New and good: Korres Guava lip butter

Brand new from Korres, the Guava Lip Butter (£6) is already a firm favourite (we've been testing them since mid-December). They're enriched with shea butter and rice wax and free from nasties like mineral oil and ethanolamine. It’s a healthier option for keeping lips in tip-top condition through harsh, cold outdoor weather and bone-dry heated houses during the winter. And with stars like Charlize Theron and Goldie Hawn counted as fans of the original Guava Body Butter, we’re sure this is going to be a similarly addictive treat. We like the Wild Rose lip butter too (has a very subtle and flattering red tint).

Brand to watch: Sophyto

One of the newest organic brands to hit the market is Sophyto, apparently the first professional use line with UK Soil Association certification. Taking inspiration from both Chinese and Western medicines and ayurvedic, homeopathy and naturopathic remedies, which seems a bit diffuse, we're always willing to give 'em a shot before disclosing our opinions on their product.

Sophyto's product list includes:

• Deep Pore Foaming Cleanser 150ml £20
• Ultra Mild Silken Cleanser 125ml £19
• Purifying & Energising Super Bioactive 250ml £19
• Tone & Balance Super Bioactive 250ml £19
• Normalising Day Face 40ml £25
• Mega Omegas Day Face 40ml £25
• Polyphenol Skin Drops 75ml £45
• Skin Energising High Potency Concentrate 75ml £60
• Refining Peel Mask 50ml £23
• Purifying Mask 50ml £19
• Sample Kit of 5 Try Me Size Products 5X5ml £14.95

You heard it hear first: Dr. Alkaitis skincare

There's a new brand of beauty product on the market in the US, soon to hit UK shores. Any unfortunate pronunciations aside, this range of products is super effective and natural, a trend that's become a mainstay in beauty nowadays. After all, prior to 100 years ago, that's pretty much what we had to work with anyway -- natural ingredients by default.

Apparently, no Dr. A product is more than two weeks old at the time of shipment, everything made (and overseen by Dr. A himself) in California. We like their company philosophy that 'the essential foundation of beauty is health.' Here, here. They even go so far as to say 'if you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin.'

I'd be a hypocrite to say that I don't sometimes use products that contain harmful chemicals. For a large part of my young life, that's all I knew (knowledge is power and all that...). That said, I make an effort not to, and since I've starting using the Dr. Alkaitis Purifying Cleanser and Nourishing Treatment Oil my skin has been unusually soft and the clarity is amazing. I don't generally endorse products this heartily. Maybe it's to do with the fact that all Dr. Alkaitis's products are organic aloe-based rather than water based. Maybe it's because of the high concentration of all those lovely ingredients. Whatever it is, I'm sold. Along with my Kirsty Mcleod Clarifying Clay Exfoliator (and a nightly combo of the Dr. Alkaitis oil and the Kirsty Mcleod Revitalising Vitamin Booster (NB for white western women of the world: stop being scared of oil! The right kind is REALLY good for your skin, even on your face).

They might not be a classic cult item, but they'll no doubt become a regular feature in die-hard beauty junkies' bathroom cabinets soon.