The hammam experience can also relieve stress and anxiety.
Bathing in a hammam is an ancient cleansing ritual that’s a mainstay in Middle Eastern and North African culture. It traditionally involves a steam bath, followed by rigorous exfoliation, and in some cases, a deep muscle massage. The total-body treatment is purported to have significant physical benefits: The hot steam has been shown to improve circulation and lower blood pressure.
“Steam may be beneficial in acne-prone skin as it can dilate the pores to loosen sebum,” explains Chicago-based dermatologist Jordan Carqueville, M.D. “Increased perspiration from steam or heat can also clear the pores and dislodge dirt and oils.” This makes the hammam especially useful after travel, she adds, as it can help remove built-up dirt and bacteria from a flight and relieve muscle tension from sitting for extended periods of time. That’s why participants on Equinox Explore’s trips to Morocco are offered the option of a hammam upon arrival. (Sign up to receive more info on upcoming trips here.)
The ritual is a purification of the body, but it’s also a purification of the mind. “The experience is a moment to disconnect from the outside world and enjoy total relaxation, which is why it’s so important in the Moroccan tradition,” says Walid El Mernissi, co-founder of Maison d'Asa, a hammam spa in Casablanca, Morocco. For that reason, hammams are also said to help relieve stress and anxiety and improve sleep.
Here’s how to recreate a hammam-like experience at home:
Relax in a hot shower, steam room, or sauna for five to 10 minutes to open up pores.
Apply black soap, a typical Moroccan product made with black olive oil and eucalyptus, over the body and face. Buff the body in a circular motion using a kessa mitt (a glove fabricated from coarse crepe material). According to El Mernissi, the mineral-rich soap has both antimicrobial and moisturizing properties which purify, hydrate, and exfoliate. This essential step in the traditional hammam experience removes dead skin cells.
FIND THE SOAP
FIND THE KESSA MITT
Next, coat the body and face with a natural mask made of rhassoul (also known as ghassoul), a volcanic clay mined from the Moroccan Atlas mountains. This ingredient improves skin texture and removes excess oil, explains El Mernissi. Let the mask sit for five to 10 minutes before rinsing it off.
Then, apply argan serum to the hair for instant hydration. While it soaks into the strands, gently massage argan oil into the face, neck, and body. Argan oil is often referred to as Moroccan oil, since it’s sourced from the country’s indigenous argan fruit trees. It’s rich in vitamin E, antioxidants, and essential acids, and is said to be moisturizing and anti-aging.
FIND THE SERUM
FIND THE OIL
Finish off the at-home hammam ritual by spritzing orange blossom oil onto the face and body. The ingredient, which comes from bitter orange trees abundant in Morocco, has been celebrated for its purported toning and hydrating properties.