It's time to prepare to bare. Phyl Clarkesets her pre-beach routine in motion
So there I was, on my hands and knees with my head in the hot press. I was poking around the back of the immersion tank with the kitchen tongs. Believe me, only something very important would get me into such an undignified position, and that was the case. I had lost my beloved Japanese Body Wash Cloth - the one that exfoliates, smooths and buffs me into shape; the one that wakes up my circulation and makes me believe that, yes, it probably was a good idea to get out of bed after all.
As it is mere weeks to my holidays, it's time to get serious about body care.
Body brushing is the new buzzword, and it doesn't require a big financial outlay. If you need any more encouragement, regular brushing will result in smoother skin, rough patches will be a thing of the past, and your body creams will absorb more deeply. If you are a fake-tan fan, you will also get a smoother, more even application.
The Body Shop has a great range of body accessories that are good value, such as a hemp body mitt (€11.50) and a round body brush (€11.50) to encourage circular motion.
A jute body brush (€22), available to order from www.vocispa.com, is the "Rosa Klebb" of body brushes. Unfortunately this looks like a brush you would use to clean something else in your bathroom, and is for serious fundamentalists only, but, boy, does it get results. The no-pain, no-gain mantra will be ringing in your ears as you use it. It's important with body brushing to start at your extremities (hands and feet) and work in a circular motion towards your heart. Experts vary on whether to brush before or after showering - it's up to you. My preference is before, as you can smooth away dead skin cells in the shower afterwards.
Boots also has an excellent body brush in its Sanctuary range, which comes with a long handle to reach your back (€15).
Back to my Japanese wash cloth, and why I love it so. I gave up looking, and ordered a replacement online from (£17). It looks deceptively gentle, being a white-mesh rectangular cloth that the makers describe as "body wash cloth - hard". It gets my vote because you use it in the shower, so you can skip the dry-brushing step. Also, as it's a wash cloth, you can pour your favourite shower gel or cream on to it before getting going on the skin. Its malleable shape also makes it a doddle to get around awkward areas. It's a powerful exfoliant and all-round brilliant product.
After all that activity, you may emerge from the shower a little pink, and certainly needing some TLC in the body-nourishment area.
You can go straight for moisture or incorporate treatment/firming effects, too. A product I am seeing results from at the moment is La Roche-Posay Lipikar Podologics (€11.95), an excellent foot cream.
Then lash on the body cream - the richer the better, according to your budget - but don't be mean: your skin will drink it in after all that sloughing. Soon it will be time to show off my beach-ready body, and I'll be lying there, smug in the knowledge that my hot press has had a good going over and is as neat as a new pin.