A Moroccan Hammam

This past summer your spa traveller, Anna, had the opportunity to experience an authentic Moroccan Hammam.  Of the many things I did on my vacation in Morocco - riding a camel, sleeping under the stars in the Sahara Desert, shopping in the souks - the visit to the Hammam was most definitely near the top of the list for overall magical experience.  Definitely a lot more relaxing than hanging on for dear life to a camel!! 

The Moroccan Hammam, or Hamman, is a cross between a sauna, a relaxing massage and the most vigorous body scrub you will ever have in your life.  Hammams range anywhere from humble public baths, which are a regular ritual with the Moroccans, to the utmost in luxury pampering equal to any spa you will find worldwide - with prices to match - and any variation in between.  The basis of the hammam ritual consists of a steam in a heated room, being doused with large jugs of hot and cold water, a soaping using Moroccan black soap, followed by an incredibly effective exfoliation scrub with a loofah type mitt, more hot and cold dousings, and a massage or other add-on of your choice, depending on the luxury level of the particular hammam.

Hammams have been part of the Moroccan beauty ritual for hundreds of years.  Historically, grand households had a hammam where the family could relax and bathe.  The hammam would also be offered to visitors to the house as a gesture of hospitality.  Nowadays, many luxury hotels and smaller riads have their own hammam where their guests can enjoy the full hammam experience as part of their stay.

My own hammam experience began one beautiful sunny morning.  I had noticed an ad for a hammam posted in my hotel lobby.  I made an inquiry to the hotel concierge, an appointment was made and soon after that my friend and I were speeding through many winding streets with our own personal driver, sent from the hammam to pick us up. Upon arrival, we were met by a group of smiling attendants.  We were shown to a small room and changed from our street clothing into robes and were then ushered into an extremely hot, dark room, with a heater in the middle, benches along the wall, and several large copper vessals filled with water.  We shed our robes and the attendant began by pouring several large pots of warm water over us.  The first step after the soaking was a luxurious soaping with the black soap, which our attendant explained was usually made from a mixture of Argan oil, essential oils, and olive skins, which gave the soap its black appearance. She very quickly and skillfully massaged the soap all over my body and all aches, stiffness, and any soreness from prolonged camel riding vanished as the warm oil sank into my skin.  After the soaping, she poured another large pot of water over me to rinse away the soap and then she set about scrubbing with the loofah mitt with a firmness and vigour that I never  could have done myself.  Up arms and down legs, across my back, she scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed some more.  Layers of old skin were no match for her powerful loofah mitt and very quickly a new layer of skin appeared, glowing with health.  After every square inch of my body was scrubbed, she then poured another large copper pot of water over me and finished with a bracingly cold rinse.  The hammam was finished and I emerged reborn with a healthy new skin, totally invigorated, my circulation tingling from the scrub and the cold water splash.

Next came a blissfully relaxing massage, which I had chosen as an add on treatment, where I drifted off to sleep and dreamed of crossing the Sahara on a camel.  When the time was up, the attendant gently shook me back to reality. 

The hamman also had a small gift shop stocked with various beauty products.  I purchased some black soap and was given the scrub mitt to take with me.  The total price for this morning of pampering came to the equivalent of $30.00 Cdn.  I emerged back onto the street a new woman, ready for serious shopping in the souk and maybe even another camel ride. 

Using the argan based soap and scrub mitt has now become part of my bathing ritual.  I don't think any scrub or salt can quite equal the effectiveness of the black soap and scrubbing mitt.  Although I don't think I will ever equal the skill of my hammam attendant, regular use has kept my skin silky smooth.  I will post more on Moroccan black soap and the scrub mitts in a later post.