Wellness expert wellness routine: Claire Caddick founder of TRIBE517

We all like to look our best and feel our best, and there’s a wealth of products and information out there telling us how to do it, but how do the people who live their lives being dedicated to others’ wellbeing take care of themselves? Here we interview Claire Caddick, spa therapist turned spa consultant and founder of the delicious TRIBE517 spa and skincare brand, about her favourite products, her fitness routine and her non-negotiables when it comes to self-care.

What’s your overall goal when it comes to wellness?

I think my main goal is to maintain the health that I have. I'm 56, I don't take any medication and I never have, and while I might not be quite as slim as I was when I was younger, I’m currently healthy and I value that.

What do you do to stay fit and healthy?

I walk the dog a lot - that's my kind of exercise. I did my back in a few years ago so I can't do lots of high intensity stuff. I go up onto the mountain next to the farm and it's not just about the physicality of walking; it's the fresh air and appreciation of life that you get out there. I have some of my best ideas when I’m out with the dogs - it's peaceful and I think it keeps me well balanced.

Is walking your non-negotiable wellness habit?

Yes, I would say so. If I don't have my walk I'm grouchy and grumpy. It's the movement, the fresh air and the thinking time. I don't have my phone on when I go - there's no signal anyway. I just chill out. Sometimes it's only 30 minutes if it’s a busy work day, and sometimes, like today, I might go for 2.5 hours. It’s just time to enjoy the quiet and be in the moment because the rest of the time the emails are pinging and the texts are popping.

Do you have an actual wellbeing routine?

For skincare yes, but on a daily basis I don't have a routine for anything else. It depends on whether I'm travelling or at home. A lot of what I do is creative and you can't be creative to order. I have to go with the flow and see what inspires me. I do my best thinking on the move - walking, or driving or doing the ironing. In the car I have created the concept for a whole collection of treatments before! My routine includes all of that but there's no pattern. That said, I do have skincare rituals.

What do you do for skincare?

I do a routine every morning and evening and it includes lots of things, although I do vary it. Now that I have my own skincare range I use that, but before I had so much gifted to me and I loved trying things. The reason I love my own collection is that it's all natural, so it's a comfort to use as well. I currently use the ONE range from my collection. I love to have a bath, so I get in the bath and properly massage using the cleansing oil - it's so therapeutic for mind and body as they were made to be emotionally healing. I use the ONE cream and ONE scrub as well.

I use the scrub in the morning on a dry face - it contains coconut sugar and it’s super creamy, it smells like toffee and gives you a wonderful lift in the morning that really wakes you up. I take it off with a warm cloth and while you don’t need to use a cream afterwards as it moisturises by itself, I often do. When I'm working I put make-up on, but not if I'm going out to walk the dog.

Body wise, when it comes to skincare I'm quite varied - it depends how much time I have. I'm a bath person and again I often use the ONE body scrub as it’s a great multi-tasking product and I don't need to moisturise afterwards. Otherwise I grab whatever's in the bathroom - it depends what mood I’m in. I think skincare can be a bit like perfume - you have your favourite but sometimes you want to mix it up a bit.

With skincare and body care it's about how it makes you feel. If you've had a heavy day, half you you might fancy a facial in the bath, but the other half just wants to get your make-up off and go to bed. The only complete rule for me is that I never to go to bed with my make-up on.

Do you have particular habits when it comes to diet?

I don't drink and I don't smoke. I haven't drunk alcohol for 20 years, but I'm a tea addict - I drink copious amounts of Earl Grey, although I do try to mix it up with a decaf version. At Tribe we have our own tea - it’s an Earl Grey with coconut and chocolate - I drink lots of that. I don’t have sugar or milk though, and I almost always have lavender tea before bed.

I only have one full meal a day but I often graze on fruit and nuts, and I have at least one vanilla protein shake each day made with frozen fruit, iced water and a scoop of vanilla. Sometimes I add spinach as well so I’m getting my five… six… seven a day. I find that large meals make me sluggish.

I always eat loads of fruit - lots of oranges and things like nectarines in the summer.

What’s your main piece of wellbeing advice?

I try to enjoy what I'm doing at the time and be in the moment. We all know we can't function without some order and a plan, but I think it's so important not to live too rigidly all the time. This is your life now - what’s that quote? Life is what happens while you’re making plans.

I try really hard to concentrate on what I'm doing right now rather than the next thing and just be completely present.

Claire’s products are used in therapies at a number of UK spas, including Breedon Priory.