What is the Moroccan bath (hammam) treatment?
Growing up in Morocco, going to the hamam was part of my weekly routine. Every Saturday afternoon, my mom and aunts and I would start the pre-Hammam ritual with my mom and aunts, which involved preparing the ingredients and prepping my hair and skin for Moroccan bath treatments.
Moroccan baths, also known as Moroccan hammams , are one of the best care treatments for detoxification. In Morocco, women take a Moroccan bath every week. It is a non-negotiable time that can last up to two hours. It is meant to deeply cleanse and nourish the skin and hair, as well as reconnect with the body's senses and relax.
Having tried many relaxing massages and spas, there is honestly nothing like being in the steamy hammam , where every inch of your muscles relax and every pore opens for a deep cleanse. Once you finish the Moroccan bath, you feel completely clean and relaxed , as if you have just been born.
Because I don't have a Moroccan bath here in Romania, I tried to create the same effect at home, which is almost as good as in a traditional hamam. You can easily find the products online (I'll share my links below). Once you try it, there's no turning back!
What is the Moroccan hammam treatment?
Moroccan baths are a traditional Moroccan beauty ritual in which Moroccan men and Moroccan women go to a gender-segregated public bath to benefit from its purifying and skin-detoxifying virtues.
Moroccan hammams are everywhere. You can find them in almost any neighborhood. They are one of the most popular cleansing and relaxing beauty treatments in Morocco. In fact, it's very rare for Moroccan women to go to regular spas, as they can get everything they need in a Moroccan bath.
How to make a Moroccan bath at home
Here are the detailed steps to follow to make your Moroccan bath at home, as well as some useful links to amazing Moroccan products that will take your Hammam experience to the next level.
STEP 1 - Apply an oil treatment to your hair
The first step to prepare for a Moroccan bath is to nourish your hair with an oil treatment and leave it for at least a few hours under a warm towel.
In Morocco, the most commonly used hair oil is argan oil . Argan oil - applied to the ends of the hair - is perfect for deeply nourishing the hair, applied to the scalp - is one of the best treatments for beautiful thick hair and to stop hair loss.
For best results, make sure you choose a organic argan oil pure and of good quality. Use just a few drops.
STEP 2 - Prepare your bath or shower and steam the room
Once the hair treatment has penetrated deep into the hair and scalp (after about 2 hours), you can start preparing your environment for hamam .
The idea is to get as much warm/hot steam as possible in your shower. To produce enough steam, leave hot water run for 2 to 3 minutes until the shower starts to steam.
STEP 3 - Prepare your skin with beldi Moroccan soap
Once your shower is hot and steamy the next step is to open the pores of your skin. To do this, set the water temperature to warm, get in the shower and let the water run over your entire body for about 2 to 3 minutes, including your face. This will open your pores.
Then apply all over the body traditional Moroccan beldi soap .
Moroccan beldi soap is a traditional Moroccan beauty product essential for baths Hammam .
It's a paste made from dried olive skins and dried herbs. Once it comes into contact with damp skin, it will lather like soap and penetrate the skin, preparing it for the deep cleansing to come.
Again, it is best to use a 100% natural Moroccan beldi soap . One teaspoonful will be more than enough for the whole body.
STEP 4 - Cleanse your hair and apply a deep conditioner
This step is simple and consists of cleansing your hair of the oil treatment while allowing a little more time for the black soap to penetrate your skin.
To clean your hair, use a mild shampoo and be sure to thoroughly cleanse your hair, scalp and ends. Once you're done, apply conditioner deep.
STEP 5 - Start exfoliating with the Kessa Moroccan glove
Now that the black Moroccan Moroccan soap has soaked into your skin and your body is ready to be purified, it's time to start removing dead skin! For this, you will need aMoroccan Kessa glove .
The Moroccan Kessa glove is a popular Moroccan bath essential, used to remove dead skin.
The most important part here is choosing the right Kessa according to your skin sensitivity .
I recommend using a Kessa loofah glove. It will respect the skin barrier and allow deep exfoliation. This Kessa Hammam glove is one of the best you can find on the market. Note that a Kessa glove will always be a little rough, so always rub gently, never too hard.
The Kessa glove will remove dead skin all over your body, gently rubbing the skin using circular motions. Thanks to the black Moroccan soap applied earlier, your skin will release LOTS of toxins and dead skin. You will be surprised!
STEP 6 - Apply a Ghassoul mask
Moroccanghassoul is a clay extracted from the Moroccan Atlas Mountains. It is a very unique and rich clay, full of minerals such as magnesium, iron and potassium. You can find Ghassoul in powder, solid or paste form.
Ghassoul is also an essential part of the Moroccan Hammam experience. It has beenused in Morocco since the 8th century by women to cleanse their bodies and sometimes their hair (if you have oily hair, it will work wonders!).
To use Moroccan Ghassoul, be sure to rinse your skin with warm water, then apply the paste to your skin, including your face. Leave on for 5-10 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Your skin will be as smooth as a baby's skin!
This is Moroccan clay that you can find in our store.
STEP 7 - Rinse your entire body and apply argan oil
You're almost ready. Make sure your skin and hair are well rinsed and clean, then dry your skin with a towel. If you like, you can massage your dry parts with argan oil. You can even pamper yourself from time to time and massage your whole body with argan oil. You deserve it!
This is it. Your skin and hair will be clean, detoxified and so smooth . You will smell amazing and be deeply relaxed and in a good mood.
Try doing a hamam Moroccan bath every week or two and you'll notice that your hair and skin will improve incredibly and look better.
