Katie Richardson gets to the core of an Evenwood beauty business

BEING a journalist often means you suffer from that hunch-back look after being scrunched up at your desk for hours on end working on the latest news. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but sometimes you just need a bit of TLC. And that was exactly what I was in store for when I signed up for a bit of pampering at Holistics At Apple, in Evenwood, County Durham.

This small salon is tucked away in the upstairs rooms of the popular Apple Hair & Beauty salon, in Swan Street. As I made my way up the stairs with owner and therapist Christine Bowes, I could see why she describes it as “a little corner of calm” as it was like stepping into a different world from the hustle and bustle of hairdressers downstairs.

Relaxing music played as Christine, 28, talked me through my treatment and I had to double check I had heard her correctly when she said I would be having a "back facial" (normally £35), along with a back, neck and shoulder massage (£15). I decided to go with the flow and was led through to the ‘cocoon’ of a treatment room where I was left to undress and make myself comfortable on a bed with heated blanket. Combined with the music and mood lighting, I suddenly felt very relaxed.

Christine began my massage using warm monoi and frangipani coconut oil , which had a sweet, intoxicating aroma.The massage was the perfect balance between being relaxing and untying some of the knots in my shoulders.

A coconut milk and vanilla scrub was used to gently exfoliate and moisturise my skin and then an indulgent and velvety white coconut body mask was applied. A final flourish was some coconut lotion, which was massaged into my back before I was left to relax on my own for about ten minutes. I have to admit to almost dozing during the treatment which was just what I needed after a long day at work.

Talking to Christine, it is apparent that she believes holistic therapy is her calling. She currently provides treatments on Wednesdays from 10am until late as she has another job managing a coffee shop in Durham, but she hopes this can become her full-time career offering everything from reflexology to full body massages.

  • For a full list of treatments call 01388-832555 or search for Holistics at apple on Facebook.

More men-dulgence

The rise in the number of men seeking salon treatments is showing no sign of slowing down, with a 44 per cent increase in male customers last year, according to the fifth annual Beautiful Britain survey from Sally Salon Services. The report reveals that Wales has seen the biggest increase in male customers (80 per cent), while Scottish chaps book facials most frequently - on average every 4.7 weeks - and blokes in the North-East love massages the most, indulging just over every three weeks.

Buy it now

Launched as a limited edition in 2012, elusive bottles of beloved Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Rose & Lavender, £15.50, have been changing hands online ever since. So to satisfy demand, the iconic cleanser is set to become a permanent fixture of the Liz Earle line-up, exclusive to John Lewis from May, and nationwide from September (www.johnlewis.com).