Given our love of all things natural and all things retro, you'd be forgiven for assuming that this was yet another  bodycare range jumping on the feel good band wagon. But not so fast.... JR Watkins is indeed very natural and very old. The old-style packaging is virtually unchanged from that of the originals and the company is over 140 years old. And JR Watkins is no cute fictional character but a real, live Joseph Ray Watkins from Minnesota, USA, who founed his 'original natural apothecary' in 1868 — so there!

The skin care lotions and potions are part of a wider package of natural goodies that include home care products and spices. And today these toiletries — like the Hand and Cuticle Salve and Hand and Body Lotion — carry the `' Natural Products Association" certification stamp. They are free from potentially harmful chemicals like parabens, sulfates and harmful sunscreens, and as ingredients are sustainably sourced the range is environmentally-friendly. Such worthiness sounds horribly expensive, but since the range is now available here through Superdrug, that is far from the case.

I immediately liked the Hand & Cuticle Salve (£5.99) which comes in a boot polish-style tin. Having a beeswax base, it has an oily texture so I followed the advice on the back to use at night. However, with a little massaging (which is part of the experience anyway) it does absorb well — particularly if, like me, you have dry skin. It smells lovely — like a spa treatment — with its blend of lavender, sweet almond and eucalyptus. If you rub it gently into the cuticles, it really does soften them.

The Vanilla Hand & Body Lotion (£6.99) apparently contains 10 natural oils and extracts (like apricot, coconut, avocado and jojoba) and promises to relieve chafed, chapped and dry skin. I wouldn't describe it as a miracle cure for extremely dry skin (the Body Cream with shea and cocoa butters might be better for that), but the smell is fab (if you like ice cream, which I do) and the lotion absorbs quickly leaving even shins and knees feeling soft.