Published: Wednesday, 31st March, 2010 4:30pm

Give your skin the perfect spring detox with a mud wrap

Beauty therapist Coleen Cunniffe applies the mud wrap to Deirdre's back.

Mud fight, mud slinging, stick in the mud - all three have bad connotations but this week, I got to use mud for good, specifically for my skin.

Courtesy of The Spa at the Hodson Bay Hotel, I was wrapped in mud, all in the name of you bringing you readers the latest trends in beauty circles. A warm body mask of rich seaweed mud, to be exact, and I liked it!

Although I had a few initial reservations about my upcoming meeting with mud or muck as I called it in my childhood, looking at my less than conditioned, slightly flaky arms and legs on arrival to the award-winning facility, I thought to myself it can hardly do any harm, plus it's timely as winter warmers are cast off in favour of the skin revealing spring gear in the coming weeks.

Beauty Therapist Coleen Cunniffe began the whole process with a strenuous body brushing, which for my money, is one of the simplest, inexpensive and best anti-cellulite treatments out there, it's also something you can do yourself at home every day before the morning shower. It completely invigorates the skin cells, circulation and firms up any skin in need of TLC while also halting the spread of cellulite.

Afterwards, the hot mud was applied all over my body, a funny feeling at the start as I looked down to see a greenish tinge gunk all over me, but after being wrapped in the foil for a lie-down in the heated bed, I felt like I was in a warm, comfortable cocoon, somewhere I'd love to stay for a considerable time escaping reality for a bit.

The seaweed mud is excellent for detoxifying, Coleen told me, adding that many people who do a course of wraps get fantastic results in terms of reducing cellulite and conditioning your skin.

"It stimulates the body's metabolism and eliminates impurities," the friendly therapist added.

While it worked its magic on my tired skin, Coleen gave me a most relaxing scalp massage, designed to get rid of any tension that might lead to headaches to usher in a period of relaxation. Suitably chilled out, some 15 minutes later I was under the rain shower getting rid of the mud and feeling the effects of the full exfoliation - super soft, firm, clean skin.

After a drink of refreshing red ginger, the whole treatment was finished off in the most magnificent fashion with a full body massage using another Phytomer product, in this instance the marine mud moisturiser, to leave my body feeling luxuriously soft and purified. After a long running session the night before, to say my limbs and body were aching was an understatement, so this really was manna from heaven for my tired, stiff self. Add to this a wonderful spell in the relaxation suite overlooking Lough Ree afterwards and I was virtually unrecognisable to the frantic rushing of the person who entered a hour and a bit before.

But was there a noticeable difference to my skin afterwards? A definite yes. Immediately, it looked brighter, much softer than I'm used to and surprisingly firm, and for over two weeks it remained so. Happy days, considering the number of parties and special occasions that were just around the corner where one might have to show the pins in a little black number. Who would have thought I would have had mud to thank for the super soft skin on show!

For further information call The Spa at Hodson Bay 090 6442000 or check www.hodsonbayhotel.com The Detoxifying Marine Mud Wrap is at one of the March Special Offers priced at €75. Complimentary use of the thermal spa facilities before the treatment and the relaxation suite overlooking Lough Ree afterwards is also included in the treatment.