A Moroccan national once said "in every new district in Morocco, there has to be a police station, a mosque, and a Moroccan Hammam".
Although currently marketed as spas, Hammams were historically the most popular rituals during the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean. When the Ottomans took Constantinople (now Istanbul) from the Romans in 1450, they brought their traditions to the kingdom. Soon a new cleansing ritual was born when the Turk Ottomans merged their own bathing rituals with their own. The Turks called it Hammam, meaning the spreader of warmth. The Hammam or a bath house is probably the oldest surviving bath tradition in the world and it has only gained enthusiastic fans in every corner of the world. Even today, many Moroccans attend their local Hammams regularly to cleanse from head to toe. A communal space, historically a Hammam has been a place to socialize, catch-up with the latest news, relax the body and indulge in skin care. A traditional Hammam has three rooms: a camekan, a hararet and a soğukluk. The camekan is a warm room that serves as an entrance. Guests are asked to change into a special, thin cloth to cover your body and a pair or wooden slippers. The next step involves the guest being escorted by the tellak (masseur) to the hararet where he/she lays down on the belly stone. The warmth opens the pores after which the masseur vigorously scrubs the body with a traditional soap made from olive paste. Once done, dirt and dead skin is washed away. This is followed with another scrub with a rough mitten called a kessa, followed by another rinse. In the end, the body is cooled in a soğukluk where he/she is given a drink and asked to relax. The result is silky-smooth skin and a refreshed feeling.
With authentic Moroccan and natural products, the benefits of this treatment are: Increased blood circulation Slowing down ageing Deep relaxation and skin rejuvenation Decreases oil secretion in the skin & nourishing with moisture Removing tan and dead skin and making the skin smoother You can bring the essence of the traditional Hammam rituals at home wherever you are in the world with these essential ingredients: Black Soap Containing refreshing Eucalyptus and moisturizing Olive Oil, this black massage soap is a paste-like mixture of black olives, natural oils, and glycerol, making a buttery paste that is Vitamin-E rich. Used in the first step of the Hammam ritual, the soap purifies the body by leaving the skin feeling soft by removing old skin cells. The best part is that this product is suitable for all the combinations of skin. Beauty Advice: Apply the soap on damp skin, rub with moisture and leave for 4 to 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with the Kassa glove Avoid contact with the eyes, broken or irritated skin. Beauty Advice: To use the exfoliating glove kessa the right way, apply the black soap on your body and dampen the kessa glove. Slip on the mitt and start vigorously directly on your wet skin, except for sensitive areas such as the face. Rinse with lukewarm water. You will probably feel your skin tingle and the skin may look red or raw. However, no harm has been done, and any redness will disappear after a few hours. To avoid irritation or drying out your skin, use the glove once a week.
Ghasoul Clay Otherwise known as Moroccan clay, ghassoul (pronounced c) is unique to Morocco, as it is amassed from the Atlas Mountains. It is known for its deep-cleansing and smoothing effects on the skin and hair. When purchased in the raw form, it needs to be mixed with rose water to obtain a paste-like texture. Known for its absorbent properties, it draws out excess sebum, prevent acne and helps to soften skin. It has also been used by Moroccan women for centuries to cleanse their hair as it has a natural foaming effect, making it an effective shampoo. It is a good compliment to the first treatment as the ghassoul is a gentle treatment and unlike shampoos and soaps it doesn't disperse dirt, but absorbs it as a blotter and cleans by physical processes. Beauty Advise: Use it in its paste form and apply it onto your face as a mask. You can choose to mix yogurt which is great for exfoliation due to its lactic acid or honey, which nourishes the skin due to its antioxidant properties. You can also apply the paste into the roots of your hair for defined curls or silkier strands. Rinse it off after 10 minutes.
Pure Argan Oil The Hammam would be incomplete without the Moroccan beauty potion, argan oil. Exclusively produced in Morocco, this oil is found in the Sous Valley, a mid-southern region separated from the Sahara desert by the Atlas Mountains. Its nutrients and virtues make it one of the most prized oils in the world. Traditionally it was used as topical ointment for dry skin, acne, psoriasis, eczema, wrinkles, joint pain, skin inflammation, and hair loss. Today it is used in hydration, preservation of skin elasticity, and hair care. Argan oil is known to add shine, restore health and repair split-ends in the hair. By restoring the hydro lipid film, argan oil helps in diminishing aging effects of the skin. The best part of it is that is not greasy and is quickly absorbed into the skin unlike other heavy moisturizers. In a traditional Hammam, argan oil is used to moisturize the skin after the black soap exfoliation. Beauty Advice: Apply argan oil along the strands of your damp hair and let it work its magic for a minimum of30 minutes before shampooing it. If you have dandruffs, apply the oil to your scalp as well and massage it into the skin. For your face and body, take a few drops of pure argan oil, rub your hands together and spread it on the face, neck, and body. Follow this up with a gentle massage gently with circular movements for easier absorption. Thanks to the concentration in linoleic oil in the oil, it can help acne-prone skin and leaving it glowing and radiant and acting as a night cream. Being rich in vitamin E, beta-carotene, linoleic acid, oleic acid, argan oil can fortify soft and brittle nails. Mix argan oil and lemon in equal parts and dip your nails in this mixture for stronger nails making them less brittle. Even if you Moroccan bathhouses aren t available where you are, you can definitely pamper yourself with a traditional Hammam at home with our products. Fill your bathroom with steam to open your pores, use black soap with kessa gloves followed by mud treatment and end with soothing moisturization. With our natural, authentically Moroccan products, you can bring the atmosphere of relaxation and care of a Hammam to you.