The beauty spy: water power

You won’t see her, but she’s there, in the salons, spas and shops, and she’s happy to share her secrets on the power of water.

The holy month of Ramadan is in part about purifying, cleansing and detoxing. Of course, the main aim is to do all this to the soul, but as my mother always says: "Cleanse the body and the soul will follow," or is it the other way round?

Anyway, your Beauty Spy has been looking into the benefits of water in your beauty regime.

We all know that the most popular way of cleansing off the day's grime and make-up is by using a water-soluble cleanser. In fact, my face doesn't really feel clean unless I use water.

And I know I keep harping on about the AC drying out your skin, but it is so true. At this time of year I always keep a little atomiser in my work drawer, such as the Neal's Yard Frankincense Hydrating Facial Mist or simply the Evian Mineral Water Spray, which basically sprays water on your face. But as it's from France, you know it is superior water.

For the body, I fear that now that I have discovered the hammam I don't think just a simple shower or bath will ever be good enough. Have you ever tried one? If not, then go immediately. There is nothing quite as satisfying as watching layers of your old grubby skin literally peel off. Be warned though, this is not a beauty treatment to snooze through. It involves a woman (usually a rather formidable one of Moroccan descent) covering you in an olive oil-based soap called Aleppo and then rubbing you all over with what feels like sandpaper but is probably some kind of loofah.

I swear I lost a kilo in skin with the combination of the heat (the hammam is constantly steamy) and the sloughing off of my skin. But I left the hammam at the new Tips & Toes in Khalifa City feeling like a brand new, squeaky-clean person.

I have also grown addicted to saunas (yes, I know, this time of year you don't really need to go to a sauna because you're living in one). I have found that it is quite nice relaxing in the heat of a sauna, as opposed to running around in it. Just lie there and let the impurities flood out. If you have any aching muscles, a sauna is an ideal way to relax them. And you have to go for the freezing cold shower between sessions, or you're just not entering into the spirit of the thing.

Don't forget to drink lots of water, too, which, of course, is the main beauty benefit of this most magical of liquids.

Tips & Toes Deluxe Villas in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, 02 557 2255

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