Challenge: Part 1 of 2 in Pampering day spa for £10

Now this is my kind of challenge. I love all kinds of pampering and lying on a treatment table whilst being pummelled and slathered in all sorts of exotic goo is my idea of heaven.

I’ve visited loads of spas in the past, so I know what to expect. (And I must admit that my expectations are pretty high when it comes to shelling out cash for pampering.) That means no dodgy makeshift deal for me – I’m going to have to go all-out to recreate an authentic spa experience. But it’s going to pretty tight on a miniscule budget…

The key to “keeping it real” comes down to the details – the small things like warm, fluffy towels and fresh flowers. Here’s how I pulled it off on £10…

1. Fresh flowers: The best day spas are always adorned with the freshest blooms.
On the way home from the train today, I noticed a flowering bush with pretty white blossoms at the side of the road. Surely nobody’s going to miss a couple of sprigs? And they DO look pretty good lined up on my bathroom shelf in my bargain IKEA Scandi-chic vases.
Cost = £0

2. Candles: pretty much a given at any day spa.
Thankfully, I’ve already got one of those bulk bags of tea lights from IKEA, but I need to find some pretty glass holders. A quick rummage in the kitchen cupboard reveals a pile of small glass ramekins left over from my favourite Gu puddings – my guiltiest pleasure. They’re the perfect size for tea lights and they’ll also double up as my “treatment” containers.
Cost = £0

3. Soft, warm and fluffy towels.
Rather than splurge on new, hotel-quality towels, I bung my towel into the dryer for 5 mins. Result? Soft, warm, fluffy towel!
Cost = (apart from electricity) £0

4. Soft music to induce relaxed, dream-like state.
I don’t own any “new age” music or whale sounds, but that’s fine by me. I select my favourite tunes for relexation (Spiritualized’s “Laser Guided Melodies”, if you must know) on my iPod and direct a speaker into the bathroom.
Cost: £0

5. Champagne.
The top spa treatments include “complimentary” champagne, which isn’t exactly “free” when you consider that it usually adds £££ to your final bill. But splashing out on a whole bottle of Champagne is way out of my budget. Instead, I make do with a mini bottle of sparkling white – Australia’s Jacob’s Creek does the job nicely.
Cost: £2.63

6. Natural spa products tailored to my skin’s requirements.
I looked up DIY home-made bath products online, and found some really simple ones at Spa Index.com. I already had some ingredients in my kitchen cupboards, which helped to keep costs low at the supermarket.

Here are the recipes for the treatments I chose:

Chamomile milk bath: a skin-softening treat for dry, winter skin.

• 4 cups powdered milk
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup dried chamomile or 5 chamomile tea bags

1. Steep chamomile in water for 20 minutes.
2. Strain liquid.
3. Mix liquid with powdered milk and add to running bath water.

Strawberry Hand and Foot Exfoliant: strawberries contain a natural fruit acid which aids in exfoliation.

• 8-10 strawberries
• 2 tablespoons apricot oil (you may substitute olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon of coarse salt, such as Kosher salt, or sea salt

Mix together all ingredients into a paste, massage into hands and feet, rinse, and pat dry.

Cost: £5.59

I’ll let you know how I get on in part 2…