Hammam refers to a traditional bathhouse where one can have a steam treatment and full body exfoliation as per authentic traditions of Morocco.
This ritual dates back to both the Ottoman and Roman empires. The tradition is popular in the Middle East, where brides take this bath before their wedding to ensure softness and cleanliness of the whole body.
The hammam is a 50° C steam bath with different temperatures that increase from one room to another. The moist heat stimulates blood circulation and sweating.
First the body adapts to the heat in the warm room. The bather takes the customer to the ham and washes her body to get rid of the basic dirt on the skin and her hair.
Next, the heat in the hot room allows pores to open and let the body sweat. This brings out all the dirt hidden in the pores. “The time spent in this room depends on the customer’s tolerance for heat. The customer is then back to the warm room for another wash —this time using a Kessa glove (crafted goat hair made into a loofah) and rubs the skin to remove soap and dead skin to help exfoliate the skin and make it softer,” explains the expert Hammami at JOZ SALON & SPA.
The bather might be harsh when rubbing because the dead skin cells remain stuck to the skin so it’s completely normal when the skin becomes red. “You’ll see little black noodles forming on your skin. This is your dead skin,” she says.
After the bath the client step into the cold room. Many Moroccan hammams have showers in this room to help rinse the last remaining dirt and sweat off the body. Customers can relax on the benches here and let their bodies get used to normal temperatures again.
Now comes the last part of the hammam where the client receives a deep tissue aroma massage using organic oil. After the massage, women are offered Moroccan green tea with mint.
This rejuvenating, multi-step cleansing Moroccan ham ritual can be completed in 60 minutes.