Ever conscious of my age creeping up and wanting to protect the skin all over my body and not just on my face, I've found myself reaching more and more often for body lotions in recent months.

With the warm weather we had in March I've also realised how awful I am at remembering to put on sun protection - unless I really know I'm going out, to work on my allotment or to a sporting event in the warmer months - I find it virtually impossible to remember to apply some form of protection to my arms and shoulders mostly because I usually would be working indoors or commuting, so the actual exposure is quite minimal but it certainly does add up in summer.

One brand that has never let me down as a moisturising range is that of Palmers, the Cocoa Butter-based range of body, hand and lip moisturisers that have seemingly been popular for ages. So, when I saw this SPF 15-inclusive version, I had to give it a try.

***THE PRODUCT***
Most women know of Palmers Cocoa Butter Moisturiser. This rich, creamy, smooth buttery-coloured cream squeezes thickly from the quite plain-looking white plastic bottles and instantly wallops your senses with a blast of chocolately-scented aroma, which I have always found not only deeply pleasant to wear but also that it stays on your skin, subtly lingering in the background, whilst the cream quickly soaks in to your skin and keeps it supple, smooth and above all, soft.

So when a version comes along offering SPF protection as well, I was always going to be a hook / line / sinker candidate - SPF protection in my facial moisturisers and lip products is a must-have for me so this was always going to be warmly received.

This product also contains Vitamin E, my second favourite moisturising component over the years, so a further bonus there; this can aid the appearance of scars and stretch marks, helping the skin look more youthful and toned.

***IS THIS VERSION ANY GOOD?***
I'm lucky in that I don't suffer from aggressively dry skin on my body although after a cold winter I've noticed that I have accumulated some minimal stretchmarks over the years which are more noticeable now that my skin is at it's most washed-out and pale. So, if this cream could deliver on those claims, I would be delighted.

Also I have noticed that the skin on my cleavage and legs isn't as taut and youthful looking as it has been, occasionally lending it a tired, dull look particularly when now out in the harsher early spring sunshine. At this stage I'm thinking not only about soothing existing flaws but also preventing further damage, so I have been applying this cream about twice or three times a week.

The cream, like my previous Palmers efforts, is quite thick and on an early morning I advise you rub it between your hands to get some body temperature in there or you could get a bit of a shock, as this can be quite cool in winter in particular! This action of rubbing it between your hands shows you how buttery this is, because the body heat starts to loosen the mixture straight away and also melts away any product that might have gone slightly solid as it dries on the bottle opening.

The product comes in a white, stand-up flip-top squeezable bottle and because this cream has a butter, thick texture you sometimes have to give it a good shake upside down before opening to move the product down to the opening. On the bottle is a label claiming that this smoothes marks and tones skin, that you have 250ml (in Boots this is just over £5 at present) and that this has SPF 15 UVA / UVB protection. There is further product information on the reverse; such as that it contains the Palmers 100% pure Cocoa Butter plus additional Vitamin E and protection effects. As with all beauty products it is best to read the label for any warnings, for example this one stresses to keep this out of the way of children - understandable as they often assume that what smells like chocolate will taste like it!

So upon dispensing this cream I notice that, like all the creams in the range, you do not need to use a huge amount at once; indeed if you do I feel that you will retain the feel of the cream on the skin which in summer in particularly could be too cloying and sticky. A little goes a long way and whilst at first you may think you are not putting a lot on, remember that this spreads beautifully and melts into your warm skin, so covers more than you might think. I use this all over, and now can enjoy the residing chocolatey scent as well as knowing that it offers some protective benefit, although at SPF 15 I would of course advise a far higher block in strong sunshine.

I have noticed that my skin is already looking firmer, less stressed and happier. I feel a lot better in it and enjoy treating myself to this cream, so I think that for £5 approximately this is a good buy in a world when £10+ body butters are virtually the norm. I have used this range for years and have never had reason to change, nor have I ever not had a bottle in my cupboard.

I have not been using this every day or for long enough to expect stretchmark miracles but as my skin is overall less stressed and feels softer and smoother, I am a lot happier about them and also happier that further damage is not being sustained.

All in all I strongly recommend this product but with the caveat of common sense that SPF 15 is helpful and a nice bonus if you're just going to be in light sunshine briefly on-and-off, but if you will be in prolonged exposure in the stronger months of sunshine then a higher level of protection is highly advisable. But this is a gorgeous, soothing, rich cream that makes your skin feel brilliant - believe me, there have been compliments to that - and I would add that unlike some creams, the amount of residue that washes off in the bath at night is nothing like some other products I've used, which to me suggests the majority of this cream has soaked into your skin and is doing you good, rather than sitting there clogging your pores until you wash it off! A gorgeous, lovely product.