MAXINE GORDON discovers the secrets of beauty on a budget with a spot of pampering at York College.

IF you fancy a spot of pampering, but are a bit short on pennies, look no further than York College.

The FE institution, off Tadcaster Road, offers a host of beauty treatments at a fraction of the cost of high street salons and swanky spas.

From massage to manicures, facials to waxing, electrolysis to lash and brow tinting, the college salon offers a menu to rival the best beauty bars in town.

A full range of hairdressing services is available too, from a cut and blow dry to colouring and perming.

The prices are enough to send you to Specsavers. Haircuts start from £3.85; a file and polish is £2.50; back massage £7.50 and a half-leg wax just £7.

New for 2014 is an anti-ageing clinic, offering state-of-the-art therapies at knock-down rates. Top billing goes to Environ anti-ageing treatments which use hi-tech methods to drive active ingredients into the skin. Pioneered by South African plastic surgeon Dr Des Fernandes, celebrity fans of Environ include Hollywood actress Hilary Swank and TV stars Anthea Turner and Mariella Frostrup.

Therapists at the college will tailor each treatment to the specific skincare needs of the client. Prices start at £25 - a fraction of what they would cost outside.

The reason for this is that students are training and may take longer to complete the treatment. But that's no hardship; most of us would gladly welcome a few extra minutes on the massage table or in the hair salon before returning to the hustle and bustle of the daily grind.

I booked in for a 90-minute aromatherapy massage. My therapist was Rachael Thornton, a second year student on the Foundation Degree in Holistic and Spa treatments - and one of the most experienced beauty students in the college.

Like the others on her course, Rachael is already a qualified beauty therapist and works part-time in industry - in this case at the spa at Hazelwood Castle.

Rachael began by taking my medical history then I was asked to undress to my briefs and slip under the cosy towels on the massage bed.

The treatment room resembles a hospital ward with curtains pulled around each bed for privacy. But that's where the resemblance ends. Low lighting and soft music help create an air of relaxation, before Rachael even gets to work.

I had a head cold, with a stubborn, blocked-nose, so Rachael suggested blending eucalyptus with bergamot, sandalwood and lavender in the aromatherapy oil that she would use in the massage.

"Aromatherapy oils can help alleviate certain problems," explained Rachael, pointing out the eucalyptus should clear my nasal passages and help me breathe a bit more easily.

She began by washing my feet then massaging my calves and legs, before moving on to my back and shoulders. Here she found plenty of trouble spots; lots of tightness and knots which if not treated could give me grief later on.

She recommended I come back for a course of at least six further massages over the coming months.

At York College prices, I could probably afford to do just that.

Find out more about treatments at York College Spa: telephone 01904 770254.