Best Way to Do Detox Spa

If the word ‘detox’ conjures up unappetising images of grapefruit diets, or plastic tubes and having your insides sluiced out with water, think again. This home spa and detox programme will rejuvinate your mind, body and soul the more friendly and fun way.

Breath of fresh air - Take half an hour of light exercise outside – such as walking, cycling or gentle jogging – the oxygen that your body takes in will give your skin a healthy glow.

Slow down your pace – To benefit fully from your detoxification day, stop running around like a headless chicken and switch to relaxation mode.

Skin brushing - Take a firm, natural-bristle brush and spend five minutes brushing your body in sweeping movements, working from your toes up to your shoulders; always brush in the direction of your heart. Skin-brushing not only gets the circulation going and sloughs off dead skin, but by cleansing the pores, it eliminates toxins.

Exfoliating shower - Prime your body and prepare your skin in order to make it more receptive to your spa treatments. Christine suggests taking a body scrub or handful of salt into the shower: ‘I also find white, granulated sugar works well,’ she adds. Exfoliate your body, paying attention to your back, legs, knees, feet and elbows.

Hydrotherapy treatment - Turn your shower into a hydrotherapy jet and give yourself the full spa treatment. ‘Direct the shower head towards your body in upward movements, reducing the pressure on sensitive areas,’ says Christine, who is a dab hand with the jet. ‘This treatment is particularly good for cellulite-prone areas and for releasing tension around the shoulders. Finish off with an invigorating, cold rinse.’ For the not so brave, Christine advises acclimatising yourself to the cold water by turning the temperature down gradually. Now rub your body vigorously with a towel, don your bathrobe and slippers, and head for your spa room.

Meditate – Enjoy ten to fifteen minutes of total peace and quiet. Either sit cross-legged in the lotus position or kneel, making sure that your back is straight. Try to keep your mind free of any intrusive thoughts.

Chill out – Spend a decadent hour or so just lounging around in your bathrobe listening to music, reading your mind-and-spirit books or detoxing your mind.

Mind Detox - By relaxing your mind and taking stock of your life you will relax your body, de-stress and see things with more clarity. Sit back in a comfortable chair and, on a notepad, scribble down anything that is playing on your mind (banish all feelings of guilt about work).

• Reassess your lifestyle. Start by writing down ways in which you can change it for the better, for example, by eating more healthily, giving up smoking, cutting down on tea and coffee or joining a gym.
• Look at ways in which you can eliminate stress from your life.
• Take steps towards developing a more positive outlook. The idea is to eliminate negative thoughts and improve your view on life by thinking positively.
• Boost your self-esteem. Think of all the positive things about yourself (write a list of them if it helps). Throughout the day, remind yourself that you are gorgeous, special and happy.

Detoxifying facial - Treat yourself to a luxurious facial. Unless your skin is particularly sensitive or dry, decongest your skin and rid it of impurities by giving yourself a deep-cleansing facial using a mud or clay mask.

Eye treat - Rehydrate your under-eye area during your facial by applying a moisturising mask, anti-wrinkle eye pads or cotton-wool pads soaked in milk.

Catnap – Cover your eyes with an eye mask and drift into a deep slumber. If you can’t sleep, enjoy the blissful feeling of dosing

Detoxifying body mask - Smooth on a body mask, such as Borghese’s Fango Active Mud Mask, Malki’s Dead Sea Mask, The Clay Company’s Body Contour Wrap or, simply fuller’s earth, which you mix into a paste by adding a little water (this is available from most pharmacies). For best results, Christine advises wrapping yourself in foil before covering your body with prewarmed towels or, better still, an electric or thermal blanket: ‘The key is to keep your body as warm as possible,’ she says. Leave it on for twenty minutes and then shower it off.

Relaxation and deep-breathing technique – During the twenty minutes you are lying embalmed in your body mask.

Hair treatment – Put shine, body and bounce back into your hair by applying a rich, nourishing hair treatment or mask of your choice. Pop on a plastic shower cap, wrap your head in foil and then cover with a towel which has been prewarmed. Leave it on for twenty minutes while in your thalassotherapy bath. Sluice off the mask and then treat your hair to a final rinse with purified or mineral water.