And then you moved to England. Your skin is pastier than Casper the Friendly Ghost’s, and after a winter hiding away under layers of clothes, you’ve got a dried-out snakeskin look going on. Great.

So now summer is beckoning you want to get that tan going on again, right? Well, you need to prepare your skin by getting all the dead cells sloughed off so you can have a fresh base for your golden glow. Ark Age Away Skincare in Putney offers quite possibly the best scrub down in town. A truly lovely little salon, the kind with incense burners, herbal tea, plinky music and low-lit treatment rooms, I felt relaxed as soon as I walked in the door.

The body polish lasts 45 minutes and was gorgeously invigorating. Using Ark products, the dissolvable clay beads gently scrubbed my skin while the mint extract left me fresh and tingly. After each scrub I was wiped down with warm towels and moisturised with a sublime massage to leave my skin ultra-soft and ready for tanning. Not only this but my seriously skilled therapist cracked my back and deftly loosened any knots swiftly and oh so gently, leaving me loose, relaxed and ready for my holiday.

From £49. Arkskincare.com