Take a cue from the Moroccan women and their ancient Hammam rituals for the softest, silkiest skin ever!
Is the skin of your precious body needing a good exfoliation and a little bit of nourishment? Take a cue from the Moroccan women and their ancient Hammam rituals!
While enjoying hot water straight to your bathroom may seem like a luxury that has been around for a long time, that is not so in every part of the world!
Take the people of Morocco, for example, who cleverly developed hammams centuries ago, long before much of the world had hot water piped to their houses. This traditional bathing and cleansing ritual is believed to increase circulation, release toxins, and purify the skin.
For most Moroccans, the hammam is so much more than a day at the spa - it is part of their culture and DNA.
The Hammam Tradition in Morocco
Hammams are a large part of Morocco's history, but even today they are revered tradition. Although the hammam is amazing to treat sore muscles, exfoliate dead skin and benefit the respiratory, there is a massive social element for many Moroccans visiting the hammam. It is a chance to take time out and meet with friends or family.
And, while the big cities have plenty of touristy hammams, many local districts have communal hammams. Along with the local bakery, a fountain, the school and of course the mosque, the hammam is one of five traditional elements found in every Moroccan neighbourhood. This, of course, provides a sense of companionship during this time of self-care and rejuvenation.
On the way to the hammam, the women will pick up Beldi Soap (often scenting it with Eucalyptus or other local essential oils like rose or orange blossom) and any other bathing necessities.
Once they arrive, the women undress down to their underwear and spend time in a heated sauna-esque room to open their pores, apply a Beldi Soap mask, and scrub away dead skin to reveal bright, fresh skin. This process both increases circulation and detoxifies the skin.
Although the process itself only takes about 45 minutes, you'll see generations of women using this process as an excuse to spend quality time together, or as an opportunity to talk to their friends for hours.
And while a weekly trip to a neighbourhood hammam in Morocco may not be attainable for you right now, you can certainly give yourself the spa experience at home and get your glow on all summer long!
Once your bathroom is perfectly steamy (as many Hammams have different rooms at various temperatures), you can apply Indagare's Natural Beauty's new Eucalyptus Beldi (Black) Soap, brought in directly from Morocco, for about 15-20 minutes. You almost want to treat it as if it were a mask for your body.
The steam then encourages your skin to accept the hydrating benefits of our Beldi Soap – a significant advantage to this traditional use of saponified olive oil – release toxins and loosen dead skin. Take your time enjoying this moment. Not only are you doing something great for your skin, but you are choosing to focus on your mental wellbeing as well. I personally LOVE the detoxifying scent of the Eucalyptus and take a few moments to allow the essential oils to benefit my mind, as well as my body.
The Exfoliating Kessa Glove
In a Moroccan hammam, many women pay an attendant (a "Kess") to bring buckets of water to assist in the process and to scrub them down after the Beldi Soap with a Kessa Glove. The goal of this process is exfoliation. And while it's not always the most comfortable and requires vigorous scrubbing, dead skin will roll right off, leaving you with glowing, fresh skin. When completing this process for yourself, you'll want to remember to use long, upward strokes in the direction of your heart to stimulate circulation. We've even secured a small number of Kessa Gloves from Morocco so you can do this step at home.
After your hammam ritual is complete, rinse off and continue with your regular routine: shampoo, conditioner, shaving, etc. Many Moroccan women will also appreciate a Kess massaging them with Argan Oil for further hydration – a lovely way to top off this spa experience. Indagare's luxurious Relax & Nourish Body oil would be a blissful final step here.
A perfect boost to your weekly routine, you can do a full hammam ritual (including the heat and scrubbing) once a week. However, the Beldi Soap can be used daily (I have actually replaced my commercial soaps with this pure, 100% natural Beldi soap in my shower and bath) and are a great way to continue moisturising your skin.
After this self-treatment, you'll skin and mind will feel totally refreshed and ready to tackle the summer weather!