REMEMBER the days when there wasn't much to say about it? It was a moisturiser for your body, it probably had Johnson & Johnson written somewhere on the bottle, you popped it on after your bath or shower and that was about the end of it.

Not anymore. The technological overdrive that has given us mini i-Pods, bluetooth mobiles and digital dance shoes (don't ask) has entered the beauty world with a vengeance. The result: practically every beauty counter in the country is now sporting products that all come with their very own "science bit".

Nor have body lotions missed out and these days, moisturising is the least of their worries. Whether its extreme exfoliation, anti-ageing action, cellulite and stretch-mark elimination or even weight loss you're after, there's a high-tech cream waiting for you out there.

Take the revolutionary new Clarins lotion. Its Super Restorative Redefining Body Care for Abdomen and Waist ( 63) actually promises to rid you of one inch from your waist within one month of usage. This wonder cream says it will redefine your abdomen and streamline your waist by eliminating excess fat and stimulating drainage.

The science bit here is overwhelming.

There's crowberry, caffeine, agrimony, silicon, pueraria lobata and plenty other unpronounceable active ingredients at work to make you a new woman. Clarins say that Crowberry has the capacity to inhibit MMP-1, but let's just leave it at that.

The word 'drainage' is a deeply satisfying one when it comes to weightloss treatment and anti-cellulite creams.

Fat Girl Slim ( 40) is a renowned treatment from Bliss, the amazing New R York spa brand which has arrived in Ireland and is available only in BT2, Dundrum Shopping Centre, Dublin.

Fat Girl Slim promises to diminish dimples with caffeine encapsulated in QuSomes (whatever they are when they're at home) along with some much-needed drainage.

Within 60 days you will be transformed, or at least have less-dimpled thighs.

If stretch marks are your bugbear, then look no further than Clinique CX Stretch Mark Cream ( 120). Part of its new technology-busting CX range, this 'patentpending formula' stimulates skin's own natural collagen production to reduce stretch marks and build skin elasticity.

Impressive.

Lancome has also gleefully jumped on the technology bandwagon with its new Resurface Microdermabrasion Polishing Body Cream ( 42.50). Microdermabrasion is the latest (six syllable! ) keyword in skin exfoliation and is not to be sniffed at. This lotion employs aluminium micro-crystals to subtly scrub your skin and reveal that inner radiance you know is just fighting to get out.

When it comes to anti-ageing, Creme de la Mer has long reigned supreme in the beauty hall of fame. Therefore its body lotion, The Body Lotion ( 157), is entitled to the same respect. This concoction includes deconstructed waters, along with select botanicals and marine extracts to diminish the skin discolouration that can accompany ageing.

Even when a body lotion is simply a moisturiser, there are serious ingredients to contend with. Sisley Confort Extreme Body Cream ( 84) uses Harpogophytum extract along with Kokum Butter and Chestnut extract to give "long-lasting nourishment to the lipid-depleted areas of the body". So there.

Each of these products comes with the same crucial ingredient: commitment.

Tons of it. We're talking two, three and more times a day given over to application.

For instance, if you're thinking of starting the Clinique Stretch Mark treatment, you should probably consider going part-time in your job.

They're looking for a minimum of three massage sessions daily for a minimum of four weeks. Clarins and Fat Girl Slim require morning and evening sessions of very specific rubbing motions for a minimum of two months . . . enough to make anyone feel tired. New year's resolution, anyone?