Some women liken it to cottage cheese, others think it resembles orange peel.

Cellulite - lumpy deposits of fat caused by fat-storing cells, also known as adipocytes, are found beneath the skin. These cells group together to give a bumpy appearance to your skin's surface and affect women of all ages and sizes.

At least 85 percent of women aged above 20 have cellulite.

And yes, lean women get it too. The thighs, buttocks and the abdomen are the most common areas for a woman to develop cellulite. Hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause or even if you're taking birth control pills will make you more prone to developing cellulite.

As your body begins to accumulate fat, the adipocytes will increase in size. They also produce enzymes that can damage the subcutaneous layers of fat that surround these cells.

Ms Leona Low, Clarins' Training Manager, says that as women age, skin also ages, which contributes to an increasing lack of firmness in skin. This can cause cellulite to become more visible and prominent.

If you already have cellulite, just keeping to a regular exercise routine and eating your portions of fruits and vegetables will not make your orange peel skin resume its normal appearance, and you will need a little more help so that skin can look better.

To help you smoothen out those bumps, here is the latest range of cellulite busters.

Clarins High Definition Body Lift

Using all natural plant extracts to combat cellulte, Clarins' latest addition promises you will see results after three weeks of use.

Blue button flower extract helps to stimulate the release of fats, uncaria yomentosa, a climbing plant native to Peru, slows the storage of fats, while horse chestnut boosts blood circulation and prevents water retention while phospholipids from sunflower moisturizes and nourishes skin.

Used with the Clarins method of self-massage (DIY instructions come with the bottle), 78.9 percent of 3500 women across 10 countries who took part in trials for this product saw less visible cellulite and fatty deposits.

Retails at $82 and available at Tangs from Feb 27, 2009.

Vichy Cellu.metric Day/Night

Do you know that cellulite is more visible in the mornings than during the afternoons? This is because skin on the bottom half of the body is thinner in the earlier part of the day. Fats are also more easily stored by the body at night.

Vichy's Cellu.metric Day/Night is a 14-day programme targets the cellulite's biological cycle. The Cellu.metric Day serum helps to break down fat deposits and smoothen skin, and Cellu.metric Night serum burns fat and prevents it from being stored by the body.

Retails at $79 for 28 satchets (8ml each) of day and night serum. Available at major hospitals and selected Guardian pharmacies, Watsons and The Living Pharmacies.

Cristalle 21 Svelte Curve

A two-in-one body and face slimming gel to help you keep the weight from fats off.

Its key ingredient, ivy extract, helps your body to release excess moisture in the body's fat cells, while essence of seaweed, birch and juniper promote the burning of fat and reduce cellulite.

While the gel feels slightly sticky after application, massaging it into skin was very easy. My problem areas did look and feel firmer after a week of daily use.

You will have to wash off the gel five minutes after application, so it is best to use it before a shower.

Retails at Cristalle de Paris (56 Temple Street) and selected Watson's store for $88.60 (60ml).

Shills POPS Body

This cellulite-busting foaming essence comes in a compressed can.

It has a novelty factor - the foam crackles and sizzles when applied and feels icy-cold on contact with skin.  But the foam does mean that it melts into skin quicker than creams and gels with no sticky after-feel.

Grapefruit essence and caffeine contours and firms the lower body and waistline, while sour orange essence clears away cellulite.

Retails at $22.90 at www.beautybistro.com.sg and all major Sa Sa outlets, selected Watson's outlets, BHG, JOhn Little and OG departmental stores.