Everyone deserves time out, but not everyone can afford to visit a day spa for some well-earned pampering. But relaxation and rejuvenation can be achieved by creating an at-home sanctuary in your bathroom, so you can chill out whenever you have a spare hour or so. With a busy lifestyle, it's important to regularly recharge your batteries to keep balance in your life.

Spa must-haves
To ensure your bathroom is a wonderful environment to nurture and relax, prepare with these essentials

• Fresh towels and face cloths
• Fluffy bathrobe
• Candles
• Soothing music
• Back brush
• Pumice stone
• Soap
• Sponges
• Aromatherapy oils
• Bath soaks

DIY bath potions

AROMATHERAPY OILS: Add a few drops of oil to a warm bath. Try a touch of lavender to soothe, lemon grass to invigorate yourself or rose for a very sensual experience.

MILK: Add one cup of powdered milk to a warm bath for a relaxing, moisturising treat - just like Cleopatra.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: Awaken your senses with a cup of vinegar. Great for healing dry, scaly skin.

OATMEAL: Put a cup of cleansing oatmeal into a piece of calico, tie with string and hang from the hot tap. When the poultice softens, massage it over the skin to exfoliate and moisturise.

EPSOM SALTS: Add a few tablespoons of these therapeutic salts to warm water. They will help ease all your tired and aching muscles.

ROSE PETALS: Add handfuls of rose petals to a warm bath for a sensual fragrant soak.

Some like it hot
There are benefits to having your bath either hot or cold. Find out which is best for you

• COLD: Try cold water for an invigorating wake-up after a hot shower. You need to be strong for this as it shocks the system. A cool shower will help revitalise you and is best after a tiring day at work.
• WARM: Warm water is relaxing and soothing for tired muscles - this is the best temperature for moisturising and calming. Apply lashings of moisturiser after your shower or bath to maximise the effects.
• HOT: Scorching water may be the ultimate in luxury for some, but a too-hot bath can dry skin by stripping away natural sebum. It can also be quite exhausting which is why a hot bath is better taken at night.

Spa sensation

Set the mood by dimming the lights (if possible), putting on laid-back music, lighting candles, using aromatherapy oils in an oil burner and running a warm bath. Depending on the type of spa experience you want - uplifting or soothing - select oils or a bath soak to add to the water. If you don't have a bath, create a fragrant experience in the shower with gels, oils and foaming washes. This will make your bathroom smell sweet and help you relax.

Before entering the bath or shower, give your body a brisk dry rub with a natural bristle brush to loosen dead skin cells and stimulate circulation using firm upward strokes.

At this point you may want to exfoliate with a creamy body scrub, sugar rub or marine salts. Otherwise, apply a detoxifying mud or algae mask to the body. Try Thalgo, Phytomer, Pevonia and Algologie body products.

Rinse off in the shower and then submerge yourself in the bath for a very therapeutic soak - 20 minutes is optimum. While soaking, apply a mask to your face and hair, letting the steam from the warm water enrich the intensity of the product. Use a pumice stone to soften rough, dry skin on your feet.

Cold compresses on your eyes will help freshen fatigued faces. While the bath relaxes your muscles, the coolness will give some relief.