Exmouth's pampering potential

The barbecue may well have been pushed to the back of the garden shed, but please, boys, don’t go down the same route with your personal maintenance just because summer is over! You know as well as the ladies that when the sun comes out and you put the effort in to looking good – whether that’s waxing or exfoliating –but now that autumn is almost here, it’s even more vital to invest some time and money into pampering. Help that summer radiance linger a while? Did you know that most beauty salons in Exmouth have a special menu and a range of products available for men – it’s not all about the girls! Well, most of the time it is, admittedly. But whether it's for yourself or it's a gift, how much thought goes in to choosing a treatment? Do you really know what you’re going to get for your precious pounds? Shopping around is key, especially as there are so many offers and discounts available locally.

Peppers hair and beauty salon on High Street, is part of the Regis chain, and it has some recession-busting offers and loyalty discounts. Thursday nights you can book in for treatments until 8pm, which leaves the weekends free and makes a nice treat after a busy day at work.  Step in to Sammie’s beauty room and she’ll transport you to exotic lands, with tranquil Middle Eastern music which makes a nice alternative to pan pipes and perpetual waterfalls or whale calls. The Dermalogica Facial is one of the salon’s new treatments. It lasts 40 minutes, costs £40, and uses simple, gentle products. The range achieved a double win at the UK Beauty Awards this year and its unisex packaging appeals to men and women.  Salon manager Harriet says: “We have a lot of men booking in here, mainly for massages but increasingly for facials and waxing.” I couldn’t resist sampling it and really did drift off to somewhere else entirely; the scent of fennel oil was potent and it included a deep shoulder massage and an uplifting head massage. For 40 minutes I was in some Moroccan riad, surrounded by orange and lemon trees. Heaven.

Different again, the new Elemis Modern Skin Facial, aimed at 20-somethings, is definitely one for the autumn and winter. Available at The Treatment Loft, Darts Farm, it lasts an hour and costs £55. It involves deep cleansing and toning, lavender oil to rebalance the skin, the classic Elemis Frangipani aroma, two mask applications (one of which is a peel-off and is so special it’s not available to buy). And it really is a unique sensation; a mixture of refreshing and yet feeling co****ed underneath a thick paste. It’s not at all tight. As the therapist applies it, you just can’t help feeling that your skin is going to love you for it. One of the Elemis rituals involves your therapist staying with you, not popping a mask on and then nipping out to make a cup of tea or to flick through a few pages of Heat. The treatment feels holistic and almost spiritual, especially with the opening and closing rituals – again unique to Elemis. Trained Elemis therapist Becky says: “I moved from Swansea to Taunton and travel to work here at The Treatment Loft every day because I didn’t want to stop working with Elemis products. They’re expensive but a 50ml pot of moisturising cream can last you up to nine months or so, and we have some fantastic offers on at the moment, especially as the Christmas stock comes in.”

What’s surprising is that local salons are finding that the recession has brought about an increase in bookings for some quality ‘me’ time. A survival strategy, perhaps. And there are plenty of loyalty schemes and offers around to tempt you back for more. Shopping around for these offers is a good idea, before you book a treatment – and recommending a friend often earns you points to spend yourself at a later date. Exmouth town centre spa Peppers competes with Serenity, on Exeter Road, which is so busy they’re turning away potential bookings, Hannah’s Nail Studio, with her famous pink shop sign, on South Street, Hair on the Hill & The Beauty Room on Albion Street, and South Beach Beauty Room.

Last but very definitely not least, South Beach Beauty Room is an extension of South Beach Spa on Sanctuary Lane, off Woodbury Common. A Miami-beach style white and turquoise interior, inspired by 20 years of holidaying in the Caribbean, it is the perfect antidote to the working week.  Hidden away, the main house sits in 2 acres of lawns, with an outdoor Jacuzzi and white outdoor tables. I sampled a new treatment in the Garden Room – the ‘Hot Lava Shell’ massage. An hour’s full body massage, costing £60, it uses the natural benefits of heated Tiger Clam Shells from the Phillipines. The smooth shells are used as an extension of the therapist’s hands, applied with varying pressures, and using hydrating oils to moisturise the skin, as the warming energy of the shells helps to revitalize and rebalance the body and mind. The massage can also aid digestion and release emotional stress, but you might need to communicate with your therapist about what level of pressure you are comfortable with – and on subsequent visits you can request which areas of your body the therapist focuses on. It is a completely different kind of massage and offers benefits that Hot Stone Massage can’t deliver due to the difference in how the lava shells are heated. South Beach Spa offers a loyalty scheme, with a point earned for every pound spent, monthly special offers on the website, and incentives to recommend a friend. You can even hire the entire spa with your friends for a day – a small, intimate spa with endless possibilities!

If you have a spa secret in Exmouth, share it here! Where's the best place to get your hair done? Have a look on the directory and review your first choice salon.