraps them in fat and stores them around the rear end. Something to chew on, anyway.) NB Dr. Dancey is author of The Cellulite Solution, unquestionably the best book on the subject ever written, which although officially out-of-print can be sourced secondhand through www.amazon.co.uk.

Boost your digestion. Sluggish digestion and elimination of waste can encourage cellulite, some experts believe. The solution: drink 2.5 litres of water a day, eat plenty of fresh fruit and veg and 'move it': 20-30 minutes a day of exercise (brisk walking is just fine) will make your whole body function more efficiently, helping swift elimination of toxins.

R-E-L-A-X. There is some suggestion that both physical and mental stress can interfere with body chemistry and prompt storage of fat. Be sure to breathe properly: it's quite astonishing: most of us are basically like pearl divers, holding our breath for long periods during the day. Whenever you remember, drop your shoulders, and take a deep breath. With luck, it will become habitual, thus helping to kiss your dimples adieu.

But now for the products. Can any cream, lotion or serum natural or otherwise really tackle unsightly lumps and bumps? To find out, Sarah Stacey and I recruited hundreds of women, called in dozens of products and sent each of those derri�re-blitzers or firming oils to a team of 10 testers, who had specifically identified themselves as cellulite-prone.

Our challenge to the panellists: use the assigned product on one leg/hip/buttock only, for comparison, over a period of months. (We asked them to report back at fortnightly, then monthly intervals, with any progress) While not exactly morphing anyone into Elle Macpherson, some products did appear to make a difference. If treating your cellulite will make you feel happier in a swimsuit, give these a try. But be prepared to use them religiously, if you want to see a difference. (And if not, remember: that's why Elizabeth Hurley (re)created the kaftan and the sarong) The ones that impressed them over the years are listed here - with a selection of the 'raves' they earned from our diligent cellulite-blitzing testers...

• Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare Energising Hip & Thigh Gel, £16.50 (www.lizearle.com): 'Skin appeared smoother, less lumpy and thigh 5 cm. slimmer after six weeks.'
• Elemis Cellutox Active Body Concentrate, £28.35. Very impressed: firmer skin and less orange peel'; 'a two-minute miracle: after six weeks, a dramatic difference with smoother, more toned thighs and cashmere-soft skin.'
• Declor Aromessence Contour, £40. 'A fragrant product with results that even my boyfriend noticed: smoother skin, less dimpled, 2 cm. reduction in thigh size.'
• Nude Smoothing Body Refiner, £37.19 (www.nudeskincare.com). 'Thigh area firmer, but I'm not certain how much of that was down to the fact that I followed the instructions to body brush and massage in the product.' A comment which just confirms what I said about lifestyle tips. The simple fact? Nobody ever got rid of their cellulite by sitting on their bottom. Which, come to think of it, is a bit of a Catch-22!

Josephine Fairley is a beauty writer and will be talking about her work in the Book Barn at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair on June 12 & 13. To book tickets call 01580 714705. For a timetable of events visit www.wealdentimes.co.uk more information.